A method for the separate discharge of the individual phase streams of a multiple component flow comprising a high viscosity slow flowing liquid or suspension and a gas flowing at at least 100 times faster with the volumetric ratio of the gas to the liquid being greater than 1:1. The multicomponent flow is transversely fed through an inlet and directly into a rotating helical channel for conveying liquid in one direction. The channel has a liquid outlet spaced from the inlet in the one direction and a gas outlet spaced from the inlet in the opposite direction. A gas shut-off is formed between the inlet and the liquid outlet so as to effect the discharge of gas through the gas outlet in the opposite direction during the conveying of the liquid by the helical channel to the liquid outlet in the one direction.

For use in degassing drilling mud, an improved apparatus is disclosed in the illustrated and preferred embodiment which incorporates an upstanding hollow cylindrical housing having a rotatable shaft therein. The shaft is centered within the housing and supports the flights of a screw conveyor. The screw conveyor flights are not spaced evenly; they are spread at the lower end of the equipment and are closer together at the upper end of the shaft to provide variations in volume to change velocity and pressure during separation. Moreover, the flights slope downwardly. The cylindrical housing has an opening into a circular manifold at the bottom for receiving mud. Mud is introduced to the screw and is forced upwardly on rotation of the shaft. The cylindrical housing is perforated at the upper end to enable the drilling mud to spill out of the cylindrical housing and to fall into a delivery manifold. Gas is forced from the mud by the lifting action of the screw and continues to flow upwardly to an exhaust manifold. It is sucked from the cylindrical housing by means of a fan. The mud is thus degassed for subsequent reuse.

A process and apparatus for degassing high-boiling liquids, especially polymer melts and solutions, to remove low-boiling liquids and gases as impurities by feeding the polymer melt or similar high-boiling liquid under expansion into the feed chamber of a gear wheel pump to flow downwardly and only partially fill this feed chamber, preferably so as to form a thin layer or pool of the melt atop the upper crown surfaces of the gear wheels. The impurities are withdrawn separately through a suction outlet and the liquid level of the melt is preset and maintained by suitable regulating apparatus adapted to control the speed of the gear wheels and/or the speed at which melt is delivered into the pump feed chamber.

A polycondensation reactor for processing low viscosity polyester or another polymer into relatively highly viscosity polymer comprises a substantially cylindrical horizontal reactor vessel with a polymer inlet and a polymer outlet adjacent its opposite ends and a vapor exhaust opening in the upper side of the vessel at its outlet end. A polymer agitator is rotated axially within the chamber and includes plural alternating annular overflow and underflow baffles and multiple perforated film-forming screens disposed therebetween in parallel spaced relation to one another. The overflow baffles are in peripheral polymer-sealing relation to the vessel while the underflow baffles have multiple underflow recesses in their outer peripheries, whereby the baffles define a tortuous polymer flow path alternately through their respective polymer overflow and underflow openings to control residence time, distribution and viscosity growth as the polymer flows between the baffles. The baffles and screens are integrally fixed coaxially at their outer peripheries by axially extending wiper bars. Aligned openings in the baffles and screens along the rotational axis of the agitator provide for free flow of volatiles to the exhaust opening.