Polymerization process and apparatus

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS WHEREIN AN ALIPHATIC OLEFIN HAVING A MAXIMUM CHAIN LENGTH OF 8 CARBON ATOMS AND NO BRANCHING NEARER THE DOUBLE BOND THAN THE 4-POSITION IS CONVERTED TO NORMALLY SOLID POLYMER BY CONTACTING IN A FIRST REACTION ZONE WITH A PARTICULATE SOLID POLYMERIZATION CATALYST CONTAINING CHROMIUM OXIDE AS AN ESSENTIAL INGREDIENT UNDER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CONDITIONS SUFFICIENT TO EFFECT SUCH CONVERSION, AND A PORTION OF THE ORIGINAL CATALYST PARTICLES DISINTEGRATE DURING THE CONVERSION AND FORM A CATALYST MIXTURE CONSISTING OF LARGER PARTICLES AND CATALYST FINES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES CAUSING THE COARSER PARTICLES OF CATALYST TO SETTLE A RESULTING REACTION MIXTURE, AND RECOVERING A CRUDE REAXCTION PRODUCT MIXTURE CONTAINING A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF SAID FINES IN SUSPENSION, INTRODUCING SAID MIXTURE TO A SECOND REACTION ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID MIXTURE IN TURBULENT FLOW UNDER TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CONDITIONS SUITABLE FOR THE FORMATION OF SUCH SOLID POLYMER, ADDING AN OLEFIN OF THE CLASS DEFINED, CONVERTING SAID OLEFIN TO SUCH POLYMER, BY CONTACTING SAID OLEFIN WITH SAID FINES UNDER SAID TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE CONDITIONS, AND RECOVERING A RESULTING POLYMER.