Ineos Europe Ag

Ineos Sales (uk) Limited

Ineos Commercial Services UK Limited

Ineos Europe Limited

Kevin Ramsay

Jean-Louis Chamayou

Andrew David Bell

Fabrice Betton

David Heslop

Pierre-Marie Cagna

Gary Pitman

Luc Girardot

Pierre Mangin

Gregori Patrick Liotard

Thibault Dumas

Method for treating a heat exchanger which in operation is used to cool process water which has been in contact with polymer particles. The method includes passing to the process side of the heat exchanger a treatment stream while the heat exchanger is at an elevated temperature compared to the temperature when the heat exchanger is in operation.

Method of cleaning a heat exchanger

Polymerization process for the polymerization of monomer in a polymerization system having at least one component attached thereto which component is flushed with a flush medium which enters the polymerization system. Initially, the component is flushed with a first flush medium, and subsequently the component is flushed with a second flush medium.

Polymerisation process

Petrochemical complex containing an olefin monomer polymerization plant having at least one polymerization reactor and an optional degassing section. The polymerization reactor contains process hydrocarbons consisting of the monomer, the optional comonomer(s) and optionally at least one inert hydrocarbon diluent, together with aluminum containing compound(s). The polymerization plant includes liquid purge stream(s) which contain aluminum containing compounds and optionally polymer fines, together with accumulated hydrocarbons which are different from the process hydrocarbons and which are hydrocarbons containing at least 4 carbon atoms. The petrochemical complex also contains a multipurpose hydrocarbon treatment unit which separates the liquid purge stream(s) into one stream having substantially all of the aluminum containing compounds and optional polymer fines, and one stream containing the accumulated hydrocarbons. The petrochemical complex also contains an upgrading unit for the treatment of the accumulated hydrocarbons which also produces the fresh monomer and/or comonomer for the polymerization reaction.

Process for improving the operations of a polymerisation plant

Polymerization unit for producing polymer powder having at least one polymerization reactor for the polymerization of light (co)monomer(s) having less than 7 carbon atoms, and heavy comonomer(s) having at least 7 carbon atoms, and a degassing section including two (and optionally a third) cylindrical degassing vessels in series. Light (co)monomer(s) are degassed in the first degassing vessel (V) and recovered, and heavy comonomers are degassed in the second degassing vessel (V) and recovered. The active polymer powder is optionally polished and/or optionally deactivated in the optional third degassing vessel (V). The cross-sectional area (S) of the second degassing vessel is greater than 1.5 times the cross-sectional area (S) of the first degassing vessel [S&#x3e;1.5&#xd7;S], and vessels Vand Vare equipped with a vent recovery unit (VR) for respectively recovering the light (co-)monomer(s) (VR) and the heavy comonomer(s) (VR) from the gases exiting the vessels.

Polymerisation process and polymerisation unit comprising a degassing section

Process for the gas-phase polymerization of olefins in a fluidized bed reactor, by a) passing a fluidizing gas containing an olefin monomer through a fluidized bed of polymer particles in the presence of a polymerization catalyst, b) withdrawing a first gaseous stream containing solid particles from the reactor, c) passing the first gaseous stream to a gas/solids separator, separating solid particles, and forming a second gaseous stream containing residual solid particles, d) passing a portion of the second gaseous stream to a heat exchanger(s) to remove heat and e) recycling a portion of the cooled stream from (d) as the fluidizing gas in (a). The fouling rate of the heat exchanger (s) is such that i) the increase in pressure drop across the heat exchanger is equivalent to less than 5%/year, and/or ii) the decrease in heat transfer of the heat exchanger is equivalent to less than 5%/year.

Process and apparatus for the polymerisation of olefins

Process for operating a hot particle rotary valve having a rotor and a casing. The process includes subjecting the hot particle rotary valve to an internal temperature increase treatment in which the inside of the rotary valve is heated during the start-up of the particle rotary valve.

