Production of polymer-carbon black masterbatch

Claim 1

A METHOD OF INCORPORATING CARBON BLACK INTO A SOLUTION POLYMER WHICH COMPRISES PASSING PELLETED CARBON BLACK TOGETHER WITH SUPERHEATED VAPOR OF NORMALLY LIQUID HYDROCARBON WHICH IS A SOLVENT FOR SAID POLYMER IN A RATIO OF AT LEAST 3 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF SOLVENT TO 1 PART OF BLACK TO A FLUID ENERGY MILL, GRINDING SAID PELLETED CARBON BLACK IN THE PRESENCE OF HIGH VELOCITY HYDROCARBON VAPORS, PASSING A RESULTING STREAM OF HYDROCARBON VAPOR CARRYING CARBON BLACK FROM SAID MILL TO A VAPOR-LIQUID CONTACTING ZONE, CONTACTING SAID VAPOR AND CARBON BLACK WITH A 2 TO 20 WEIGHT PERCENT SOLUTION OF RUBBERY POLYMER OF CONJUGATED DIENE CONTAINING FROM 4 TO 12 CARBON ATOMS PER MOLECULE IN A NORMALLY LIQUID HYDROCARBON SOLVENT THEREBY FORMING A DISPERSION OF CARBON BLACK IN POLYMER SOLUTION, ADDING WATER TO SAID DISPERSION, STEAM STRIPPING HYDROCARBON SOLVENT FROM THE RESULTING WATER-DISPERSION MIXTURE THEREBY COAGULATING SAID RUBBERY POLYMER, AND RECOVERING A RUBBERY POLYMER CRUMB CONTAINING FROM 30 TO 80 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF CARBON BLACK PER 100 PRTS OF POLYMER.