Polymerization of isoolefins

Claim 1

IN A METHOD OF PREPARING POLYISOBUTYLENE HAVING A MOLECULAR WEIGHT IN THE RANGE OF A BOUT 500 TO 50,000 WHEREIN A FINELY DIVIDED ALUMINUM HALIDE CATALYST HAVING A PARTICLE SIZE OF ABOUT 20 TO 40 MESH IS ADMIXED WITH COMMERCIAL HEXANE BOILING WITHIN THE RANGE OF ABOUT 150* TO 160* F. TO FORM A CATALYST SLURRY CONTAINING ABOUT 1 TO 4WT.PERCENT OF ALUMINUM HALIDE, WHICH CATALYST SLURRY IS THEN ADMIXED WITH ISOBUTYLENE TO THEREBY EFFECT THE POLYMERISATION OF SAID ISOBUTYLENE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES PASSING SAID COMMERCIAL HEXANE, PRIOR TO ADMIXTURE WITH SAID FINELY DIVIDED ALUMUNUM HALIDE CATALYST, THROUGH A BED OF ALUMINUM GEL WHICH HAS BEEN PERIODICALLY REGENERATED BY HEATING WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY DRY C5 TO C7 HYDROCARBON IN SUPERHEATED VAPOR FORM AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 350* AND 600* F., AND COOLING WITH A SUBSTANTIALLY DRY C5 TO C7 HYDROCARBON IN LIQUID FORM TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 40* AND 100* F.