Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP

Other

Phillips Petroleum Company

Chevron Philips Chemical Company, LP

John H Tait

John D Hottovy

Scott E Kufeld

David H Burns

Donald W Verser

James E Hein

Robert R McElvain

Anurag Gupta

Ralph W Romig

Dale A Zellers

Richard Peacock

Carl W Fenderson

Penny A Zellers, Legal Representative

Thomas A Reid

Bryan M Garner

Gregory G Hendrickson

Wesley R Qualls

Harvey D Hensley

Robert K Franklin, Iii

David J Przelomski

Teddy H Cymbaluk

Ethelwoldo P Perez

Garry A Marek

Michael A Watts

George O Obath

Rajinder Sharma

Gary A Marek

Gregory G Hendrikson

Robert S Murphy

Robert R Mcelvain

Teddy Cymbaluk

Donal W Verser

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

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 polyolefin production system, comprising a polymerization reactor (such as a polyethylene loop slurry reactor) and a fractionation system that receives reactor effluent processed in a diluent/monomer recovery system for recycle to the reactor and to suppliers. A conduit diverts a portion of a reflux flow comprising monomer, such as ethylene, from within the fractionation system to the polymerization reactor, providing for less venting of monomer, such as ethylene, to the supplier. Accordingly, monomer yield is advantageously increased, as the monomer returned to the reactor displaces monomer feedstock to the reactor. The reflux flow may originate from a condensed overhead lights from a diluent recycle column disposed in the fractionation subsystem. The diluent recycle column may receive a stream comprising diluent and monomer as feed from the diluent/monomer recovery subsystem, and may receive the non-diverted portion of the reflux flow as reflux.

Monomer recovery by returning column overhead liquid to the reactor

A method for transferring polymer within a polymerization system, comprising continuously withdrawing the polymer from the reactor and conveying the polymer from a reactor to a flash chamber via a pressure differential between the reactor and the flash chamber. A method for transferring polymer within a polymerization system comprising conveying the polymer from a reactor to a flash chamber via a pressure differential between the reactor and the flash chamber and purging interstitial gases from the polymer prior to conveying the polymer from the sash chamber to a purge column. A method for transferring polymer within a polymerization system comprising conveying the polymer from a flash chamber directly to a purge column via a pressure differential between the flash chamber and the purge column.

Polymer transfer within a polymerization system

A method for transferring polymer within a polymerization system, comprising continuously withdrawing the polymer from the reactor and conveying the polymer from a reactor to a flash chamber via a pressure differential between the reactor and the flash chamber. A method for transferring polymer within a polymerization system comprising conveying the polymer from a reactor to a flash chamber via a pressure differential between the reactor and the flash chamber and purging interstitial gases from the polymer prior to conveying the polymer from the flash chamber to a purge column. A method for transferring polymer within a polymerization system comprising conveying the polymer from a flash chamber directly to a purge column via a pressure differential between the flash chamber and the purge column.

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

Polymer solids are maintained in an intermediate pressure zone for a desired polymer solids residence time and then transferred to a purge zone or other lower pressure zone. An increase in the polymer solids residence time in the intermediate pressure zone allows more diluent to flash or separate, thereby avoiding or reducing the need for a low pressure flash zone. A fluff chamber may be disposed between the intermediate pressure zone and a lower pressure zone. A transporter tank may be used to transport polymer solids after the intermediate pressure zones.

Process and apparatus for separating diluent from polymer solids

Polymer solids are maintained in an intermediate pressure zone for a desired polymer solids residence time and then transferred to a purge zone or other lower pressure zone. An increase in the polymer solids residence time in the intermediate pressure zone allows more diluent to flash or separate, thereby avoiding or reducing the need for a low pressure flash zone. A fluff chamber may be disposed between the intermediate pressure zone and a lower pressure zone transporter tank may be used to transport polymer solids after the intermediate pressure zone.

Methods for controlling the temperature of an olefin polymerization reactor (e.g., a polyethylene reactor) system are disclosed herein. The olefin polymerization reactor system includes a polymerization reactor and a cooling jacket in thermal contact with the reactor. An aqueous froth is present in the jacket, and the pressure therein is maintained below atmospheric pressure. Control of the pressure in the jacket controls the boiling temperature of the jacket fluid, and thus, controls the rate of heat transfer from the reactor to the fluid in the jacket. This provides an efficient and simple means for controlling the reactor temperature.

Temperature controlling system for olefin polymerization reactors

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Stafford, TX, United States of America

John H Tait