Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP

Kenneth A Dooley

Jeffrey S Lowell

Joseph A Curren

Scott E Kufeld

Joel A Mutchler

Eric J Netemeyer

Jeffrey S Fodor

Michael H Treptau

Ralph J Price

Max P McDaniel

Rebecca A Gonzales

Corey W Knight

Darius Aruho

Ran Li

Max P Mcdaniel

Multi-reactor systems for the production of low-density polyethylene (LDPE) polymers and copolymers, wherein a first reactor product stream has a total mass flow of from about 10% to about 80% of the total mass flow of the second reactor product stream, methods of using the same, and processes of monitoring the same.

Multi-reactor system and method for production of polyethylene and ethylene co-polymers

Polymerization processes and reactor systems for producing multimodal ethylene polymers are disclosed in which at least one loop reactor and at least one fluidized bed reactor are utilized. Configurations include a loop reactor in series with a fluidized bed reactor and two loop reactors in series with a fluidized bed reactor.

Ethylene polymerization processes and reactor systems for the production of multimodal polymers using combinations of a loop reactor and a fluidized bed reactor

A purge system for a polymerization system may include a purge column including a stripping zone and a stripping fluid distributor below the stripping zone for injecting a stripping fluid including one or more light olefins. A first displacement zone is below the distributor. A second displacement zone is below the first displacement zone. A nitrogen distributor introduces nitrogen in the second displacement zone. Another purge system for a polymerization system may include a fluidized bed separator and a purge column. The fluidized bed separator includes a separator inlet, a stripping fluid inlet, a first stripped fluid outlet, and a separator outlet. The purge column includes a flake inlet, a stripping zone, a stripping fluid distributor below the stripping zone, a stripped flake outlet, and a second stripped fluid outlet for a second stripped fluid from the purge column.

Systems and techniques for polymer degassing

Techniques and systems for reducing fouling in a polymerization system are described. The polymerization system includes a reactor coupled to a recycle system. The recycle system includes at least one fouling-susceptible unit. The technique includes inducing polymerization of a reactant, for example, at least one olefin monomer reactant, with a catalyst in the reactor. The technique may further include circulating a fluidizing stream through the reactor and the at least one fouling-susceptible unit. The fluidizing stream may include entrained particles tending to foul the at least one fouling-susceptible unit. The technique can further include contacting the fluidizing stream with a catalyst poison at at least one location upstream of the at least one fouling-susceptible unit in the recycle system.

Systems and methods for mitigating polymer fouling

Systems and methods for improved mixing, including baffle systems, reactor systems, and methods of using the same are provided herein. These baffle systems include a ring having an exterior surface defining an outer diameter and an outer circumference, an interior surface defining an inner diameter and an inner circumference, a top surface, a bottom surface, and an axis; and one or more substantially vertical baffles extending from the interior surface of the ring toward the axis.

Systems and methods for improved mixing

Methods for operating a high pressure olefin polymerization reactor include the steps of introducing an initiator stream containing ethylene and an initiator compound through an initiator nozzle into the reactor, introducing an olefin stream containing ethylene and an optional comonomer through an olefin nozzle into the reactor, and polymerizing ethylene and optionally the comonomer in the presence of the initiator stream in the reactor under high pressure polymerization conditions to produce an ethylene polymer. The amount of ethylene in the initiator stream is from 0.01 to 2 wt. % of the amount of ethylene in the olefin stream. An injection nozzle that can be used in conjunction with the high pressure reactor also is described.

Initiator injection into high pressure LDPE reactors

Polymerization processes for producing ethylene-based plastomers and elastomers having densities less than 0.91 g/cmutilize a metallocene-based catalyst system containing a chemically-treated solid oxide. These polymerization processes can be conducted in a slurry reactor, a solution reactor, and/or a gas phase reactor. Ethylene polymers produced from the polymerization process can be characterized by a density of less than 0.91 g/cm, a CY-a parameter of less than 0.2, and a ratio of HLMI/MI of at least 30, or a density less than 0.91 g/cm, a CY-a parameter from 0.25 to 0.75, and a ratio of Mw/Mn from 2 to 3.

Metallocene catalyst systems with chemically-treated solid oxides for producing ethylene-based plastomers and elastomers

The present invention discloses methods for removing volatile components from an ethylene polymer effluent stream from a polymerization reactor, and related polyethylene recovery and volatile removal systems. In these methods and systems, the polymer solids temperature is increased significantly prior to introduction of the polymer solids into a purge column for the final stripping of volatile components from the polymer solids.

Systems and methods for polyethylene recovery with low volatile content

Systems and methods for improved degassing of polymer flake are provided herein. These systems include a polymerization reactor configured to polymerize one or more olefin monomers and produce a product stream comprising solid polymer flake entrained in a fluid; a flash chamber configured to separate the solid polymer flake from the fluid and to produce a fluid stream and a concentrated stream; and a first degassing chamber configured to separate the concentrated stream by contacting the concentrated stream with a purge fluid comprising one or more light hydrocarbons to produce a partially degassed polymer flake stream and a purge fluid stream.

Polymer flake degassing system and methods

A method of removing VOCs from a molten polymer comprising: (a) polymerizing monomers in a reactor to produce a reaction mixture comprising unreacted monomers and molten polymer, (b) removing a portion of unreacted monomers from at least a portion of the reaction mixture to produce recovered monomers and degassed molten polymer, wherein the degassed molten polymer comprises VOCs, (c) contacting at least a portion of the degassed molten polymer with an inert stripping agent at a pressure equal to or greater than atmospheric pressure to produce stripped molten polymer and spent stripping agent, wherein the inert stripping agent is insoluble in the degassed molten polymer, and wherein the spent stripping agent comprises at least a portion of the inert stripping agent and at least a portion of the VOCs from the degassed molten polymer, and (d) cooling at least a portion of the stripped molten polymer and forming polymer pellets.

Growing community of inventors

Porter, TX, United States of America

Kenneth A Dooley