Direct production of polystyrene from petroleum by-product ethylbenzene

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF MAKING POLYSTYRENE FROM ETHYLBENZENE CONTAINED IN A C8 AROMATIC STREAM OBTAINED FROM HYDROFORMED NAPHTHA WHICH METHOD COMPRISES DEHYDROGENATING SAID ETHYLBENZENE IN THE PRESENCE OF C8 AROMATIC DILUENTS TO OBTAIN AN ORMATIC SOLUTION OF STYRENE MONOMER WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM TAR AND WATER AND WHICH CONTAINES ABOUT 15 TO 25 PERCENT STYRENE, CONTACTING SAID AROMATIC SOLUTION OF STYRENE MONOMER WITH A FINELY DIVIDED DISPERSED SODIUM CATALYST AT A CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 40 TO 75*C., CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE IN THE POLYMERIZATION STEP BY BOILING SOLUTION THEREIN UNDER REFLUX CONDITIONS AT CONTROLLED SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, SEPARATING CATALYST FROM THE RESULTING, POLYMER SOLUTION AFTER THE POLYNERIZATION STEP, DISTILLING THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE SOLVENT FROM THE REMAINING POLYMER SOLUTION, REMOVING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE REMAINING SOLVENT FROM THE SOLUTION BY EXPOSING THIN STREAMS OF CONCENTRATED POLYMER SOLUTION TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 100 TO 250*C. UNDER A PRESSURE LESS THAN 50 MILLIMETERS OF MERCURY AND COOLING THE SUBSTANTIALLY SOLVENT-FREE POLYMER.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF MAKING POLYSTYRENE FROM ETHYLBENZENE CONTAINED IN A C8 AROMATIC STREAM OBTAINED FROM HYDROFORMED NAPHTHA WHICH METHOD COMPRISES DEHYDROGENATING SAID ETHYLBENZENE IN THE PRESENCE OF C8 AROMATIC DILUENTS TO OBTAIN AN ORMATIC SOLUTION OF STYRENE MONOMER WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM TAR AND WATER AND WHICH CONTAINES ABOUT 15 TO 25 PERCENT STYRENE, CONTACTING SAID AROMATIC SOLUTION OF STYRENE MONOMER WITH A FINELY DIVIDED DISPERSED SODIUM CATALYST AT A CONTROLLED TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 40 TO 75*C., CONTROLLING THE TEMPERATURE IN THE POLYMERIZATION STEP BY BOILING SOLUTION THEREIN UNDER REFLUX CONDITIONS AT CONTROLLED SUBATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE, SEPARATING CATALYST FROM THE RESULTING, POLYMER SOLUTION AFTER THE POLYNERIZATION STEP, DISTILLING THE MAJOR PORTION OF THE SOLVENT FROM THE REMAINING POLYMER SOLUTION, REMOVING SUBSTANTIALLY ALL OF THE REMAINING SOLVENT FROM THE SOLUTION BY EXPOSING THIN STREAMS OF CONCENTRATED POLYMER SOLUTION TO A TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 100 TO 250*C. UNDER A PRESSURE LESS THAN 50 MILLIMETERS OF MERCURY AND COOLING THE SUBSTANTIALLY SOLVENT-FREE POLYMER.