Method of recovering resinous polymer from latex

Claim 1

A METHOD OF RECOVERING A RESINOUS POLYMER FROM A LATEX IN WHICH SAID POLYMER HAS BEEN PREPARED BY EMULSION POLYMERIZATION COMPRISING PASSING A STREAM OF SAID LATEX INTO AN ENTRANCE OF A CHAMBER OF A POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP, WHICH CHAMBER CONSTITUTES A MIXING CHAMBER, SEPARATELY PASSING A STREAM OF LIQUID COAGULANT INTO SAID MIXING CHAMBER AT A POINT SPACED DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID ENTRANCE, MIXING THE SAID LATEX AND COAGULANT IN SAID CHAMBER, THE SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE LATEX AND COAGULANT CONCENTRATION OF THE COAGULANT BEING SUCH THAT THE RESULTING MIXTURE HAS THE CONSISTENCY OF A SHAPABLE PASTE, SUBJECTING THE PASTE TO POSITIVE PRESSURE WHILE ADVANCING IT THROUGH SAID MIXING CHAMBER AND WHILE SUBJECTING IT TO A GENTLE MIXING ACTION TO PRODUCE A UNIFORM PASTE WITHOUT EXERTING ABRADING ACTION ON THE PASTE, PASSING THE RESULTING UNIFORM PASTE UNDER POSITIVE PRESSURE OF 10 TO 20 P.S.I. DIRECTLY FROM SAID MIXING CHAMBER INTO SHAPING ORIFICES, EXERTING A WIPING ACTION ON THE PASTE AS IT ENTERS THE ORIFICES, TO SHAPE THE PASTE INTO PARTICLES OF UNIFORM DESIRED SIZE CONTAINING THE ENTIRE WATER CONTENT AND SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE SAID LATEX AND COAGULANT, DEPOSITING THE SHAPED PARTICLES IN WATER HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE FROM 30*F. BELOW THE SOFTENING TEMPERATURE OF THE POLYMER TO THE SAID SOFTENING TEMPERATURE, GENTLY AGITATING THE PARTICLES IN SAID WATER, THEREAFTER IMMERSING THE PARTICLES WITH GENTLE AGITATION IN WATER HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE FROM 5* TO 30*F. IN EXCESS OF THE SOFTENING TEMPERATURE OF THE POLYMER WHEREBY THE PARTICLES HARDEN AND BECOME STRUCRALLY DENSER AND DECREASE IN MOISTURE CONTENT, REMOVING THE PARTICLES, AND WASHING AND DRYING THE SAME, THE SAID RESINOUS POLYMER BEING A COMPOSITION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (A) RESINOUS COPOLYMER OF STYRENE AND ACRYLONITRILE, (B) GRAFT COPOLYMER OF AT LEAST 40% OF STYRENE AND ACRYLONITRILE ON CORRESPONDINGLY NOT MORE THAN 60% OF POLYBUTADIENE, AND (C) BLEND OF (A) AND (B).

Claim 2

A METHOD OF RECOVERING A RESINOUS POLYMER FROM A LATEX IN WHICH SAID POLYMER HAS BEEN PREPARED BY EMULSION POLYMERIZATION COMPRISING PASSING A STREAM OF SAID LATEX INTO AN ENTRANCE OF A CHAMBER OF A POSITIVE DISPLACEMENT PUMP, WHICH CHAMBER CONSTITUTES A MIXING CHAMBER, SEPARATELY PASSING A STREAM OF LIQUID COAGULANT INTO SAID MIXING CHAMBER AT A POINT SPACED DOWNSTREAM FROM SAID ENTRANCE, MIXING THE SAID LATEX AND COAGULANT IN SAID CHAMBER, THE SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE LATEX AND COAGULANT CONCENTRATION OF THE COAGULANT BEING SUCH THAT THE RESULTING MIXTURE HAS THE CONSISTENCY OF A SHAPABLE PASTE, SUBJECTING THE PASTE TO POSITIVE PRESSURE WHILE ADVANCING IT THROUGH SAID MIXING CHAMBER AND WHILE SUBJECTING IT TO A GENTLE MIXING ACTION TO PRODUCE A UNIFORM PASTE WITHOUT EXERTING ABRADING ACTION ON THE PASTE, PASSING THE RESULTING UNIFORM PASTE UNDER POSITIVE PRESSURE OF 10 TO 20 P.S.I. DIRECTLY FROM SAID MIXING CHAMBER INTO SHAPING ORIFICES, EXERTING A WIPING ACTION ON THE PASTE AS IT ENTERS THE ORIFICES, TO SHAPE THE PASTE INTO PARTICLES OF UNIFORM DESIRED SIZE CONTAINING THE ENTIRE WATER CONTENT AND SOLIDS CONTENT OF THE SAID LATEX AND COAGULANT, DEPOSITING THE SHAPED PARTICLES IN WATER HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE WITHIN THE RANGE FROM 30*F. BELOW THE SOFTENING TEMPERATURE OF THE POLYMER TO THE SAID SOFTENING TEMPERATURE, GENTLY AGITATING THE PARTICLES IN SAID WATER, THEREAFTER IMMERSING THE PARTICLES WITH GENTLE AGITATION IN WATER HEATED TO A TEMPERATURE FROM 5* TO 30*F. IN EXCESS OF THE SOFTENING TEMPERATURE OF THE POLYMER WHEREBY THE PARTICLES HARDEN AND BECOME STRUCRALLY DENSER AND DECREASE IN MOISTURE CONTENT, REMOVING THE PARTICLES, AND WASHING AND DRYING THE SAME, THE SAID RESINOUS POLYMER BEING A COMPOSITION SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF (A) RESINOUS COPOLYMER OF STYRENE AND ACRYLONITRILE, (B) GRAFT COPOLYMER OF AT LEAST 40% OF STYRENE AND ACRYLONITRILE ON CORRESPONDINGLY NOT MORE THAN 60% OF POLYBUTADIENE, AND (C) BLEND OF (A) AND (B).