The Dow Chemical Company

Scott A Tipler

Gerald F Billovits

Thomas W McCullough

The present invention is an improved solid state polymer devolatilization process which comprises heating a wet feed mixture comprising polymer, residual monomer(s), process solvents and active catalyst residues in the presence of an inert gas, wherein the improvement comprises replacing the inert gas with a catalyst deactivating gas.

Solid state devolatilization of syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymers

The present invention is an improvement in a solid state devolatilization finishing process for a wet feed material of syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymer containing volatiles, including at least one vinyl aromatic monomer, wherein the improvement comprises: rapidly heating the wet feed material, such that the temperature of the wet feed material is increased at a rate of at least 10.degree. C./min., to a temperature between about 150.degree. C. and the melting point temperature of the syndiotactic vinyl aromatic polymer, while concurrently removing evolved volatiles.

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Midland, MI, United States of America

Scott A Tipler