Method of removing heavy metal catalyst from olefinic polymers by treatment with an aqueous solution of a complexing agent

Claim 1

THE METHOD OF TREATING A CATALYST-CONTAMINATED REACTION MIXTURE MADE BY POLYMERIZING A 1-OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON IN A HYDROCARBON SOLVENT CONTAINING A CATALYST MADE BY COMBINING (1) AN ORGANOMETALLIC ALKYL DONOR SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALKYL ALUMINUM AND ALKYL TIN COMPOUNDS WITH (2) A HEAVY METAL COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF TITANIUM AND VANADIUM TETRAHALIDES, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES THE STEPS, IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER, (A) MIXING SAID REACTION MIXTURE, WHILE EXCLUDING OXYGEN BY MAINTAINING THEREOVER, AN INERT ATMOSPHERE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF NITROGEN, ARGON, HELIUM AND HYDROCARBON VAPORS, WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING AN EXCESS OF AN AGENT SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF TARTARIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, AND ETHYLENE DIAMINE TETRA-ACETIC ACID, SAID MIXING BEING EFFECTED WHILE SAID REACTION MIXTURE AND THE SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION ARE ACIDIC, (B) AFTER REACTION HAS OCCURRED BETWEEN SAID CATALYST CONTAMINATION AND SAID AGENT, ADDING A MONOVALENT ALKALI TO RAISE THE PH OF THE RESULTING MULTI-PHASE MIXTURE TO AT LEAST 5, SAID INERT ATMOSPHERE BEING MAINTAINED UNTIL AFTER THE ADDITION OF SAID ALKALI, AND (C) SEPARATING AN AQUEOUS PHASE FROM THE SAID MULTLI-PHASE MIXTURE THEREBY TO REMOVE SAID CATALYST CONTAMINATION IN SAID AQUEOUS PHASE.

Claim 2

THE METHOD OF TREATING A CATALYST-CONTAMINATED REACTION MIXTURE MADE BY POLYMERIZING A 1-OLEFINIC HYDROCARBON IN A HYDROCARBON SOLVENT CONTAINING A CATALYST MADE BY COMBINING (1) AN ORGANOMETALLIC ALKYL DONOR SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ALKYL ALUMINUM AND ALKYL TIN COMPOUNDS WITH (2) A HEAVY METAL COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF TITANIUM AND VANADIUM TETRAHALIDES, WHICH METHOD COMPRISES THE STEPS, IN THE FOLLOWING ORDER, (A) MIXING SAID REACTION MIXTURE, WHILE EXCLUDING OXYGEN BY MAINTAINING THEREOVER, AN INERT ATMOSPHERE SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF NITROGEN, ARGON, HELIUM AND HYDROCARBON VAPORS, WITH AN AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONTAINING AN EXCESS OF AN AGENT SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF TARTARIC ACID, CITRIC ACID, AND ETHYLENE DIAMINE TETRA-ACETIC ACID, SAID MIXING BEING EFFECTED WHILE SAID REACTION MIXTURE AND THE SAID AQUEOUS SOLUTION ARE ACIDIC, (B) AFTER REACTION HAS OCCURRED BETWEEN SAID CATALYST CONTAMINATION AND SAID AGENT, ADDING A MONOVALENT ALKALI TO RAISE THE PH OF THE RESULTING MULTI-PHASE MIXTURE TO AT LEAST 5, SAID INERT ATMOSPHERE BEING MAINTAINED UNTIL AFTER THE ADDITION OF SAID ALKALI, AND (C) SEPARATING AN AQUEOUS PHASE FROM THE SAID MULTLI-PHASE MIXTURE THEREBY TO REMOVE SAID CATALYST CONTAMINATION IN SAID AQUEOUS PHASE.