Distillation of styrene from polymers

Claim 1

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING STYRENE POLYMER FROM A LIQUID MIXTURE OF STYRENE AND SAID POLYMER COMPRISING INTRODUCING SAID HAVING A FIRST REBOILING ZONE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND A SECOND REBOILING ZONE AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF AT A POINT ABOVE SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE, MAINTAINING A QUANTITY OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBONS IN SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE, ADDING REBOIL HEAT TO SAID QUANTITY OF LIQUID HYDROCARBONS IN SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE BUT MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF BELOW THE STYRENE POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURE, PASSING A QUANTITY OF LIQUID FROM SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE TO A POINT BELOW SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE, AND PASSING A MIXTURE OF STREAM AND VAPOROUS STYRENE FROM THE TOP OF SAID SECOND REBOILING ZONE INTO SAID HYDROCARBON LIQUID IN SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE, MAINTAINING A QUANTITY OF LIQUID STYRENE POLYMER AND STYRENE IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND FRACTIONATION ZONE AS A SECOND PRODUCT OF THE SAID LIQUID IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND REBOILING ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE MATERIALS IN SAID SECOND REBOILING ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE JUST BELOW THE FIRST MENTIONED TEMPERATURE AND WITHDRAWING STYRENE AND STREAM FROM THE TOP OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, CONDENSING THIS WITHDRAWN STYRENE AND STEAM, SEPARATING THE CONDENSED STYRENE INTO TWO PORTIONS, RETURNING ONE PORTION TO THE TOP OF THE FRACTIONATION ZONE AS REFLUX, REMOVING THE OTHER PORTION AS A MAIN PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS AND REMOVING STYRENE POLYMER FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE AS A SECOND PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS.

Claim 2

A METHOD FOR SEPARATING STYRENE POLYMER FROM A LIQUID MIXTURE OF STYRENE AND SAID POLYMER COMPRISING INTRODUCING SAID HAVING A FIRST REBOILING ZONE INTERMEDIATE THE ENDS THEREOF AND A SECOND REBOILING ZONE AT THE BOTTOM THEREOF AT A POINT ABOVE SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE, MAINTAINING A QUANTITY OF SAID LIQUID HYDROCARBONS IN SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE, ADDING REBOIL HEAT TO SAID QUANTITY OF LIQUID HYDROCARBONS IN SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE BUT MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE THEREOF BELOW THE STYRENE POLYMERIZATION TEMPERATURE, PASSING A QUANTITY OF LIQUID FROM SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE TO A POINT BELOW SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE, AND PASSING A MIXTURE OF STREAM AND VAPOROUS STYRENE FROM THE TOP OF SAID SECOND REBOILING ZONE INTO SAID HYDROCARBON LIQUID IN SAID FIRST REBOILING ZONE, MAINTAINING A QUANTITY OF LIQUID STYRENE POLYMER AND STYRENE IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND FRACTIONATION ZONE AS A SECOND PRODUCT OF THE SAID LIQUID IN THE BOTTOM OF SAID SECOND REBOILING ZONE TO MAINTAIN THE MATERIALS IN SAID SECOND REBOILING ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE JUST BELOW THE FIRST MENTIONED TEMPERATURE AND WITHDRAWING STYRENE AND STREAM FROM THE TOP OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE, CONDENSING THIS WITHDRAWN STYRENE AND STEAM, SEPARATING THE CONDENSED STYRENE INTO TWO PORTIONS, RETURNING ONE PORTION TO THE TOP OF THE FRACTIONATION ZONE AS REFLUX, REMOVING THE OTHER PORTION AS A MAIN PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS AND REMOVING STYRENE POLYMER FROM THE BOTTOM OF SAID FRACTIONATION ZONE AS A SECOND PRODUCT OF THE PROCESS.