Recovery of polymers from solution

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR RECOVERING A POLYMER SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF CIS-POLYBUTADIENE, TRANS:POLYBUTADIENE, CIS-POLYISOPRENE, AND TRANSPOLYISOPRENE FROM A SOLUTION OF SAID POLYMER IN A SOLVENT COMPRISING INTRODURCING SAID SOLUTION INTO A FIRST SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED STRIPPING ZONE OPERATED AT A TEMPERATURE OF 165 TO 225* F. WITH A PRESSURE OF 5 TO 25 P.S.I.A.; SUPPLYING WATER TO SAID FIRST STRIPPING ZONE; SUPPLYING HEAT TO SAID FIRST STRIPPING ZONE AS HEREINAFTER DESCRIBED; REMOVING A MIXTURE OF SOLVENT AND WATER AS AN OVERHEAD PRODUCT OF SAID FIRST STRIPING ZONE; REMOVING A MIXTURE OF RUBBER CRUMB, SOLVENT, AND WATER AS A BOTTOM PRODUCT OF SAID FIRST STRIPPING ZONE; PASSING SAID BOTTOM PRODUCT TO A SECOND SUBSTANTIALLY UNOBSTRUCTED STRIPPING ZONE OPERATED AT A TEMPERATURE OF 214 TO 245*F. WITH A PRESSURE 1.5 TO 5 P.S.I. HIGHER THAN THAT USED IN SAID FIRST STRIPPING ZONE; REMOVING AN OVERHEAD VAPOR PRODUCT FROM SAID SECOND STRIPPING ZONE AND PASSING SAME TO SAID FIRST STRIPPING ZONE, SAID VAPOR PRODUCT BEING THE PRINCIPAL SOURCE OF HEAT SUPPLIED TO SAID FIRST STRIPPING ZONE; HEATING SAID SECOND STRIPPING ZONE BY SUPPLYING STEAM THERETO IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO MAINTAIN A PREDETERMINED TEMPERATURE IN SAID FIRST STRIPPING ZONE; REMOVING A SLURRY OF RUBBER CRUMB IN WATER FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID SECOND STRIPPING ZONE; AND SEPARATING WATER FROM SAID CRUMB.