Neutralization in halogenated butyl rubber production

Claim 1

IN A PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF A HALOGENATED RUBBY COPOLYMER OF ABOUT 85 TO 99.5 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A C4 TO C8 ISOOLEFIN AND ABOUT 15 TO 0.5 WEIGHT PERCENT OF A C4 TO C10 MULTIOLEFIN, IN WHICH THE RUBBERY COPOLYMER IS DISSOLVED IN A C5 TO A C10 HYDROCARBON DILUENT AND CONTACTED WITH A HALOGENATION AGENT IN A HALOGENATION ZONE, AND WHEREIN THE RESULTING HALOGENATED POLYMER IN HYDROCARBON DILUENT IS CONTACTED WITH A BASIC MEDIUM IN ORDER TO NEUTRALIZE ACIDIC IMPURITIES, THE IMPROVEMENT WHICH COMPRISES INITIALLY CONTACTING THE HALOGENATION ZONE EFFUENT WITH A BASIC REAGENT AND SUFFICIENT QUANTITIES OF WATER SO AS TO NEUTRALIZE THE REACTION ZONE EFFLUENT UNDER CONDITIONS OF A CONTINUOUS CEMENT PHASE, THEREAFTER ADDING ADDITIONAL AQUEOUS MEDIUM SO AS TO CONVERT THE THUS TREATED HALOGENATION ZONE EFFUENT INTO A CONTINUOUS WATER PHASE, ALLOWING THE RESULTANT ADMIXTURE TO SETTLE AND RECOVERING A POLYMER-RICH HYDROCARBON PORTION DEPLETED IN ACIDIC IMPURITIES.