Process and apparatus for the production of high molecular weight polymers

Claim 1

A POLYMERIZATION PROCESS COMPRISING THE STEPS IN COMBINATION OF PREPARING A MIXTURE OF A POLYMERIZABLE OLEFINIC MATERIAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ISO-OLEFINS OF 4 TO 8 CARBON ATOMS AND MIXTURES CONSISTING OF AT LEAST 50% BY WEIGHT OF SUCH ISO-OLEFINS AND THE REMAINDER BEING SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF 5 TO 50% BY WEIGHT OF DIOLEFIN OF 4 CARBON ATOMS AND 0.5 TO 10% OF DIOLEFIN OF 5 TO 6 CARBON ATOMS, WITH A LIQUID DILUENT SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE AND METHYL CHLORIDE WHICH IS A NONSOLVENT FOR THE POLYMER AND WHICH IS INERT WITH RESPECT TO A FRIEDEL-CRAFTS POLYMERIZATION CATALYST, SAID LIQUID SERVING AS DILUENT FOR THE REACTION MIXTURE, IN THE PROPORTION OF FROM 1 TO 9 VOLUMES OF DILUENT PER VOLUME OF POLYMERIZABLE MATERIAL, ADDING TO THE ABOVE MIXTURE A CATALYST SOLUTION CONSISTING OF 0.1 TO 1.0 GRAM OF FRIEDELCRAFTS CATALYST PER 100 CC. OF SOLUTION, THE CATALYST SOLVENT BEING A LIQUID WHICH FORMS NO COMPLEX WITH THE FRIEDEL-CRAFTS CATALYST AND IS LIQUID AT THE REACTION TEMPERATURE, EFFECTING THIS POLYMERIZATION REACTION AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN -90* F. AND -256* F., USING THE LARGER PROPORTION OF DILUENT WITH THE UPPER POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURES, AND WITH THE UPPER DIOLEFIN CONCENTRATIONS IN THE POLYMERIZATION FEED, TO FORM A STABLE POLYMER SLURRY HAVING ABOUT 10 TO 40% BY WEIGHT OF SOLIDS, SAID POLYMER HAVING AN AVERAGE MOLECULAR WEIGHT OF ABOUT 30,000 TO 200,000 BY THE STAUDINGER METHOD, CONVEYING SAID SLURRY TO A MOVING SCREEN MAINTAINED SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE SAME REACTION TEMPERATURE, WHEREBY SOLID POLYMER WETTED WITH A MINOR PROPORTION OF THE SLURRY LIQUID IS RETAINED ON THE SCREEN WHILE A MAJOR PROPORTION OF THE SLURRYING LIQUID PASSES THROUGH THE SCREEN, SAID SCREEN BEING IN AN ENCLOSURE KEPT FILLED WITH AN INERT FLUSHING GAS TO PREVENT BACKFLOW OF MOISTURE FROM THE AQUEOUS FLASH TANK, RETURNING A SUBSTANTIAL PROPORTION OF THE SCREENED SLURRY LIQUID WHILE STILL MAINTAINING ITS TEMPERATURE SUBSTANTIALLY AT THE REACTION TEMPERATURE DIRECTLY TO THE REACTOR, SCRAPING THE SOLID POLYMER FROM THE SCREEN AND WHILE MAINTAINING ITS TEMPERATURE STILL AT SUBSTANTIALLY REACTION TEMPERATURE, DELIVERING IT WITH ENTRAINED SLURRY LIQUID TO AN AQUEOUS FLASH TANK MAINTAINED AT ABOUT 100-160* F. TO VOLATILIZE OUT THE ENTRAINED SLURRY LIQUID.