Sasol Technology Proprietary Limited

Sasol Technology (pty) Limited

Craig McGregor

Kevin Blann

Richard Neil Walsh

Timothy Wayne Gambrel

Matthew James Overett

Michael Joseph Zogg, Jr

Denise Louisette Venter

Nicolaus Ladislaus Stark

Kenny Tenza

Anton Kleingeld

Umesh Ramdhani

Kipchirchir Andrew Boit

Palesa Nongodlwana

Umesh Rhamdhani

A method of cleaning fouled process equipment which includes a process vessel () fouled by an organic foulant, includes spraying a hydrocarbon stream at a pressure of at least 69 bar(g) at fouled surfaces inside the process vessel () thereby to dislodge the organic foulant from the fouled surfaces. The hydrocarbon stream is sprayed from at least one nozzle () located inside the process vessel (). The hydrocarbon stream is at a temperature below the melting point of the organic foulant or below the melting point of a major component of the organic foulant when the organic foulant is a multi-component organic foulant. The dislodged foulant is removed from the process vessel ().

Cleaning of process equipment

A process () for oligomerising a hydrocarbon to form at least one co-monomer product () includes feeding a hydrocarbon reactant and organic liquid diluent solvent () into an oligomerisation reactor (). The organic liquid diluent solvent has a normal boiling point below the normal boiling point of 1-hexene but above &#x2212;20&#xb0; C., or the organic diluent solvent is in the form of a solvent admixture with at least 70% by mass of the solvent admixture constituting organic diluent solvents having a normal boiling point below the normal boiling point of 1-hexene but above &#x2212;20&#xb0; C. The oligomerisation reactor () holds at least one co-monomer product formed in the oligomerisation reactor admixed with a catalyst system () introduced into the oligomerisation reactor (). The catalyst system () includes a catalyst dissolved in at least one catalyst solvent. At least a portion of the hydrocarbon reactant is oligomerised in the reactor () to form co-monomer product and polymeric by-product as part of a liquid product, which is withdrawn. When there is only one catalyst solvent and only one organic liquid diluent solvent, the catalyst solvent and the organic liquid diluent solvent are not the same solvent. When there is more than one catalyst solvent or more than one organic liquid diluent solvent, at least one of the catalyst solvents is not also used as organic liquid diluent solvent or at least one of the organic liquid diluent solvents is not also used at the catalyst solvent. The mass ratio of all organic liquid diluent solvent introduced into the oligomerisation reactor to all catalyst solvent introduced into the oligomerisation reactor over a selected time period is between 15:1 and 4500:1.

Process for oligomerising a hydrocarbon to form at least one co-monomer product

A process for polymerizing or oligomerising a hydrocarbon includes feeding at a low level a liquid hydrocarbon reactant into a bulk liquid phase comprising polymeric or oligomeric product admixed with a catalyst. The liquid hydrocarbon reactant is allowed to vaporise to form bubbles rising through the bulk liquid phase and to polymerise or oligomerise to form the polymeric or oligomeric product, with the rising bubbles creating turbulence in the bulk liquid phase, thereby mixing the bulk liquid phase. Gaseous components comprising any unreacted vaporised hydrocarbon reactant and any gaseous product that may have formed are withdrawn from a head space above the bulk liquid phase. Liquid phase from the bulk liquid phase is withdrawn to maintain the bulk liquid phase at a desired level.

Process for polymerising or oligomerising a hydrocarbon

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Sasolburg, South Africa

Craig McGregor