Cleansing of polymerization reactors

Claim 1

IN A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF SOLID POLYMERS WHICH COMPRISES A POLYMERIZATION CYCLE OF 16 TO 52 HOURS WHEREIN AN ISOOLEFIN OF FROM 4 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE, A DILUENT AND A SOLUTION OF A FRIEDELCRAFTS CATALYST DISSOLVED IN A SOLVENT WHICH DOES NOT FREEZE AT REACTION TEMPERATURE AND WHICH DOES NOT FORM A COMPLEX WITH THE CATALYST ARE CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLIED TO A REACTOR WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FILLED THEREBY WHILE MAINTAINING THE CONTENTS OF THE REACTOR AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW -40*C. BY CONTINUOUSLY SUPPLYING A SUITABLE REFRIGERANT IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE RELATION TO THE REACTANTS, AND CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING A SLURRY OF SOLID POLYMER PARTICLES IN COLD REACTION LIQUID FROM THE REACTOR, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING THE STEPS OF STOPPING THE ADDITION OF CATALYST SOLUTION TO THE REACTOR WHEN THE SURFACES OF THE REACTOR BECOME FOULED WITH POLYMER, CUTTING OFF THE SUPPLY OF REFRIGERANT, CUTTING OFF THE SUPPLY OF FRESH FEED TO THE REACTOR, INTRODUCING A SUITABLE SOLVENT FOR THE POLYMER IN HEATED CONDITION INTO THE REACTOR SUBSTANTIALLY FILLED WITH RESIDUAL REACTION MIXTURE AND THEREBY DISPLACING THE RESIDUAL MIXTURE, CIRCULATING THE HEATED SOLVENT IN THE REACTOR UNTIL THE POLYMER FOULING THE SURFACES OF THE REACTOR IS DISSOLVED, WITHDRAWING THE POLYMER-CONTAINING SOLVENT FROM THE REACTOR, FLUSHING THE REACTOR WITH FRESH SOLVENT, AND RESUMING THE SUPPLY OF REACTANTS, DILUENT AND REFRIGERANT TO THE REACTOR AND THEREAFTER RESUMING THE SUPPLY OF CATALYST WHEN THE REACTOR CONTENTS ARE COOLED TO THE REACTION TEMPERATURE WHEREBY THE POLYMERIZATION CYCLE IS RE-COMMENCED.