Patent ID: 7435393

Claim:
A modular assembly for a vertical, gravity flow driven polymerization reactor for polymerizing a polymer melt having high viscosity, the assembly comprising: a support structure having a plurality of side openings adapted to allow escape of vapor liberated from the polymeric melt; and a feed splitter to subdivide the polymer flow; and two or more vertically arranged rows of baffles positioned in the support structure, the two or more vertically arranged rows having a highest positioned row, a lowest positioned row, and optionally one or more intermediately positioned rows, wherein each row of the two or more vertically arranged rows includes a plurality of baffles, the plurality of baffles being angled and biased in the same direction such that when the polymeric melt contacts a baffle of the plurality of baffles the polymeric melt moves in a downward direction under the force of gravity and wherein each row of the two or more vertically arranged rows, except the lowest positioned row, is adapted to transfer the polymeric melt to a lower vertically adjacent row.