Abstract: A method of improving solvent vapor containment in a process for extruding a solvent-polymer mixture into a process vessel operated substantially at atmospheric pressure while continuously removing solvent vapor and polymer product from said process vessel is disclosed. The improvement involves connecting, by means of a passage, the process vessel with a containment tank, which containment tank is provided at the bottom thereof with means for solvent vapor removal and recovery. The top of the containment tank is provided with an atmospheric vent to ensure that the solvent vapor in the containment tank is at atmospheric pressure. The passage is further provided with a vapor siphon breaker to prevent siphoning of the solvent vapor from the containment tank back into the process vessel.

Abstract: A materials separator apparatus comprising a stacked array of horizontally oriented and vertically spaced separator stages, which may be interconnected by a material conductor disposed for receiving commingled materials from an upper stage and feeding it to an input portion of a lower stage, each stage including a vibrating, endless belt supported for carrying a stream of commingled materials longitudinally over a steady-state magnetic array of spatially alternating, oppositely polarized magnets disposed substantially parallel to one another and extended transversely at an oblique angle to the stream whereby electrically conductive items of nonferromagnetic material passing over the magnetic array are deflected laterally out of the stream, the materials remaining in the stream may be discharged from the belt by passing them over a roller which may be magnetized for segregating dielectric nonferromagnetic material from ferromagnetic material.