Catalysts

Claim 1

A METHOD OF RECOVERING SOLVENT FROM A MIXTURE COMPRISING SOLVENT SOLUBLE POLYMERS, GASSES AND CONTAMINANTS, COMPRISING INJECTING SAID MIXTURE INTO A FIRST DISTILLATION COLUMN; REMOVING FROM SAID FIRST DISTILLATION COLUMN AN OVERHEAD STREAM COMPRISING GASES AND A MAJOR PORTION OF THE SOLVENT CONTAINED IN SAID MIXTURE; SEPARATING THE GASES FROM SAID OVERHEAD STREAM TO OBTAIN A FIRST PRODUCT STREAM COMPRISING PURIFIED SOLVENT; REMOVING FROM SAID FIRST DISTILLATION COLUMN A KETTLE PRODUCT COMPRISING SOLVENT, SOLUBLE POLYMERS AND CONTAMINANTS; CONCENTRATING SAID KETTLE PRODUCT BY SEPARATING THEREFROM A PORTION OF THE SOLVENT RETURING THE THUS SEPARTED SOLVENT INTO SAID FIRST DISTILLATION COLUMN; PASSING THE THUS OBTAINED CONCENTRATED KETTLE PRODUCT INTO A STEAM STRIPPINE ZONE; INJECTING STRIPPING STEAM INTO SAID STEAM STRIPPING REMOVING FROM SAID STEAM STRIPPING ZONE A FIRST STREAM COMPRISING WASTE POLYMERS; REMOVING FROM SAID STEAM STRIPPING ZONE A SECOND STREAM COMPRISING SOLVENT, WATER AND A PORTION OF SAID CONTAMINANTS; PASSING SAID SECOND STREAM INTO A SEPARTION AND THEREIN SEPARATING WATER FROM SAID STREAM; PASSING SAID SECOND STREAM FROM WHICH WATER HAS BEEN REMOVED INTO A SECOND DISTILLATION COLUMN; REMOVING FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION COLUMN A KETTLE PRODUCT COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID CONTAMINANTS; REMOVING FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION COLUMN AN OVERHEAD STREAM; PASSING SAID OVERHEAD STREAM FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION COLUMN TO AN ACID TREATING ZONE AND THEREIN CONTACTING SAID OVERHEAD STREAM FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION COLUMN WITH ACID TO REMOVE A PORTION OF ANY REMAINING A CONTAMINANTS; AND RECOVERING FROM SAID ACID TREATING ZONE A SECOND PRODUCT STREAM COMPRISING PURIFIED SOLVENT.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF RECOVERING SOLVENT FROM A MIXTURE COMPRISING SOLVENT SOLUBLE POLYMERS, GASSES AND CONTAMINANTS, COMPRISING INJECTING SAID MIXTURE INTO A FIRST DISTILLATION COLUMN; REMOVING FROM SAID FIRST DISTILLATION COLUMN AN OVERHEAD STREAM COMPRISING GASES AND A MAJOR PORTION OF THE SOLVENT CONTAINED IN SAID MIXTURE; SEPARATING THE GASES FROM SAID OVERHEAD STREAM TO OBTAIN A FIRST PRODUCT STREAM COMPRISING PURIFIED SOLVENT; REMOVING FROM SAID FIRST DISTILLATION COLUMN A KETTLE PRODUCT COMPRISING SOLVENT, SOLUBLE POLYMERS AND CONTAMINANTS; CONCENTRATING SAID KETTLE PRODUCT BY SEPARATING THEREFROM A PORTION OF THE SOLVENT RETURING THE THUS SEPARTED SOLVENT INTO SAID FIRST DISTILLATION COLUMN; PASSING THE THUS OBTAINED CONCENTRATED KETTLE PRODUCT INTO A STEAM STRIPPINE ZONE; INJECTING STRIPPING STEAM INTO SAID STEAM STRIPPING REMOVING FROM SAID STEAM STRIPPING ZONE A FIRST STREAM COMPRISING WASTE POLYMERS; REMOVING FROM SAID STEAM STRIPPING ZONE A SECOND STREAM COMPRISING SOLVENT, WATER AND A PORTION OF SAID CONTAMINANTS; PASSING SAID SECOND STREAM INTO A SEPARTION AND THEREIN SEPARATING WATER FROM SAID STREAM; PASSING SAID SECOND STREAM FROM WHICH WATER HAS BEEN REMOVED INTO A SECOND DISTILLATION COLUMN; REMOVING FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION COLUMN A KETTLE PRODUCT COMPRISING A SUBSTANTIAL PORTION OF SAID CONTAMINANTS; REMOVING FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION COLUMN AN OVERHEAD STREAM; PASSING SAID OVERHEAD STREAM FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION COLUMN TO AN ACID TREATING ZONE AND THEREIN CONTACTING SAID OVERHEAD STREAM FROM SAID SECOND DISTILLATION COLUMN WITH ACID TO REMOVE A PORTION OF ANY REMAINING A CONTAMINANTS; AND RECOVERING FROM SAID ACID TREATING ZONE A SECOND PRODUCT STREAM COMPRISING PURIFIED SOLVENT.