Process for conducting a continuous polymerization reaction

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR POLYMERIZING AN ALPHA-OLEFIN MONOMER IN A POLYMERIZATION ZONE WHEREIN THERE IS FORMED AN ALPHA-OLEFIN POLYMER SLURRY COMPRISING POLYMER AND UNREACTED MONOMER AND WHEREIN SAID SLURRY IS INTRODUCED INTO A SEPARATION ZONE WHERE UNREACTED MONOER IS SEPARATED FROM THE POLYMER BY A FLASHING OPERATION THEREBY FORMING A GASEOUS RECYCLE UNREACTED MONOMER STREAM AND A SUBSTANTIALLY DRY OLEFIN POLYMER WHICH IS THEREAFTER TREATED IN A SUBSEQUENT TREATMENT ZONE WITH AN OXYGEN-CONTAINING CATALYST DEACTIVATING AGENT, THE IMPROVEMENT FOR PREVENTING CONTAMINATION OF SAID UNREACTED MONOMER WITH SAID REACTIVE COMPONENT AND FOR CONDENSING AND DIRECTLY RECYCLING SAID CONDENSED UNREACTED MONOMER TO SAID POLYMERIZATION ZONE WHICH COMPRISES CONTINUOUSLY WITHDRAWING SAID ALPHA-OLEFIN POLYMER FROM SAID SEPARATION ZONE AND INTRODUCING IT TO ONE END OF A CONFINED ZONE, CONTINOUSLY ADVANCING SAID POLYMER TO THE OTHER END OF SAID CONFINED ZONE AND TO AN OUTLET THEREFOR, AND CONTINUOUSLY INTRODUCING A SWEEP GAS AT ONE END OF SAID CONFINED ZONE AND FOWING IT COCURRENTLY WITH THE MOVEMENT OF THE POLYMER TO SAID OTHER END OF SAID CONFINED ZONE.