Monomer recovery process

Claim 1

THE PROCESS FOR RECOVERING MONOMER FROM THE EFFLUENT SOLUTION OF A POLYMERIZER, SAID EFFLUENT HAVING DISSOLVED THEREIN THE POLYMER PRODUCT AND A MONOMER SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ETHYLENE, PROPYLENE AND BUTYLENE, COMPRISING THE STEPS OF: (A) PREHEATING SAID EFFLUENT PRIOR TO ANY PROCESSING STEPS FOR DEACTIVATION OF THE POLYMERIZATION CATALYST THEREIN OR REMOVAL OF POLYMER THE REFORM TO A TEMPERATURE OF 130*-220*C. AND A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF 100-800 P.S.I.G., WHEREBY THE PREDOMINANT TIME OF 0.3-8 MINUTES, (B) IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER RELEASING SAID HEATED EFFLUENT INTO ENCLOSED SPACE MAINTAINED AT A PRESSURE IN THE RANGE OF 5-75 P.S.I.G., WHEREBY THE PREDOMINANT PORTION OF CONTAINED MONOMER IS VAPORIZED THEREFROM AND MAINTAINING THE TEMPERATURE IN THE RANGE OF 120*-200*C. AND ABOVE THAT AT WHICH THE POLYMER CONTAINED THEREIN WILL PRECIPITATE THREREFROM;