Dispersing polymers into converging streams of steam

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR PREPARING HYDROCARBON POLYMERS FROM FEEDS CONTAINING C4-C8 ISOOLEFIN BY FRIEDEL-CRAFTS POLYMERIZATION WHEREIN A POLYMERIZATION REACTION MIXTURE OF SOLID POLYMER IN A NON-AQUEOUS REACTION DILUENT IS FORMED WHICH IS DISCHARGED INTO A RELATIVELY LARGE DISPERSION ZONE AS COMPARED WITH THE PASSAGEWAY DISCHARGING THE REACTION MIXTURE THERETO AND THEN A ZONE CONTAINING WATER, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING A DOWNWARDLY FLOWING STREAM OF SAID REACTION MIXTURE INTO STREAMS OF STEAM CONVERGING IN THE DIRECTION OF FLOW OF POLYMER REACTION MIXTURE AND INJECTED AT A SUFFICIENT VELOCITY THAT THE REACTION IS MIXTURE IS DISPERSED, SAID STREAMS OF REACTION MIXTURE AND STEAM INITIALLY COMING INTO CONTACT SUBSTANTIALLY IMMEDIATELY AFTER THEIR POINTS OF DISCHARGE INTO SAID RELATIVELY ENLARGED DISPERSION ZONE, SUBSTANTIALLY IMMEDIATELY CONTACTING SAID DISPERSED REACTION MIXTURE IN SAID RELATIVELY ENLARGED DISPERSION ZONE WITH WATER WHEREBY A DISPERSION OF POLYMER PARTICLES IN WATER IS OBTAINED, AND PASSING SAID DISPERSION IN UNRESTRICTED FLOW INTO SAID ZONE CONTAINING WATER.