Patent ID: 8426553

Claim:
A method for removing a process solvent from a polymer extrudate, comprising: (A) contacting the polymer extrudate with hydrofluoroether (HFE) and chlorinated hydrocarbon (CHC) to remove at least a portion of the process solvent (“P-sol”) from the polymer extrudate and forming a first waste stream of P-sol, HFE and CHC, wherein the composition of HFE and CHC has a UCST phase diagram; (B) contacting the polymer extrudate from the step (A) with HFE to remove at least a portion of the CHC from the polymer extrudate and forming a second waste stream of HFE and CHC; (D) combining the first and second waste streams and then separating the P-sol from the combined streams to make an HFE-CHC stream; (E) cooling the HFE-CHC stream to make an HFE-rich phase and a CHC-rich 15 phase; and further comprising at least one step (F) selected from the group consisting of the following (a) to (d); (a) conducting the CHC-rich phase to the step (A), (b) conducting the HFE-rich phase to the step (A), (c) (i) purifying the CHC-rich phase, and then carrying out the following steps (ii) and/or (iii), (ii) conducting purified CHC to the step (A), (iii) conducting a first rest phase after excluding purified CHC to the step (A), (d) (i) purifying the HFE-rich phase, and then carrying out the following steps (ii) and/or (iii), (ii) conducting purified HFE to the step (A) and/or (B), (iii) conducting a second rest phase after excluding purified HFE to the step (A).