Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Job D Guzman

Alec Y Wang

Michael Joseph Zogg, Jr

Curvel Hypolite

Jorge Rubalcaba

Pradeep Jain

Robert D Swindoll

Prasanna K Jog

Nile A Mead

The invention provides a method, and apparatus, for determining the degree of separation (DOS) of a polymer solution into a polymer-rich stream and a solvent-rich stream, said method comprising the following:

Process and apparatus to determine the degree of separation of two solution streams

The invention provides a method, and apparatus, for determining the degree of separation (DOS) of a polymer solution into a polymer-rich stream and a solvent-rich stream, said method comprising the following: adding to a liquid-liquid separation vessel the polymer solution, which comprises a polymer, a solvent and an anti-solvent; separating the polymer solution into a polymer-rich stream and a solvent-rich stream; removing at least some the polymer-rich stream from at least one outlet P on the vessel, and measuring the actual solution density of this polymer-rich stream using at least one flow meter; removing at least some of the solvent-rich stream from at least one other outlet S on the vessel, and measuring the actual density of the solvent-rich stream using at least one flow meter; and wherein the degree of separation (DOS) is determined by the following equation (Eqn. 1):DOS=[actual solution density (polymer-rich steam)&#x2212;actual solution density (solvent-rich stream)]/[theoretical solution density (polymer-rich stream)&#x2212;theoretical solution density (solvent-rich stream)]&#x2003;&#x2003;(Eqn. 1).

The invention provides a solution polymerization process comprising: A) polymerizing one or more monomers in the presence of a solvent that comprises a heavy hydrocarbon solvent and a light hydrocarbon solvent, to form a polymer solution; B) transferring the polymer solution to a Liquid-Liquid Separator, without adding heat to the solution, and wherein the pressure of the polymer solution is actively reduced in a controlled manner prior to, or within, the Liquid-Liquid Separator, to induce at least two liquid phases, a polymer-rich phase and a solvent-rich phase, and wherein the concentration of polymer in the polymer-rich phase is higher than that in the polymer solution transferred to the Liquid-Liquid Separator; and C) removing the solvent-rich phase.

Polymerization process for olefin-based polymers

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Houston, TX, United States of America

Job D Guzman