Abstract:
1. BATCH PROCESS FOR REMOVING THE SOLVENT FROM GUMMY SOLUTIONS OFF POLYMERS SELECTED FROM GROUP CONSISTING OF POLYBUTADIENE, POLYISOPRENE AND OLEFIN TERPOLYMERS, SAID PROCESS BEING CARRIED OUT IN ONE STAGE AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURE COMPRISING: (A) FEEDING A HYDROCARBON SOLUTION OF THE POLYMER WHICH CONTAINS HYDROCARBON SOLVENT HAVING A BOILING TEMPERATURE BELOW WATER, THE POLYMER AND UN-REACTED MONOMER INTO A SOLVENT-REMOVAL VESSEL CONTAINING WATER AND FORMING A SUSPENSION OF SAID HYDROCARBON SOLUTION IN SAID WATER; (B) WHILE FEEDING SADI HYDROCARBON SOLUTION, TREATING SAID SUSPENDED SOLUTION BY FEEDING LIVE STEAM INTO SAID SUSPENSION TO KEEP SAID SUSPENSION AGITATED AND VIGOROUS STIRRING SAID SUSPENSION AND REGULATING SAID LIVE STEAM FEED SO AS TO MAINTAIN THE TEMPERATURE
AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN 70* C. AND 75* C. AND THE PRESSURE AT ATMOSPHERIC PRESSURES; (C) STOPPING THE FEED OF THE HYDROCARBON SOLUTIONOF THE POLYMER INTO SAID VESSEL WHEN A VALUE OF THE WATER/POLYMER RATIO IN SAID VESSEL FROM ABOUT 20/2 TO ABOUT 6/1 HAS BEEN REACHED; (D9 AFTER THE FEED OF SAID HYDROCARBON SOLUTION INTO SAID VESSEL IS STOPPED, FEEDING MORE LIVE STEAM INTO SAID VESSEL SO THAT THE TEMPERATURE IN SAID VESSEL REACHED A VALUE VERY NEAR THE BOILING TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER IN SAID VESSEL IN THE PROCESS CONDITIONS WHILE THE PRESSURE WHEREBY THE SOLVENT STILL PRESATMOSPHEREIC PRESSURE WHEREBY THE SOLVENT ISSTILL PRESENT IN THE POLYMER IS LESS THAN O.5% BY WEIGHT BASED ON THE POLYMER; (E) SUBJECTING THE SUSPENSION AT SUCH TEMPERATURE NEAR THE BOILING TEMPERATURE OF THE WATER TO A FILTRATION AND SEPARATING POLYMER CRUMBS AND HOT WATER AND RECYCLING SAID HOT WATER TO THE SOLVENT STILL PRESVESSEL UNTIL A POLYMER-WATER RATIO NOT HIGHER THAN 1/100 IS REACHED IN SAID SOLVENT-REMOVAL VESSEL.
Abstract:
Apparatus is disclosed for subjecting viscous material to a mixing and heat exchange treatment, as in the polymerization of olefins, which consists of a jacketed vertical reaction vessel having horizontal baffles dividing the vessel into zones and providing heat exchange surfaces which are swept by scraping blades supported on arms fixed to a shaft mounted for rotary movement along the axis of the reaction vessel to clean the viscous material from the heat exchange surfaces.