Patent ID: 8802794

Claim:
An interlock for use in a process for degassing of a polymer powder in a degassing vessel, which interlock is an instrumented system which is designed to act in response to a condition within a process which indicates a potentially dangerous situation or consequence, and to thereby prevent or mitigate said situation or consequence, which interlock comprises the capabilities of: 1. measuring the temperature of the polymer powder within or exiting the degassing vessel, 2. comparing said measured value to a threshold value in order to ascertain whether it is lower than the threshold value or not, which threshold value is a temperature value representative of a desired extent of polymer degassing and is below the normal range of temperature expected for the polymer powder during degassing of said powder, and 3. if the measured temperature is lower than said threshold value taking one or more actions to reduce the concentration of hydrocarbons in the polymer powder exiting the degassing vessel and/or to stop the polymer powder withdrawal from the degassing vessel.