Recovery process for polyethylene

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR REMOVING METALLIC CATALYST RESIDUES FROM A HYDROCARBON POLYMER, SAID POLYMER BEING OBTAINED THROUGH THE POLYMERIZATION OF A TERMINALLY UNSATURATED OLEFIN WITH A CATALYST, SAID CATALYST BEING THE PRODUCT OBTAINED ON REACTING A HALIDE OF A TRANSITION METAL ELEMENT FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF GROUP IV B, V B AND AND VI B OF THE PERIODIC TABLE OF ELEMENTS, WITH A METALLIC REDUCING AGENT OF THE CLASS CONSISTING OF METAL HYDROCARBON COMPOUNDS, METAL HYDRIDES AND ALKALIMETALS, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING, AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 125*C. AN AQUEOUS COLLOIDAL SILICA DISPERSION INTO A POLYMERIZATION PRODUCT MIXTURE CONTAINING IN A LIQUID INERT HYDROCARBON MEDIUM A DISSOLVED HYDROCARBON POLYMER AND A RESIDUE OF SAID CATALYST, SAID SILICA BEING EMPLOYED IN EXCESS AS BASED ON THE CATALYST QUANTITY, AND THEREAFTER FILTERING SAID POLYMER SOLUTION AT A TEMPERATURE ABOVE 125*C.