Olefin polymerization process using a pre-mix zone

Claim 1

A METHOD OF MAKING A RUBBERY ETHYLENE-PROPYLENENON-CONJUGATED DIOLEFIN POLYMER COMPRISING DISSOLVING ALL OF THE SAID MONOMERS IN A VOLATILE INERT ORGANIC SOLVENT, THE SOLVENT AND MONOMERS BEING PRECHILLED TO A TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE RESULTING SOLUTION IS FROM 15 TO 50*F., ADVANCING THE SOLUTION AT A CONTROLLED RATE OF FLOW CONTINUOUSLY INTO A MIXING DEVICE FOLLOWED BY A REACTION VESSEL IN SERIES WITH THE MIXING DEVICE, THE VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY OF THE MIXING DEVICE BEING FROM 0.05 TO 1.5% OF THE VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY OF THE REACTION VESSEL, INTRODUCING AN ALUMINUM ALKYL-VANADIUM COMPOUND CATALYST TO THE MIXING DEVICE TO EFFECT THOROUGH MIXING OF THE CATALYST WITH THE SOLUTION AND THUS FORM A LIQUID POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE WHICH IMMEDIATELY BEGINS TO REACT EXOTHERMICALLY, IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER TRANSFERRING THE SAID POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE FROM THE MIXING DEVICE INTO THE SAID REACTION VESSEL, COOLING AND AGITATING THE MIXTURE IN THE REACTION VESSEL TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MIXTURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 40* TO 150*F., THE VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY OF THE REACTION VESSEL BEING FROM 20 TO 200 TIMES THE VOLUME OF POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE FLOWING THERETHROUGH IN ONE MINUTE, THE MIXING DEVICE AND POLYMERIZATION VESSEL BEING MAINTAINED COMPLETELY FILLED WITH THE LIQUID POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING FROM THE REACTION VESSEL A FINAL MIXTURE CONTAINING DISSOLVED POLYMER, AND RECOVERING SAID POLYMER FROM THE FINAL MIXTURE.

Claim 2

A METHOD OF MAKING A RUBBERY ETHYLENE-PROPYLENENON-CONJUGATED DIOLEFIN POLYMER COMPRISING DISSOLVING ALL OF THE SAID MONOMERS IN A VOLATILE INERT ORGANIC SOLVENT, THE SOLVENT AND MONOMERS BEING PRECHILLED TO A TEMPERATURE SUCH THAT THE TEMPERATURE OF THE RESULTING SOLUTION IS FROM 15 TO 50*F., ADVANCING THE SOLUTION AT A CONTROLLED RATE OF FLOW CONTINUOUSLY INTO A MIXING DEVICE FOLLOWED BY A REACTION VESSEL IN SERIES WITH THE MIXING DEVICE, THE VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY OF THE MIXING DEVICE BEING FROM 0.05 TO 1.5% OF THE VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY OF THE REACTION VESSEL, INTRODUCING AN ALUMINUM ALKYL-VANADIUM COMPOUND CATALYST TO THE MIXING DEVICE TO EFFECT THOROUGH MIXING OF THE CATALYST WITH THE SOLUTION AND THUS FORM A LIQUID POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE WHICH IMMEDIATELY BEGINS TO REACT EXOTHERMICALLY, IMMEDIATELY THEREAFTER TRANSFERRING THE SAID POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE FROM THE MIXING DEVICE INTO THE SAID REACTION VESSEL, COOLING AND AGITATING THE MIXTURE IN THE REACTION VESSEL TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE OF THE MIXTURE WITHIN THE RANGE OF FROM 40* TO 150*F., THE VOLUMETRIC CAPACITY OF THE REACTION VESSEL BEING FROM 20 TO 200 TIMES THE VOLUME OF POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE FLOWING THERETHROUGH IN ONE MINUTE, THE MIXING DEVICE AND POLYMERIZATION VESSEL BEING MAINTAINED COMPLETELY FILLED WITH THE LIQUID POLYMERIZATION MIXTURE, CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING FROM THE REACTION VESSEL A FINAL MIXTURE CONTAINING DISSOLVED POLYMER, AND RECOVERING SAID POLYMER FROM THE FINAL MIXTURE.