Patent ID: 8562915

Claim:
A polymerization plant comprising: a reactor for polymerizing one or more monomers to form a polymer-containing polymerization reaction mixture; a separation system for the separation of volatile components from the polymer-containing reaction mixture to give a polymer; a pelletizer for injecting the polymer into cooling liquid in a chamber, thereby forming pellets; a drying apparatus to separate the pellets from the cooling liquid and dry them; a conduit for carrying the cooling liquid and pellets from the pelletizer chamber to the drying apparatus wherein the conduit has a length of at least 50 meters between the pelletizer chamber and the drying apparatus; and a heat exchange for maintaining the cooling liquid in the conduit at a temperature in the range of from 0 to 40° C; wherein the drying apparatus comprises: one or more conveyors to convey the pellets through a first drying zone for drying the pellets and then through a second drying zone for cooling the pellets arranged downstream of the first drying zone; conditioning means to produce conditioned air; a blower for blowing the conditioned air into the second drying zone to cool the pellets; a conduit for carrying the conditioned air from the second drying zone to the first drying zone; and a heater for heating the conditioned air passing through the conduit such that, in use, the temperature of the air in the first drying zone is higher than the temperature of the air in the second drying zone.