Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP

Phillips Petroleum Company

Other

Chevron Philips Chemical Company, LP

David H Burns

Donald W Verser

John D Hottovy

Scott E Kufeld

John H Tait

James E Hein

Dale A Zellers

Ralph W Romig

Anurag Gupta

Robert R McElvain

Richard Peacock

Carl W Fenderson

Penny A Zellers, Legal Representative

Thomas A Reid

Max P McDaniel

Elizabeth Ann Benham

Thomas H Smith

Matthew G Thorn

Jerry T Lanier

Robert Bohmer

William E Martin

David A Lockman

John O Lawmaster

Matthew T Haberly

Michael C Carter

Clay K Thurman

Ragavan Vaidyanathan

Harvey D Hensley

Robert K Franklin, Iii

David J Przelomski

Teddy H Cymbaluk

Ethelwoldo P Perez

Timothy Roetman

Ragayan Vaidyanathan

George K Rajaendran

Robert R Mcelvain

Teddy Cymbaluk

Robert K Franklin

Donal W Verser

John D Chevron Phillips Research Center Hottovy

A manufacturing system for producing polyolefin includes a polymerization reactor, a flash chamber, and a purge column. In certain embodiments, the purge column may receive a solids stream directly from the flash chamber. Further, the purge column may function as a feed tank for an extruder within an extrusion/loadout system. According to certain embodiments, the manufacturing system may be configured to consume less than 445 kilowatt-hours of energy per metric ton of polyolefin produced based on consumption of electricity, steam, and fuel gas.

Energy efficient polyolefin process

Multiple components are selected, conveyed, and measured in a polymerization system. A control system adjusts the system variables to the desired values. Portions of the components can be fed to a pre-contactor before introduction into the polymerization reactor. The catalyst component concentrations and residence times are tightly controlled in the pre-contactor to affect product properties. The pre-contactor can be a single or multiple combinations of a CSTR or plug flow pre-contactors.

Multiple component feed methods and systems

A manufacturing process for producing polyolefin, having a feed system, a reactor system including at least one polymerization reactor, a diluent/monomer recovery system, a fractionation system, and an extrusion/loadout system having an extruder. The manufacturing process is configured to consume less than 325 kilowatt-hours of electricity per metric ton of polyolefin produced.

A flash chamber sized to receive the effluent discharged from a polyolefin reactor during normal operation of the reactor and during a reactor dump, advantageously eliminating a reactor dump tank or alternate flash tank from the equipment outlay of a polyolefin manufacturing process. The flash chamber is sized to hold at least the polyolefin solids discharged from the reactor. A condenser fluidically coupled to an overhead portion of the flash chamber is sized to condense the flow rate of vaporized hydrocarbon (e.g., diluent, monomer, etc.) discharged overhead from the flash chamber during normal operation and during the reactor dump.

System and method for deinventory of polymerization reactor

A catalyst slurry for a polymerization reactor can be prepared in a mixing tank and the catalyst slurry fed to one or more storage tanks. The storage tanks can include agitators so that the catalyst slurry is maintained at an essentially homogeneous solids-to-liquid ratio. From the storage tank(s), the catalyst slurry can be pumped to the polymerization reactor along a fluid passage having a flow meter. The flow of the catalyst slurry can be continuous and/or adjusted based on a measured parameter. The catalyst slurry may be continuously and reliability fed to the polymerization reactor.

Catalyst slurry feeding assembly for a polymerization reactor

An apparatus and method for removing polymer solids from a slurry loop reactor. A discharge conduit having a longitudinal axis and an end section for removing polymer solids from the slurry loop reactor is provided. The discharge conduit is attached to the slurry loop reactor so that the longitudinal axis and at least a portion of an outer wall of the slurry loop reactor form an angle of less than about 90 degrees. The end section includes a first edge and a second edge that extends past at least a portion of an inner wall of the slurry loop reactor into a liquid reactor slurry. Polymer solids contained within the liquid reactor slurry are concentrated on the second edge so that an average polymer solids concentration in the discharge slurry is greater than an average polymer solids concentration of the liquid reactor slurry within the slurry loop reactor.

Apparatus and method for removing polymer solids from slurry loop reactor

A process and apparatus for separating polymer solids, hydrocarbon fluids, and purge gas in an intermediate pressure zone and a purge zone. The purge gas in the purge zone is used to remove hydrocarbon fluids from the polymer solids, and a stream containing the purge gas and hydrocarbons is passed to a hydrocarbon/purge gas recovery zone. High-purity purge gas from the recovery zone is efficiently used by passing a portion back to the purge zone and another portion to an extruder feed zone. Hydrocarbon fluids separated from polymer solids in the intermediate pressure zone and in the hydrocarbon/purge gas recovery zone are liquefied and passed to a recycle zone, and the hydrocarbons (typically liquid diluent and/or unreacted monomer) are recycled to the reactor without fractionation.

Process and apparatus for separating polymer solids, hydrocarbon fluids, and purge gas

A recycling and recovery system and process comprising a flash gas separator that receives a slurry comprising liquid medium and solid polymer particles. The flash gas separator separates the diluent from the solid polymer particles as a vapor stream comprising at least diluent and heavies. A line receives the vapor stream from the flash gas separator. The line leads to a heavies removal system that yields a liquid that is relatively concentrated in heavies and a diluent vapor that is relatively free of heavies. The liquid is passed to a heavies column while the diluent vapor is passed to a diluent recycle chamber and then recycled to a slurry polymerization reactor without additional treatment to remove heavies.

Process and system for removing heavies from diluent recycled to a slurry polymerization reactor

A polymerization loop reactor including a loop reaction zone, a continuous takeoff, and a fluid slurry disposed in the reaction zone. A generally cylindrical wall defines the loop reaction zone. The length of the loop reaction zone and the nominal outside diameter of the generally cylindrical wall define a length/diameter ratio greater than 250. The reactor can be charged with a fluid slurry including an olefin monomer reactant, solid olefin polymer particles, and a liquid diluent. The concentration of the solid olefin polymer particles in the slurry can be greater than 40 weight percent based on the weight of polymer particles and the weight of liquid diluent. Also disclosed is a polymerization process carried out by polymerizing, in the loop reaction zone of a reactor as defined above, at least one olefin monomer in a liquid diluent to produce a fluid slurry as defined above.

Slurry polymerization reactor having large length/diameter ratio

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

David H Burns