Apparatus for purifying high pressure polyethylene

Claim 2

A PROCESS FOR SEPARATING VOLATILE LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT BY-PRODUCTS FROM HIGH PRESSURE POLYETHYLENE WHICH COMPRISES: EXPANDING SAID POLYEHYLENE FROM THE POLYMERIZATION VESSEL INTO A SEPARATOR; WITHDRAWING GAS FORMED BY THE PARTIAL DECOMPRESSION OF SAID POLYETHYLENE FROM SAID SEPARATOR; PASSING SAID MOLTEN POLYETHYLENE UNDER PRESSURE FROM SAID SEPARATOR TO A DEGASIFICATION ZONE HELD UNDER REDUCED PRESSURE; ADMIXING A SOLVENT VAPOR WITH SAID MOLTEN POLYETHYLENE IN AN AREA ADJACENT TO SAID SEPARATOR AND BEFORE SAID POLYETHYLENE IS PASSED INTO SAID DEGASIFICATION ZONE, SAID MIXTURE BEING DIVIDED INTO A NUMBER OF PARTIAL CURRENTS AS IT ENTERS SAID DEGASIFICATION ZONE; AND THEREAFTER REMOVING FROM SAID DEGASIFICATION ZONE SAID VOLATILE LOW MOLECULAR WEIGHT BYPRODUCTS ALONG WITH SAID SOLVENT VAPOR.

Claim 3

IN AN APPARATUS INCLUDING A SEPARATOR FOR SEPARATING VOLATILE COMPONENTS FROM POLYETHYLENE OBTAINED BY A HIGH PRESSURE POLYMERIZATION WITH AN INLET PIPE FOR INTRODUCING STEAM INTO SAID SEPARATOR; A DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER AT THE LOWER END OF SAID SEPARATOR; AN OUTLET PIPE ON SAID CHAMBER FOR REMOVING THE DEGASIFICATION PRODUCTS; SAID DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER BEING COMMUNICATED WITH THE SEPARATOR BY A VERTICAL PIPE; AN EXTRUDER COMMUNICATING WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER; A HORIZONTAL SIEVE IN THE FEED OPENING OF THE DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER ADJACENT THE END OF SAID VERTICAL PIPE; THE IMPROVEMENTS COMPRISING: A PIPE CONNECTED TO AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE VERTICAL PIPE CONNECTED TO AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE VERTICAL PIPE BETWEEN SAID SEPARATOR AND SAID DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER TO INTRODUCE STEAM, AND A VERTICAL TUBE EXTENDING INTO THE DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER, SAID TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID VERTICAL PIPE AND TERMINATING IN SAID DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER AT A LOWER LEVEL THAN SAID OUTLET PIPE THROUGH WHICH THE DEGASIFICATION PRODUCTS ARE WITHDRAWN.

Claim 4

IN AN APPARATUS INCLUDING A SEPARATOR FOR SEPARATING VOLATILE COMPONENTS FROM POLYETHYLENE OBTAINED BY A HIGH PRESSURE POLYMERIZATION WITH AN INLET PIPE FOR INTRODUCING STEAM INTO SAID SEPARATOR; A DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER AT THE LOWER END OF SAID SEPARATOR; AN OUTLET PIPE ON SAID CHAMBER FOR REMOVING THE DEGASIFICATION PRODUCTS; SAID DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER BEING COMMUNICATED WITH THE SEPARATOR BY A VERTICAL PIPE; AN EXTRUDER COMMUNICATING WITH THE LOWER END OF SAID DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER; A HORIZONTAL SIEVE IN THE FEED OPENING OF THE DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER ADJACENT THE END OF SAID VERTICAL PIPE; THE IMPROVEMENTS COMPRISING: A PIPE CONNECTED TO AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE VERTICAL PIPE CONNECTED TO AND COMMUNICATING WITH THE VERTICAL PIPE BETWEEN SAID SEPARATOR AND SAID DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER TO INTRODUCE STEAM, AND A VERTICAL TUBE EXTENDING INTO THE DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER, SAID TUBE COMMUNICATING WITH SAID VERTICAL PIPE AND TERMINATING IN SAID DEGASIFICATION CHAMBER AT A LOWER LEVEL THAN SAID OUTLET PIPE THROUGH WHICH THE DEGASIFICATION PRODUCTS ARE WITHDRAWN.