Continuous process for encapsulating individual particles of particulate material with a polyolefin

Claim 1

A CONTINUOUS PROCESS FOR ENCAPSULATING PARTICULATE MATERIAL WITH A POLYMER TO FORM SHELLS OF POLYMER ON EACH INDIVIDUAL PARTICLE OF SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL COMPRISING FORMING A FLOWABLE SLURRY OF PARTICULATE MATERIAL PRECONDITIONED TO REMOVE SUBSTANTIALLY ALL WATER THEREFROM WITH A COMPATIBLE VAPORIZABLE CONVEYING FLUID FLOWING THROUGH A CONTINUOUS PATH WITH A CONCENTRATION OF SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL IN SAID SLURRY SO THAT, AFTER POLYMER SHELLS ARE FORMED ON THE PARTICLES OF SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL, THE CONCENTRATION OF PARTICLES IN SAID SLURRY IS NOT SUBSTANTIALLY GREATER THAN 15% OF THE TOTAL WEIGHT OF THE SLURRY, CONTINUOUSLY ADDING A FIRST COMPONENT OF A TWO COMPONENT ORGANOMETALLIC-TRANSITION METAL CATALYST SYSTEM, THE COMPONENTS OF WHICH, UPON REACTION WITH EACH OTHER, PROVIDE AN INITIATOR EFFECTIVE FOR POLYMERIZING 1-OLEFINS, TO SAID SLURRY FLOWING IN SAID PATH, CONTACTING SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL FLOWING IN SAID PATH WITH SAID FIRST COMPONENT, THEREAFTER CONTINUOUSLY ADDING A SECOND COMPONENT OF SAID CATALYST SYSTEM TO SAID SLURRY FLOWING IN SAID PATH, REACTING SAID FIRST COMPONENT IN CONTACT WITH SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL WITH SAID SECOND COMPONENT, THEREAFTER CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING INTO THE FLOWING SLURRY A 1-OLEFIN MONOMER CONTAINING FEWER THAN SIX CARBON ATOMS AND POLYMERIZING SAID MONOMER ON THE INDIVIDUAL PARTICLES OF SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL TO FORM SAID MONOMER AS A POLYMER SHELL ENCAPSULATING EACH INDIVIDUAL PARTICLE OF SAID PARTICULATE MATERIAL FLOWING IN SAID PATH SEPARATELY AND INDEPENDENTLY OF THE OTHER PARTICLES FLOWING IN SAID PATH AND SEPARATE AND INDEPENDENT FROM SAID CONVEYING FLUID, CONTINUOUSLY REMOVING SAID ENCAPSULATED PARTICLES FROM SAID FLUID AND CONTINUOUSLY RECYCLING SAID CONVEYING FLUID THROUGH SAID CONTINUOUS PATH BY ADMIXING SAID CONVEYING FLUID, AFTER SAID ENCAPSULATED PARTICLES ARE REMOVED, WITH ADDITIONAL PARTICULATE MATERIAL TO FORM SAID FLOWABLE SLURRY.