Method for recovering a polymer

Abstract

A method for recovering a polymer efficiently from a polymer solution obtained by a solution polymerization is provided. By means of a method for recovering a polymer comprising heating a polymer solution obtained by a solution polymerization indirectly in a pipe to evaporate a solvent while forming a gas-liquid mixed phase flow or a gas-liquid-solid mixed phase flow followed by supplying the mixture to a recovery tank under pressure or under reduced pressure to separate the polymer from the solvent, the polymer can efficiently be separated from the solvent without changing the physical characteristics or the chemical characteristics of the polymer. When recovering a polymer from a polymer solution having a high viscosity, an infusion of water or steam serves to reduce the viscosity of the polymer solution and also to increase the linear velocity of a gas, whereby preventing the occlusion of a pipe and facilitating the operation.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.