| abstract |
A process for continuously preparing pellets of a saponified ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymer (EVOH), by continuously extruding an EVOH solution into a coagulating fluid in the form of a strand and cutting the strand, wherein the ratio of the weight X of the coagulating liquid, to the weight Y of the strand of EVOH, X/Y, is regulated to 50 to 10000. Preferably, the coagulating fluid contains 1 to 10000 ppm of carboxylic acids, 1 to 50000 ppm of carboxylic esters, or 1 to 15000 ppm of carboxylic acid salts. Further, preferably, the water content of the continuously prepared EVOH pellets is regulated to 20 to 80 % by weight, before the EVOH pellets are brought into contact with an aqueous solution (having a particular concentration) of at least one compound selected from the group consisting of boron compounds (B), acetic acid salts (C), and phosphorus compounds (D). Alternatively, the EVOH pellets thus obtained are preferably dried by the combination of stationary drying with fluidized drying. |