Preparation of granular polyvinyl ethers

Claim 1

IN THE PROCESS OF PRODUCING TACKY RUBBERLIKE POLYMERS OF VINYL ETHERS WHEREIN A VINYL ETHER ADAPTED TO FORM SUCH TACKY RUBBER-LIKE POLYMERS DISSOLVED IN A LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON IS POLYMERIZED BY SUBJECTING IT TO THE ACTION OF AN ACID-REACTING POLYMERIZATION CATALYST AT A LOW TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT A SUSPENSION OF GRANULES OF SAID TACKYI RUBBER-LIKE POLYMER OF SAID VINYL ETHER IN SAID LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON IS OBTAINED, THE IMPROVEMENT FOR RECOVERING SAID POLYMER IN A GRANULAR FORM WHICH COMPRISES WETTING THE THUSOBTAINED POLYMER, WHILE IT IS STILL WET WITH SAID LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON AND AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THAT AT WHICH SAID POLYMER IS SOLUBLE IN SAID LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON, WITH A POLAR LIQUID SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LOWER SATURATED ALIPHATIC MONOHYDRIC ALCOHOLS HAVING FROM ONE TO FOUR CARBON ATOMS, ACETONE, METHYL-ETHYL-KETONE, MONOMETHYL ETHER OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL AND MONOBUTYL ETHER OF ETHYLENE GLYCOL WHICH SWELLS BUT DOES NOT DISSOLVE SAID POLYMER IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO WET SAID POLYMER, AND REMOVING SAID LIQUEFIED NORMALLY GASEOUS HYDROCARBON FROM SAID POLYMER WHILE IT IS STILL WET WITH SAID POLAR LIQUID AND AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THAT AT WHICH SAID POLYMER LOSES ITS GRANULAR FORM, WHEREBY SAID POLYMER IS OBTAINED IN A GRANULAR FORM.