Process for the removal of catalyst residues

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR REMOVING RESIDUES OF A CATALYST CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF (I) AN ALUMINUM COMPOIND OF THE FORMULA AIRNX3-N WHEREIN R IS ALKYL, X IS HALOGEN AND N IS A WHOLE OR FRACTIONAL NUMBER FRON 0 TO 3 INCLUSIVE AND (II) AN ORGANIC SOLVENT-SOLUBLE COMPOUND OF A HEAVY METAL SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF FE, CO, NI, CR, MO, W, TI, ZR AND V, WHICH PROCESS COMPRISES: A. ULTRASONICALLY ADMIXING AN ORGANIC SOLUTION OF REACTION PRODUCTS FROM A ZIEGLER-NATTA SOLUTION POLYMERIZATION OF AN OLEFIN CONTAINING SAID RESIDUES AT A TEMPERATURE OF 20*-70*C WITH A TWO-COMPARTMENT AQUEOUS SOLUTION CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF (I) NAOH OR KOH IN A HYDROXIDE CONCENTRATION OF ABOUT 100-600 MG/ML. IN A TOTAL AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO ENSURE RAPID FLOCCULATION OF SAID CATALYST RESIDUES AND (II) H2O2 IN AN AMOUNT SUFFICIENT TO OXIDIZE SAID COMPOUND OF A HEAVY METAL, SAID COMPONENTS BEING IN AN AMOUNT OF WATER LESS THAN THE QUANTITY THEREOF WHICH IS DISSOLVED IN THE ORGANIC SOLVENT AND ABSORBED BY THE THUS-PRECIPITATED CATALYS RESIDES UNDER OPERATING CONDITIONS OF THE PROCESS SUCH THAT NO SECOND LIQUID PHASE IS FORMED IN THE RESULTANT MIXTURE, WHICH MIXTURE CONSISTS ESSENTIALLY OF A SINGLE LIQUID PHASE, NON-AQUEOUS SUSPENSION OF DIRECTLY SEPARABLE PRECIPTIATED CATALYST RESIDUES AS HYDROXIDES AND SALTS, AND B. SEPARATING SAID PRECIPITATED CATALYST RESIDES IN THE SOLID PHASE DIRECTLY FROM THE RESULTANT MIXTURE.