Process for continuously processing reaction products of the polymerization of ethylene

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PROCESSING OF REACTION PRODUCTS OF THE POLYMERIZATION OF ETHYLENE AT TEMPERATURES BELOW ABOUT 100*C. AND PRESSURES BELOW ABOUT 100 ATMOSPHERES WITH THE USE OF A CATALYST CONSISTING OF A MIXTURE OF ORGANOMETALLIC COMPOUNDS, AND METAL COMPOUNDS OF THE 4TH TO 6TH SUBGROUPS OF THE PERIODIC SYSTEM AND IN THE PRESENCE OF A SUSPENDING AGENT, SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF ALIPHATIC, HYDROAROMATIC AND AROMATIC HYDROCARBONS OF THE GASOLINE TO DIESEL OIL BOILING RANGE, WHICH COMPRISES EFFECTING THE PROCESSING IN CONTINUOUS OPERATION IN WHICH THE REACTION MIXTURE FROM THE POLYMERIZATION IS FIRST MECHANICALLY SEPARATED INTO SAID SUSPENDING AGENT WHICH IS SUBSTANTIALLY FREE FROM POLYETHYLENE AND IS RETURNED INTO THE REACTION VESSEL, AND A POLYETHYLENE WHICH STILL CONTAINS SOME SUSPENDING AGENT AND RESIDUAL CATALYST AND FROM WHICH THE RESIDUES OF THE SUSPENDING AGENT ARE ELIMINATED BY MEANS OF A HEATED DRYER OPERATED IN AN ETHYLENE ATMOSPHERE WITH UTILIZATION OF CENTRIFUGAL FORCE, WHEREUPON THE SUSPENDING AGENT IS LIKEWISE RETURNED INTO THE POLYMERIZATION WITHOUT FURTHER TREATMENT, WHEREAS THE POLYETHYLENE DRIED RAPIDLY AND STILL CONTAINING RESIDUAL CATALYST IS PRECIPITATED IN A CYCLONE ARRANGED IN SERIES WITH THE DRYER, IS TREATED IN A PULPING UNIT WITH LOWER MOLECULAR ALCOHOLS, TO REMOVE THE RESIDUAL CATALYST, IS THEN MECHANICALLY SEPARATED FROM THE ALCOHOL AND FREED FROM RESIDUAL ALCOHOL BY EVAPORATION, WHILE THE SEPARATED ALCOHOL, IN A FRACTIONATING UNIT, IS SEPARATED INTO BOTTOMS FRACTION CONTAINING RESIDUAL CATALYST AND AN OVERHEAD FRACTION COMPRISING PURE ALCOHOL WHICH IS RETURNED INTO THE PULPING UNIT.