Method and apparatus for providing a solids slurry

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR FEEDING A SUBDIVIDED SOLID CATALYST TO A REACTION SYSTEM WHEREIN POLYMERIZATION OF OLEFINS IS EFFECTED IN THE PRESENCE OF A SOLVENT AT AN ELEVATED TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE, WHICH COMPRISES WITHDRAWING THE CATALYST FROM A SOURCE OF SUPPLY, INTRODUCING THE CATALYST DIRECTLY TO A CONFINED ZONE ADAPTED TO CONTAIN A BED OF SAID CATALYST, MAINTAINING THE CONFINED ZONE FREE FROM MOISTURE, WITHDRAWING CATALYST FROM THE CONFINED ZONE, SLURRING THE CATALYST IN A MEASURED AMOUNT OF FLOWING SOLVENT, VARYING THE RATE OF CATALYST WITHDRAWAL RESPONSIVE TO CHANGES IN THE QUANTITY OF FLOWING SOLVENT, INTRODUCING THE RESULTING C ATALYST-SOLVENT SLURRY TO A CIRCULATING SYSTEM HAVING A POINT OF WITHDRAWAL BY WHICH SLURRY IS CONTINUOUSLY PASSED, WITHDRAWING A PORTION OF THE CIRCULATING SLURRY, PASSING THE WITHDRAWN SLURRY TO A REACTION SYSTEM AND VARYING THE QUANTITY OF FLOWING SOLVENT RESPONSIVE TO CHANGES IN PRESSURE ON SAID CIRCULATING SYSTEM.