Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Jorge Rubalcaba

Pradeep Jain

Michael Joseph Zogg, Jr

Curvel Hypolite

Alec Y Wang

Michael D Turner

Thomas W Karjala

Edward O Madenjian

Job D Guzman

Mehmet Demirors

Sean W Ewart

Shrikant Dhodapkar

Timothy Wayne Gambrel

Maria Pollard

Kyle E Hart

Robert D Swindoll

Daniel S Rynearson

George W Haun, Jr

Bradley K Blanchard

Jr Michael J Zogg

Disclosed herein too is a method comprising charging to a reactor system a feed stream comprising a catalyst, a monomer and a solvent; reacting the monomer to form a polymer; where the polymer is contained in a single phase polymer solution; transporting the polymer solution to a pre-heater to increase the temperature of the polymer solution; charging the polymer solution to a liquid-liquid separator; reducing a pressure of the polymer solution in the liquid-liquid separator and separating a polymer-rich phase from a solvent-rich phase in the liquid-liquid separator; transporting the polymer-rich phase to a plurality of devolatilization vessels located downstream of the liquid-liquid separator, where each devolatilization vessel operates at a lower pressure than the preceding devolatilization vessel; and separating the polymer from volatiles present in the polymer rich phase.

Solution polymerization process

A method of producing bimodal ethylene-based polymer includes reacting ethylene monomer and C-C&#x3b1;-olefin comonomer in the presence of a first catalyst in an agitated reactor to produce a first polymer fraction, and outputting effluent from the agitated reactor. A second catalyst is added to the effluent downstream of the agitated reactor and upstream from a non-agitated reactor, the second catalyst facilitates production of a second polymer fraction having a density and melt index (I) different from the first polymer fraction. The second catalyst and effluent are mixed in at least one mixer. The second catalyst, second polymer fraction, and the first polymer fraction are passed to the non-agitated reactor; and additional ethylene monomer, additional C-C&#x3b1;-olefin comonomer, and solvent are passed to the non-agitated reactor to produce more second polymer fraction and thereby the bimodal ethylene-based polymer.

Process for the production of bimodal ethylene-based polymers having high molecular weight high density fractions

Disclosed herein is a system for solution polymerization comprising a reactor system that is operative to receive a monomer and to react the monomer to form a polymer; a plurality of devolatilization vessels located downstream of the reactor system, where each devolatilization vessel operates at a lower pressure than the preceding devolatilization vessel; and a heat exchanger disposed between two devolatilization vessels and in fluid communication with them, where the heat exchanger has an inlet port temperature of 100&#xb0; C. to 230&#xb0; C., an outlet port temperature of 200&#xb0; C. to 300&#xb0; C., an inlet port pressure of 35 to 250 kgf/cmand an outlet port pressure of 20 to 200 kgf/cm; and wherein the polymer solution remains in a single phase during its residence in the heat exchanger.

Method and system for polymer production

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 process to form a composition comprising at least one ethylene-based polymer and at least one oil, said process comprising the following: polymerizing a mixture comprising ethylene, and optionally one or more comonomers, in a reactor system, comprising at least one reactor and at least one mixer, located downstream from the reactor, to form the ethylene-based polymer; and wherein the oil is added to the ethylene-based polymer upstream of the mixer. The invention also provides a reactor system for a process to form a composition comprising at least one ethylene-based polymer and at least one oil, said reactor system comprising at least one reactor, at least one mixer, and an oil feed into the ethylene-based polymer, and wherein the oil feed is located after the reactor and before the mixer.

Process to form oil containing ethylene-based polymers

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 process to form a 'first composition comprising a first ethylene/&#x3b1;-olefin interpolymer and a second ethylene/&#x3b1;-olefin interpolymer,' said process comprising polymerizing a first mixture comprising ethylene, an &#x3b1;-olefin, and optionally a polyene, in a stirred tank reactor to form a first ethylene/&#x3b1;-olefin interpolymer, and transferring at least some of the first ethylene/&#x3b1;-olefin interpolymer to a loop reactor, and polymerizing, therein, a second mixture comprising ethylene, an alpha-olefin, and optionally a polyene, in the presence of the first ethylene/&#x3b1;-olefin interpolymer, to form the 'first composition comprising the first ethylene/&#x3b1;-olefin interpolymer and the second ethylene/&#x3b1;-olefin interpolymer.' The invention also provides a polymerization reactor configuration comprising at least the following: a stirred tank reactor followed by a loop reactor.

Growing community of inventors

Pearland, TX, United States of America

Jorge Rubalcaba