US2511633A

US2511633A - Apparatus for the recovery of gases

Info

Publication number: US2511633A
Application number: US31197A
Authority: US
Original assignee: American Enka Corp
Current assignee: Akzona Inc
Priority date: 1941-05-21
Filing date: 1948-06-04
Publication date: 1950-06-13
Anticipated expiration: 1967-06-13
Also published as: FR881109A; NL56707C

Description

June 13, 1950 s. A. M. HEIM 2,511,633

APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF GASES Original Filed Sept. 30, 1946 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 4am ZWW June 13, 195 0 a. A. M. HEIM APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF GASES 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Original Filed Sept. 1946 Patented June 13, 1950 UNITED STATES APPARATUS FOR THE RECOVERY OF GASES Original application September 30, 1946, Serial No. 700,262. Divided and this application June PATENT OFFICE 4, 1948, Serial No. 31,197. In Germany May 21,

Section 1, Public Law 690, August 8, 1946 Patent expires May 21, 1961 7 Claims. (Cl. 1 88) The present application is a division of application Serial No. 700,262, filed'September 30, 1946, now-Patent No. 2,488,665.

This invention relates to the recovery of gases generated in the spinning of rayon and to the protection of spinning rooms against contamination by gases objectionable to operating personnel. More particularly this invention relates to an apparatus for the recovery of hydrogen sulphide which is incidentally produced in the spinning of viscose in an acid spin bath, and to the protection of the spinning rooms against hydrogen sulphide contamination.

In the spinning of rayon yarn of the viscose type, a viscose spinning solution is extruded through a spinnerette into a sulphuric acid bath. The reaction of the viscose with the acid of the bath results in the generation of hydrogen sulphide along the thread path immediately adjacent its point of emergence from the spinnerette. If this gas is allowed to accumulate in the spinning rooms in any substantial concentration, acute discomfort to the operating personnel results.

In view of the foregoing, ithas been customary to maintain in spinning rooms a high degree of ventilation in order that the operating personnel may be protected. While the conditioning of air in spinning rooms has-been successful in preventing injury and acute discomfort to operating personnel, it is apparent that the procedure is inherently very wasteful since to the cost of air conditioning, which is not inconsiderable when heating and humidifying requirements are met, must-be added the economic value of the hydrogen sulphide which is wasted to atmosphere. Furthermore, the wasting of large quantities of hydrogen sulphide to atmosphere renders a good deal of the surrounding area untenable for residential purposes.

It-has now been found possibleby the practice of the present invention to reduce substantially the air conditioning requirements of rayon plants, to recover a large proportion of the hydrogen sulphide generated incident to spinning, and to avoid imparting objectionable odors to the surrounding atmosphere.

It is further an object/of this invention to attain the foregoing advantages in a technically simple way without interference with the normal spinning-apparatus and processes.

Other objects and advantages of this invention will be apparentupon consideration of the follow.- ing detailed description of two embodimentsthereof in conjunction with the annexed drawings wherein:

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic representation of hydrogen sulphide recovery apparatus constructed in accordance with the present invention and illustrated in association with a single spinning position;

Figure -2 is a diagrammatic representation of a modified type of apparatus for the recovery of hydrogen sulphide which is also shown in association with a single spinning position; and

Figure 3 is a diagrammatic representation of an apparatus generally similar to a view normal to Figure 1 except that the hood member-is-elongated and accommodates several spinnerets and thread guiding elements.

Referring now in greater detail to Figure 1, the numeral 9 indicates the bottom of a spinbath tank and H! designates a spinnerette through which a viscose solution is extruded to form a thread 1 I, the spinnerette being disposed below the surface of a spinning bath I2 which maybe of any known composition but which maybe assumed to contain a large proportion of sulphuric acid. After emergence from the spinning bath the thread I l is led upwardly over a revolving roller 13 and then downwardly into the bath again and around a roller I4 from which it is led u ward y to and around a godet IE to a point of collection or after treatment, not shown. The roller 13 is supported from a-standard 9a mounted on the bottom of spinbath tank 9.

The foregoing spinning arrangement is entirely conventional. It is proposed, however, in accordance with the present invention, to dispose a hood 16 having depending portions I! in posi tion above the spinnerette ID in a position enveloping the thread path from and to the surface of the spin bath and theroller ,l 3. The hood I6 is openat thebottom which liesbelow the surface of the spin bath l2 and is provided with a gas outlet conduit 18 near its top. The hood 161s held in position by suspension at its top from a cable 19 which passes around a roller 20, the cable at its end remote from the end attached to the hood being provided with a counterweight 2|.

It can nowbe seenthat the hood -I 6, in-the position shown in Figure 1 is disposed above the spinnerette and enveloping a portion of the thread path so that gases evolved incident to reaction between the vicose and the sulphuric acid of the spin bath will be collected in the hood. These gases may be withdrawn through conduit l8 and subjected to known chemical processes 7 for the recovery of either sulphur or sulphuric acid as may be required. Since most of the gas produced incident to a spinning operation is evolved immediately after the extrusion of the viscose, it is apparent that the present invention affords a high degree of recovery of hydrogen sulphide with concomitant reduction in the air conditioning requirements of the spinning room as a whole.

