Processing of solid polymer

Claim 1

A METHOD OF PROCESSING A WET NON-AQUEOUS SOLVENTCONTAINING SOLID POLYMER OF AN ALPHA-OLEFIN HAVING 2 TO 8 CARBON ATMS IN THE MOLECULE, SAID WET POLYMER CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 20% TO 55% BY WEIGHT OF SOLVENT, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID WET POLYMER INTO AN ELONGATED TRANSFER ZONE, FORMING A FIRST DISPERSE PHASE SUSPENSION OF SAID POLYMER IN SAID TRANSFER ZONE IN A HEATED GASIFORM FLUIDIZING MEDIUM COMPRISING A HYDROCARBON AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 230*F. TO ABOUT 330*F. AND FLOWING SAID SUSPENSION IN SAID DISPERSE PHASE AT A SUPERFICIAL GAS VELOCITY FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 75 FEET PER SECOND THROUGH SAID TRANSFER ZONE AND THEREBY MAINTAINING SAID POLYER BELOW ITS MELTING POINT AND REMOVING SOLVENT THEREFROM, SEPARATING SAID SUSPENSION INTO SOLID POLYMER CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 2% TO ABOUT 15% BY WEIGHT OF SOLVENT AND GASIFORM FLUIDIZING MEDIUM, FORMING SAID SEPARATED POLYMER INTO A DENSE FLUIDIZED BED WITH A HEATED GASIFORM FLUIDIZING MEDIUM COMPRISING A HYDROCARBON AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF THE POLYMER AND WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 160*F. TO ABOUT 185*F. AT A SUPERFICIAL GAS VELOCITY FROM ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOUT 2 FEET PER SECOND, TO REDUCE FURTHER THE SOLVENT CONTENT OF SAID POLYMER TO ABOUT 0.05% TO ABOUT 1.5% BY WEIGHT, FORMING A SECOND DISPERSE PHSE ABOVE SAID FIRST DENSE BED AND INTRODUCING SAID SECOND DISPERXE PHASE INTO SAID HEATED GASIFORM FLUIDIZING MEDIUM FORMING SAID FIRST DISPERSE PHASE SUSPENSION, WITHDRAWING SAID REDUCED SOLVENT-CONTAINING POLYMER FROM SAID FIRST DENSE BED AND FORMING SAID WITHDRAWN REDUCED SOLVENT-CONTAINING POLYMER INTO A SECOND DENSE FLUIDIZED BED WITH A HEATED INERT GASIFORM MEDIUM AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF THE POLYMER AND HIGHER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HEATED GASIFORM MEDIUM INTRODUCED INTO THE FIRST DENSE BED WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 170*F. TO ABOUT 300*F. AT A SUPERFICIAL GAS VELOCITY FROM ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOUT TO ABOUT 2 FEET PER SECOND TO REDUCE THE SOLVENT CONTENT OF THE POLYMER TO LESS THAN 100 P.P.M. AND RECOVERING SAID POLYMER FROM SAID SECOND FLUIDIZED BED.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF PROCESSING A WET NON-AQUEOUS SOLVENTCONTAINING SOLID POLYMER OF AN ALPHA-OLEFIN HAVING 2 TO 8 CARBON ATMS IN THE MOLECULE, SAID WET POLYMER CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 20% TO 55% BY WEIGHT OF SOLVENT, WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING SAID WET POLYMER INTO AN ELONGATED TRANSFER ZONE, FORMING A FIRST DISPERSE PHASE SUSPENSION OF SAID POLYMER IN SAID TRANSFER ZONE IN A HEATED GASIFORM FLUIDIZING MEDIUM COMPRISING A HYDROCARBON AT A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 230*F. TO ABOUT 330*F. AND FLOWING SAID SUSPENSION IN SAID DISPERSE PHASE AT A SUPERFICIAL GAS VELOCITY FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 75 FEET PER SECOND THROUGH SAID TRANSFER ZONE AND THEREBY MAINTAINING SAID POLYER BELOW ITS MELTING POINT AND REMOVING SOLVENT THEREFROM, SEPARATING SAID SUSPENSION INTO SOLID POLYMER CONTAINING FROM ABOUT 2% TO ABOUT 15% BY WEIGHT OF SOLVENT AND GASIFORM FLUIDIZING MEDIUM, FORMING SAID SEPARATED POLYMER INTO A DENSE FLUIDIZED BED WITH A HEATED GASIFORM FLUIDIZING MEDIUM COMPRISING A HYDROCARBON AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF THE POLYMER AND WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 160*F. TO ABOUT 185*F. AT A SUPERFICIAL GAS VELOCITY FROM ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOUT 2 FEET PER SECOND, TO REDUCE FURTHER THE SOLVENT CONTENT OF SAID POLYMER TO ABOUT 0.05% TO ABOUT 1.5% BY WEIGHT, FORMING A SECOND DISPERSE PHSE ABOVE SAID FIRST DENSE BED AND INTRODUCING SAID SECOND DISPERXE PHASE INTO SAID HEATED GASIFORM FLUIDIZING MEDIUM FORMING SAID FIRST DISPERSE PHASE SUSPENSION, WITHDRAWING SAID REDUCED SOLVENT-CONTAINING POLYMER FROM SAID FIRST DENSE BED AND FORMING SAID WITHDRAWN REDUCED SOLVENT-CONTAINING POLYMER INTO A SECOND DENSE FLUIDIZED BED WITH A HEATED INERT GASIFORM MEDIUM AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE MELTING POINT OF THE POLYMER AND HIGHER THAN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE HEATED GASIFORM MEDIUM INTRODUCED INTO THE FIRST DENSE BED WITHIN THE RANGE FROM ABOUT 170*F. TO ABOUT 300*F. AT A SUPERFICIAL GAS VELOCITY FROM ABOUT 0.2 TO ABOUT TO ABOUT 2 FEET PER SECOND TO REDUCE THE SOLVENT CONTENT OF THE POLYMER TO LESS THAN 100 P.P.M. AND RECOVERING SAID POLYMER FROM SAID SECOND FLUIDIZED BED.