Process for operating hot particle rotary valves

Polymerization process having a plurality of processing steps in which an inert gas is used or is provided as a back-up, each of the processing steps being assigned a ranking based on the requirement for an inert gas flow in the processing step. The process, in the event of a process upset, controls with a control system the supply of available inert gas based on the rankings.

Polymerization process in which inert gas supply is controlled according to ranking

Process for gas phase polymerization of olefins in a fluidized bed reactor by (a) passing a fluidizing gas containing at least one olefin monomer through a fluidized bed of polymer particles in the presence of a polymerization catalyst to produce polymer at a polymer production rate of C Tonnes/hour, (b) withdrawing a first gaseous stream containing solid particles from the top of the reactor, (c) passing the first gaseous stream to a gas/solids separator, separating solid particles therefrom, and forming a second gaseous stream containing residual solid particles, (d) passing a portion of the second gaseous stream to at least one heat exchanger to remove heat of reaction whereby residual solid particles contact the heat exchanger, and (e) recycling a portion of the cooled stream from step (d) as the fluidizing gas in step (a). The heat exchangers have a heat exchange surface area which totals less than 120&#xd7;C m.

Process for the polymerization of monomer in a polymerization system having at least one component attached thereto which is flushed with a flush medium which enters the polymerization system. Initially, the component is flushed with a first flush medium, and subsequently the component is flushed with a second flush medium which differs in composition from the first flush medium. A flush gas containing monomer is used as the flush medium when the polymer production rate is above 10 Te/h.

Interlock for use in a process for degassing of a polymer powder in a degassing vessel. The interlock includes the steps of 1. measuring the temperature of the polymer powder within or exiting the degassing vessel, 2. comparing the measurement value to a threshold value in order to ascertain whether it is lower than the threshold value or not, and 3. if the measured temperature is lower than the threshold value taking one or more actions to reduce the concentration of hydrocarbons in the polymer powder exiting the degassing vessel and/or to stop the polymer powder withdrawal from that degassing vessel.

Interlock and process

Apparatus and process for gas phase polymerisation of olefins. The apparatus includes (a) a reaction zone having a grid at its base, (b) an inlet located in the lower half of the reaction zone for introducing a reaction gas to the reaction zone, (c) an outlet located in the upper half of the reaction zone for removing the reaction gas from the reaction zone, and (d) a solids separation unit having an inlet fluidly connected to the outlet for removing the reaction gas from the reaction zone. The inlet of the solids separation unit is located at a vertical height lower than the outlet for removal of reaction gas from the reaction zone and such that the angle to the horizontal of a straight line drawn between the inlet of the solids separation unit and the outlet for removal of reaction gas from the reaction zone is greater than 20&#xb0;.

Apparatus and process for the polymerisation of olefins

Polymer powder vessel having a silo including a main vertical cylinder and a hopper at the bottom of the cylinder, a polymer powder which occupies the full volume of the hopper and at least a part of the volume of the cylinder, a polymer powder silo inlet pipe connected to the silo at a height located above the polymer powder, and a polymer hopper withdrawal pipe is also connected to the hopper. The polymer powder hopper withdrawal pipe is also connected to the silo at a location above the polymer powder for recirculating a part of the polymer powder within the silo.

Polymer powder storage and/or transport and/or degassing vessels

The present invention relates to an apparatus and a process for polymerization, and, in particular, provides an apparatus for gas phase fluidised bed polymerization of olefins, which apparatus comprises: A) a first section which is an upright cylindrical section having a diameter, D, and cross-sectional area, A, and B) a second section, provided vertically above the first section and centered about a common vertical axis to the upright cylindrical first section, the base of the second section having a cylindrical cross-section of diameter Dand being joined to the top of the first section, and the horizontal cross-sectional area of the second section above its base being greater than the cross-sectional area of the first section, characterized in that: i) Dis greater than 4.5 meters, and ii) the second section has a maximum horizontal cross-sectional area, A, which is between 3.2 and 6 times the cross-sectional area, A, of the first section.

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West Lothian, United Kingdom

Kevin Ramsay