Internorth, Inc.

Thomas J Hirt

Merlin H Moseman

James Richard Graham

James R Hatfield

An apparatus and method are provided for heating an air stream flowing through a conduit which minimizes the introduction of noxious burner exhaust emissions into the air stream. The apparatus utilizes a refractory radiant-type burner disposed within the air stream which includes means for supplying a combustible fuel to the burner and means for igniting the combustible fuel within the burner. The apparatus also includes means for removing the hot products of combustion from the burner and venting these products to the outside atmosphere until the temperature of the burner reaches steady state operating conditions. When steady state operating conditions are reached, a damper means on the burner opens and directs the products of combustion into the air stream to heat the air stream. When the burner is turned off, the damper means closes and directs the products of combustion to the outside atmosphere.

Apparatus and method for heating an air stream flowing through a conduit

An improved method for reducing the halogen content of a particulate polyolefin formed by catalytic polymerization of an olefin in the presence of a Ziegler-Natta catalyst is taught which comprises the steps of causing the polyolefin in the dry state to flow into a gas phase fluidized bed, contacting the polyolefin in the fluidized bed with a gas comprising 0.05% to 0.2% alkylene oxide, 5% to 30% water, and the balance inert gas such that the alkylene oxide reacts with halogens present in the polyolefin to form an alkylene halohydrin, removing the alkylene halohydrin from the fluidized bed and thus reducing the halogen content of the polyolefin. The improvement comprises regenerating the alkylene oxide by contacting the inert gas containing alkylene halohydrin with a caustic solution in alcohol or water and recovering therefrom alkylene oxide formed by the reaction of the alkylene halohydrin and the caustic solution.

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Omaha, NE, United States of America

Thomas J Hirt