Bp Chemicals Limited

Eric Arrivat

Christian Sait

Alain Pinede

Gacam Benazzouz

Isobutene polymerization process wherein a property P (viscosity or average molecular weight) of the polyisobutene product is maintained constant. The polymerization is conducted continuously in a reactor comprising a boiling liquid reaction phase in equilibrium with a gas phase, by continuous introduction into the reactor of a catalyst and of a C4 hydrocarbon feed mixture comprising the monomer, and by continuous withdrawal from the reactor of the liquid reaction phase. The process comprises the determination of a target value V of the partial pressure, PiC4, of the isobutene in the reactor gas phase corresponding to the desired value of the property P, by virtue of an empirical relationship established beforehand between the property P of the polyisobutene product and PiC4. During the polymerization, PiC4 is measured and a corrected value of PiC4, (PiC4) , is calculated and is held constant at around the target value V, by acting on the flow rate Qc of the catalyst and/or on the flow rate Qh of the C4 hydrocarbon feed mixture.

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Istres, France

Eric Arrivat