Production of perfluorochloroolefin polymers

Claim 1

A PROCESS FOR THE PRODUCTION OF A SOLID POLYMER OF TRIFLUOROCHLOROETHYLENE WHICH COMPRISES INTRODUCING TRIFLUOROTRICHLOROETHANE, METHANOL AND FINELY DIVIDED METALLIC ZINC TO A PREHEATING ZONE AND PREHEATING TO A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 90*C. AND ABOUT 180*C., PASSING SAID PREHEATED MATERIALS FROM SAID PREHEATING ZONE TO THE UPPER PORTION OF AN ELONGATED TUBULAR DECHLORINATION ZONE ARRANGED IN THE FORM OF A HELIX, BEING DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE BETWEEN ABOUT 20* AND ABOUT 60* FROM THE HORIZONTAL AND HAVING A LENGTH BETWEEN ABOUT 60 FEET AND ABOUT 100 FEET AND A DIAMETER BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5 AND ABOUT 1.25 INCHES, MAINTAINING SAID DECHLORINATION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE BELOW THE TEMPERATURE OF SAID PREHEATING ZONE AND BETWEEN ABOUT 50*C. AND ABOUT 150*C. AND, FLOWING SAID MATERIALS DOWNWARDLY THROUGH SAID DECHLORINATION ZONE AT A VELOCITY BETWEEN ABOUT 2 FEET AND ABOUT 6 FEET PER SECOND IN THE DECHLORINATION OF TRIFLUOROTRICHLOROETHANE TO TRIFLUOROCHLOROETHYLENE, REMOVING FROM THE BOTTOM PORTION OF SAID DECHLORINATION ZONE A DECHLORINATION EFFLUENT COMPRISING TRIFLUOROCHLOROETHYLENE, METHANOL AND UNREACTED ZINC, PASSING SAID DECHLORINATION EFFLUENT TO A MONOMER SEPARATION ZONE, WITHDRAWING A LIQUID BOTTOMS FROM SAID MONOMER SEPARATION ZONE COMPRISING UNREACTED ZINC AND METHANOL, RECYCLING SAID LIQUID BOTTOMS TO SAID PREHEATING ZONE, REMOVING FROM THE UPPER PORTION OF SAID MONOMER SEPARATION ZONE A VAPOROUS EFFLUENT COMPRISING TRIFLUOROCHLOROETHYLENE TOGETHER WITH IMPURITIES FORMED IN SAID DECHLORINATION ZONE, REMOVING SAID IMPURITIES FROM SAID TRIFLUOROCHLOROETHYLENE IN A PURIFICATION ZONE, INTRODUCING AS LIQUID MONOMER SAID TRIFLUOROCHLOROETHYLENE INTO THE UPPER PORTION OF AN ELONGATED TUBULAT POLYMERIZATION ZONE DISPOSED AT AN ANGLE BETWEEN ABOUT 5* AND ABOUT 15* FROM THE HORIZONTAL, HAVING A LENGTH BETWEEN ABOUT 10,000 FEET AND ABOUT 20,000 FEET AND A DIAMETER BETWEEN ABOUT 0.5 INCH AND ABOUT 1.25 INCHES, SAID POLYMERIZATION ZONE BEING ARRANGED IN THE FORM OF A HELIX, INTRODUCING TRICHLOROACETYL PEROXIDE INTO SAID POLYMERIZATION ZONE, MAINTAINING SAID POLYMERIZATION ZONE AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN ABOUT 10* C. AND ABOUT 75*C. UNDER CONDITIONS SUCH THAT A PORTION OF SAID LIQUID MONOMER IS CONVERTED TO SOLID POLYMER THE