Patent ID: 7470767

Claim:
A process for providing an ultrapure article of manufacture, the process comprising: A) providing olefinic polymeric material containing impurities, B) subjecting the olefinic polymeric material to supercritical CO 2 at a pressure of at least about 4000 psi (281.23 kg/cm 2 ) at a temperature of from about 35° C. and above, and wherein the olefinic polymeric material is subjected to the supercritical CO 2 in a series of alternating periods of supercritical CO 2 flows and static periods of non CO 2 flows but a supercritical CO 2 environment to extract the impurities from the olefinic polymeric material and produce ultrapure olefinic polymeric material wherein the detectable level of impurities in the purified olefinic material is less than about 5 ppm, and C) molding an ultrapure article of manufacture from the ultrapure olefinic polymeric material and wherein the impurities does not reoccur.