Process for automatic control of polymerization reactions by measurement of coolant vapor volume and apparatus therefor

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES CHARGING TO A REACTION ZONE POLYMERIZATION CATALYST AND EXOTHERMICALLY POLYMERIZABLE HYDROCARBON AS A REACTANT MATERIALS AND SOLVENT FOR SAID HYDROCARBON, SAID SOLVENT BEING INERT TO THE POLYMERIZATION REACTION AND LIQUID UNDER THE REACTION CONDITIONS, CIRCULATING A COOLANT THROUGH SAID REACTION ZONE IN INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE WITH REACTION MIXTURE THEREIN SO AS TO MAINTAIN A SUBSTANTIALLY CONSTANT REACTION TEMPERATURE, WITHDRAWING FROM SAID REACTION ZONE, REACTION MIXTURE CONTAINING UNREACTED POLYMERIZABLE HYDROCARBON, AND PASSING AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID MIXTURE TO A PHASE SEPARATION ZONE, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES MEASURING THE VOLUME OF COOLANT VAPORS EVAPORATED AS A RESULT OF SAID INDIRECT HEAT EXCHANGE, ADJUSTING THE RATE OF INTRODUCTION OF SAID CATALYST, IN RESPONSE TO AND IN INVERSE RELATION TO THE MEASUREMENT OF VOLUME OF COOLANT VAPORS SO AS TO MAINTAIN A FIXED COOLANT EVAPORATION RATE, MEASURING THE VOLUME OF UNDISSOLVED POLYMERIZABLE HYDROCARBON RECOVERED FROM SAID PHASE SEPARATION ZONE, AND CHANGING SAID FIXED COOLANT EVAPORATION RATE IN RESPONSE TO AND IN DIRECT RELATIONS TO SAID LASTMENTIONED MEASUREMENT.