Dow Global Technolgoies LLC

Sasol Technology (Pty) Limited

Michael Joseph Zogg, Jr

Jorge Rubalcaba

Alec Y Wang

Pradeep Jain

Timothy Wayne Gambrel

Curvel Hypolite

Yi Jin

Sean W Ewart

Santosh S Bawiskar

Michael D Turner

Job D Guzman

Daniel S Rynearson

Mehmet Demirors

Teresa Plumley Karjala

Sarat Munjal

Brian W Kolthammer

Shrikant Dhodapkar

Kevin Blann

Harold W Boone

Guang Ming Li

Maria Pollard

Kate R Brown

Kyle E Hart

Robert D Swindoll

Craig McGregor

Lonnie Schilhab

George W Haun, Jr

Umesh Ramdhani

Barry D Kluge, Jr

Kipchirchir Andrew Boit

Johan Van Leeuwen

Bradley K Blanchard

Umesh Rhamdhani

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

An apparatus to batch or continuously form solid polymer particles, the apparatus comprising the following components: A) at least one pastillation unit comprising a pastillation head, said unit used to form discrete molten polymer particles from a polymer melt; B) a moving belt to receive and transfer the discrete molten polymer particles from the pastillation head; C) a means to transfer water onto the moving belt, such that the water comes into contact with the discrete molten polymer particles on the moving belt to form the solid polymer particles; and wherein the water of component C is sprayed onto the discrete molten polymer particles, such that the ratio of 'the rate of water spray' to “the discharge rate” is ≥3.0; and wherein the belt residence time is ≤50 seconds.

Apparatus and method for granulating low viscosity materials

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

Disclosed herein is a system comprising a first pump; a pelletization system that comprises an underwater pelletizer; where the pelletization system is located downstream of the first pump and is in fluid communication with it; a direct line that is located downstream of the first pump and upstream of the pelletization system; where the direct line does not contain a pump or a heat exchanger; and a bypass line that is located downstream of the first pump and upstream of the pelletization system; where the bypass line comprises a second pump; where the first pump is operative to discharge the polymer to the pelletization system via the direct line when the polymer has a melt viscosity greater than 10centipoise; and where the first pump is operative to discharge the polymer to the pelletization system via the bypass line when the polymer has a melt viscosity less than 10centipoise.

System for processing of low viscosity polymers

A process to form an olefin-based polymer, said process comprising at least the following steps: a) polymerizing a reaction mixture comprising an olefin, in at least one reactor, in a solution polymerization, to form a polymer solution; b) feeding at least a portion of the polymer solution through at least one devolatilizer, to form the olefin-based polymer, in melt form; c) feeding at least a portion of the olefin-based polymer, in melt, form through a heat exchanger, and then into a pastillation apparatus to form polymer particles.

Polymerization and isolation of low viscosity polymers using pastillation technology

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 instant invention provides an improved process for producing pelletized polymer compositions, and pelletized polymer compositions. The process for producing a pelletized polymer composition according to the present invention comprises: (1) polymerizing one or more alpha-olefins in one or more solution reactors thereby producing a molten polymer composition comprising one or more solvents; (2) removing at least a portion of said one or more solvents thereby forming a polymer composition having a low solvent content (typically less than 1,000 parts of solvent per million of polymer on a weight basis); (3) removing heat from said polymer composition having low solvent content to a temperature in the range of equal to or greater than the crystallization point of the polymer composition having low solvent content to less than or equal to a temperature in the range of from (the crystallization point of the polymer composition having low solvent content+20&#xb0; C.) thereby forming a viscous polymer melt; and (4) pelletizing said viscous polymer melt via an underwater pelletizer thereby forming said pelletized polymer composition.

Process for producing pelletized polymer compositions

A method of cleaning fouled process equipment which includes a process vessel () fouled by an organic foulant, includes spraying a hydrocarbon stream at a pressure of at least 69 bar(g) at fouled surfaces inside the process vessel () thereby to dislodge the organic foulant from the fouled surfaces. The hydrocarbon stream is sprayed from at least one nozzle () located inside the process vessel (). The hydrocarbon stream is at a temperature below the melting point of the organic foulant or below the melting point of a major component of the organic foulant when the organic foulant is a multi-component organic foulant. The dislodged foulant is removed from the process vessel ().

Cleaning of process equipment

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 an ethylene-based polymer, said process comprising polymerizing ethylene in presence of at least the following: A) a free-radical agent; B) an alkylated phenol selected from Formula (I), wherein R, R,R, Rand Rare each, independently, hydrogen or an alkyl; and C) a 'metal alkyl-containing compound' selected from the group consisting of the following: i) at least one 'Group II metal alkyl-containing compound,' ii) at least one &#x201c;Group III metal alkyl-containing compound,&#x201d; and iii) a combination of i) and ii). 

Free-radical processes to make ethylene-based polymers using alklyated phenols

Growing community of inventors

Houston, TX, United States of America

Michael Joseph Zogg, Jr