In view of the fact that the roller I3 is mounted near the top of the hood l6, and since in threading up it is necessary for the operator to pass the thread over the top of this roller, the hood [6 is mounted for vertical adjustment. This adjustment is effected by pulling on the weight 2| to cause the hood to rise to a level such that the bottom of its depending flanges lies above the the roller l3. In this position thereading up can be effected conveniently and, after threading up, the hood may be restored to the position shown in Figure 1.

While the apparatus disclosed in Figure 1 involves a single hood above a single spinning position, it is apparent that an elongate hood lGa may be used in association with a plurality of aligned spinning positions I a (see Figure 3). In this case, threading up can be effected in groups and the gas recovered will be that emanating from the group ofspinning positions. It is contemplated that the rollers |3a will be supported for rotation by a standard 9b extending upwardly from a position below the bottom of the hood as shown in Figure 3, this supporting means being mounted on the bottom of spinbath tank 90 and adapted to be enveloped by the hood. However, it is possible to mount the hoods in a stationary maner as indicated in Figure 2. In this-case the hood 22 is mounted in fixed position above a spinnerette 23 by means of a bracket 23a extending from side wall 231) of the spinbath tank. This bracket holds the hood 22 in position by collar 21 surrounding the hood. A roller 24 is disposed in vertical sliding movement in a bearing 25 at the top of the hood 22. By this arrangement it is possible to lower the roller 24, as shown in broken lines, to a level below the bottom of the hood 22 so that the apparatus may be threaded up to produce a thread path of the same type as that disclosed in Figure 1. The gas collection is effected in the same manner from hood 22 as was described above in connection with hood Hi. In the event hood 22 is made in elongate form similar to thatshown in Figure 3 to accommodate a, plurality of spinning points, it is contemplated that the rods '25 be connected together so that they may be raised or lowered simultaneously. 7 It is apparent that the foregoing disclosure of several embodiments of this invention is merely illustrative and that various modifications are contemplated within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In apparatus for the acid spinning of rayon yarn that includes a spinnerette immersed in a spinning bath, the improvement that comprises a hood member open at its bottom and disposed above the spinnerette with its open bottom below the surface of the spinning bath, a conduit for withdrawing gases from said hood, a thread guiding element disposed above the surface of said bath and within said hood, and means for relatively moving said hood and said thread guiding element in a vertical direction to permit threading of the apparatus.

2. In apparatus for the acid spinning of rayon yarn that includes a spinnerette immersed in a spinning bath, the improvement that comprises a hood disposed above the spinnerette, said hood having an open bottom normally disposed below the surface of the spinning bath, a thread guiding element disposed above the surface of said bath and within said hood, a conduit for drawing gases from said hood, and means for vertically moving said hood to a point above said thread guiding element whereby threading of the apparatus is facilitated.

3. In apparatus for the acid spinning of rayon yarn that includes a spinnerette immersed in a spinning bath, the improvement that comprises a hood member disposed above a spinnerette, a thread guiding element disposed above the surface of the spinnin bath and within the hood member, said hood member having an open bottom, means for suspending said hood from its top for vertical movement above a spinnerette from a normal position with its open bottom below the surface of the spin bath, to a raised posi-' tion with its bottom above said thread guiding element.

4. In apparatus for the acid spinning of rayon yarn that includes a spinnerette immersed in a spinning bath, the improvement that comprises a hood disposed above a spinnerette, said hood having an open bottom normally disposed below the surface of the spinning bath, a thread guiding element disposed above the surface of said bath and within said hood, a conduit for withdrawing gases from said hood and means for vertically moving said element to a point below the bottom of said hood whereby threading of the apparatus is facilitated.

5. In apparatus for the acid spinning of rayon yarn that includes a spinnerette immersed in a spinning bath, the improvement that comprises a hood disposed above a spinnerette, said hood having an open bottom normally disposed below the surface of the spinning bath, a thread guiding element disposed above the surface of said bath and within said hood, a conduit for withdrawing gases from said hood, a bearing in the top of said hood. a rod mounted for vertical reciprocation in said bearing, said thread guiding element being attached to said rod so that it may be lowered to a level below the open bottom of said hood to facilitate threading the apparatus.

6. In apparatus for the acid spinning of rayon yarn that includes a plurality of spinnerettes disposed in spaced relation in a spinning bath. the improvement that comprises a hood member open at its bottom and disposed above the spinnerettes with its open bottom below the surface of the spinnin bath, means for withdrawing gases from said hood, a plurality of thread guiding elements disposed above the surface of said bath and within said hood, a thread guiding element being associated with each spinnerette, and means for relatively moving said hood and said thread guiding elements in a vertical direction to permit threading of the apparatus.

7. In apparatus for the acid spinning of rayon yarn that includes a plurality of spinnerettes disposed in spaced relation in a spinning bath, the

improvement that comprises a hood member open at its bottom and disposed above the spinnerettes with its open bottom below the surface of the spinning bath, means for withdrawing gases from said hood, a plurality of thread guiding elements disposed above the surface of said bath and within said hood, one of said elements being associated with each spinnerette, and means for vertically moving said hood to a point above said thread guiding elements whereby to facilitate the thread- REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS