Eastman Chemical Company

Westlake Longview Corporation

Grupo Petrotemex S.a. De C.v.

Paul Keith Scherrer

Kenneth Alan Dooley

Matthew Howard Scott

Robert Lin

Wayne Scott Strasser

Thomas Lloyd Yount

Bailey James Salmon

Mark Dewayne Lorenz

David Lynn Meade

Dwayne Ray Leonard

Jeffrey James Vanderbilt

Larry Cates Windes

Merton L Dibble

Larry Cate Windes

William Speight Murdoch

Guy Glen Luneau

David Mark Naylor

Mark Dwayne Lorenz

Corey Emonn Shaw

Christopher Scott Slaughter

Mark Allan Windes

A process and apparatus for gas phase polymerization of olefins in a fluidized bed reactor are disclosed. The process and apparatus employ a vertically oriented fines ejector in order to reduce fouling and reactor downtime.

Process and apparatus for olefin polymerization in a fluidized bed reactor

A gas distribution plate for fluidized-bed, olefin polymerization reactors is provided. In addition to holes for distributing a fluidizing gas, the plate comprises a plurality of hollow projections for introducing a fluid into the fluidized-bed reactor. The hollow projections, which can be tubes or pipes, extend above the plate towards the fluidized bed and serve a number of purposes. The projections can break apart or penetrate fallen polymer agglomerates or sheets. They can be equipped with flow or pressure sensors to detect a decrease in flow rate or an increase in pressure drop across the projections, which is an indicator of the presence and/or size of fallen polymer agglomerates or sheets. The projections can also break apart the agglomerates or sheets into smaller pieces by delivering blasts of fluid directly into the agglomerates or sheets. The projections can also be used to inject a kill agent into the fallen agglomerates or sheets, or collapsed portions of the bed, to speed up penetration of the kill agent into the agglomerates, sheets, or collapsed portions.

Gas distribution plate for fluidized-bed olefin polymerization reactors

The present invention provides an assembly for use in vertical, gravity flow driven polymerization reactors for combinations of high viscosity, high throughput, and shallow polymer depths. The baffle assembly module of the invention includes a support structure having a plurality of side openings. The side openings allow the escape of vapor liberated from the polymeric melt. The assembly further includes a feed splitter followed by two or more vertically arranged rows of baffle plates with the feed splitter and baffles sequentially positioned in the support structure. The plurality of parallel baffles in a row are angled such that when a polymeric melt contacts a given baffle the polymeric melt moves in a downward direction under the force of gravity. The arrangement of the rows is such that each row (except the lowest row) transfers the polymeric melt to a lower vertically adjacent row until reaching the last row of baffles in the module. According to the vertical arrangement of the components in the baffle assembly module and by stacking additional baffle assembly modules if needed within the reactor, the polymeric melt cascades down the vertical length of the reaction vessel interior. The present invention also provides a polymerization reactor that incorporates the assembly of the invention and a method of increasing the degree of polymerization of a polymer melt by using the assembly of the invention.

Baffle assembly module for vertical staged polymerization reactors

A gas-liquid separation enhancer includes a plurality of longitudinally extending turning vanes distributed within a bent conduit section. At least a portion of the vanes have a bend that redirects a portion of a flowing gas stream from an initial direction to a final direction. Each of the vanes have a first end and a second end and are positioned in the bent conduit section to direct a portion of any liquid contacting the vanes to either the first end or the second end when the gas-liquid separation enhancer is incorporated into an outlet conduit. The separation is positioned in an outlet conduit such that captured liquid droplets are returned to the vessel from which they originate.

Gas-liquid separator utilizing turning vanes to capture liquid droplets as well as redirect the gas flow around a bend

A gas liquid separator adapted to be inserted into a conduit is disclosed. The gas-liquid separator includes downward sloping vanes and optionally, one or more return channels. The vanes may have an opening along the length thereof, and a bottom lip to channel accumulated liquid to the conduit wall or to sloped return channels. If the conduit is not sloped such that the captured droplets are returned to the originating vessel, sloped return channel/channels are used to return the captured droplets to the vessel from which the gas stream originated. With a central return channel, the vanes can be attached directly to the channel with the resulting assembly having a fishbone shape. When a central return channel is not used, the vanes can be attached to a central plate or spine with the resulting spine-vanes assembly again having a fishbone shape. The separation enhancers can be used in a variety of conduit configurations. Furthermore, a plurality of separation enhancers can be utilized in an exhaust gas conduit to increase the removal efficiency.

Gas-liquid impingement separators

A gas liquid separator comprises an elbow into which is inserted a fishbone shaped impingement device comprising downward sloping vanes, the vanes preferably attached to a central spine within the elbow. The vanes may have an opening along the length thereof, and a bottom lip to channel accumulated liquid to one or more collection points, preferably the elbow internal wall. The device is robust, of simple construction, and exhibits relatively low pressure drop.

Gas-liquid impingement separator incorporated in a piping elbow

A process for making pellets from a viscous material includes the steps of extruding the viscous material from a first conduit into a pelletizing fluid in a first zone; and passing the extruded viscous material and pelletizing fluid into a second zone having an increase in the velocity of the pelletizing fluid and a step-wise reduction in the pressure relative to the first zone. Advantageously, this step change combination produces sufficient forces by the pelleting fluid on the viscous material sufficiently to form discrete pellets of a substantially uniform size distribution.

Method for forming discrete pellets from viscous materials

Disclosed is a substantially vertically disposed vessel for the continuous gravity plug flow of solid particles and countercurrent flow of fluid, the improvement comprising the vessel having at least one fluid inlet and a fluid distributing member communicating therewith and extending therefrom for the introduction of fluid into the vessel, the fluid distributor being of a generally inverted V-shape to provide for the substantially uninterrupted mass plug flow of particles past said distributor and discharge of gas out the bottom.

Vessel for the treatment of particulate materials

Growing community of inventors

Johnson City, TN, United States of America

Paul Keith Scherrer