Ineos Europe Ag

Philip Van Breuseghem

Brent R Walworth

Daniel Marissal

Marc Jean-Marie Ghislain Parisel

Polymerization process, in particular for the polymerization of monomer selected from ethylene and propylene in a reaction system containing at least three reactors operated in series. The process includes (a) polymerizing monomer in a first reactor having a volume of at least 50 mto produce a first polymer, (b) passing the first polymer to a second reactor and polymerizing monomer in the second reactor to produce a second polymer containing the first polymer and polymer produced in the second reactor, and (c) passing the second polymer to a third reactor and polymerizing monomer in the third reactor to produce a third polymer containing the second polymer and polymer produced in the third reactor. The polymerizations are performed such that between 0.01 and 5 w % of the total mass of the third polymer is polymer produced in the second reactor.

Polymerisation process

Process for enhancing the separation of monomer components from light components other than monomer by providing a first stream containing monomer and light components other than monomer and passing the first stream to a first separator at a first pressure to separate a gaseous second stream containing at least some of the light components other than monomer and provide a liquid third stream containing monomer. A portion of the third stream and a fourth stream containing monomer and light components other than monomer is passed to a second separator at a second pressure which is lower than the first pressure to separate a gaseous fifth stream containing at least some of the light components other than monomer from the fourth stream and provide a liquid sixth stream containing monomer.

Separation of monomer components from light components

Process for polymerizing monomer in a reactor by withdrawing an effluent from the reactor which is a slurry of polymer solids in a liquid medium and contacting a first stream containing vapor derived from the effluent withdrawn from the reactor with a feed stream to the reactor. The first stream which has the majority of the vaporized components of the liquid medium in the effluent withdrawn from the reactor is brought into contact with the feedstream to the reactor at a pressure of 0.5 MPa or above and/or the first stream is separated from the polymer withdrawn from the reactor at a pressure of 0.5 MPa or above.

Process for introducing a fresh feed of fresh comonomer and/or fresh inert hydrocarbon to a polymerization reactor which is part of a polymerization process having high and low pressure recovery systems, the high pressure recovery system being at a pressure of 0.5 MPa (5 bar) or above and the low pressure recovery system being at a pressure of less than 0.5 MPa (5 bar). The process includes passing the fresh feed and a process stream containing a first component of hydrogen, nitrogen and/or methane and a second component of a monomer to a separator which is part of the low pressure recovery system and is at a pressure of 0.4 MPa or less to produce a first stream containing a majority of the first component and a second stream containing the second component and a majority of the fresh feed, and passing the second stream to the polymerization reactor.

Polymerization process

Polymerization process including polymerizing a monomer and a comonomer in a polymerization reaction, withdrawing an effluent stream containing solid polymer and a mixture of unreacted monomer and unreacted comonomer, and passing the effluent to a high pressure recovery system having (a) a high pressure separation step for separating vapor containing unreacted monomer and unreacted comonomer from the solids, and (b) a high pressure recycle system for recycling a portion of the vapor to the polymerization reaction, passing the solids from the high pressure recovery system to a low pressure recovery system having (a) a low pressure separation step for separating further unreacted monomer and unreacted comonomer from the solids, and (b) a low pressure recycle system for recycling at least a portion of the unreacted monomer and unreacted comonomer to the polymerization reaction. A portion of the vapor separated in step 2(a) is passed to the low pressure recovery system.

Polymerization of olefins in a reactor system having two reactors in series, more particularly a process for the polymerization of monomer in at least first and second reactors operated in series. The process includes contacting a first stream containing vapor derived from the effluent withdrawn from the second reactor with a feed stream to the second reactor, the feed stream containing effluent derived from the first reactor.

Process for the introduction of liquid feeds to a polymerization process, and in particular for the introduction of a fresh feed selected from fresh comonomer and fresh inert hydrocarbon to a polymerization reactor. The process includes passing the fresh feed and a process stream containing a first component selected from hydrogen, nitrogen and methane and a second component which is a monomer to a separator at a pressure of 0.4 MPa (4 bar) or less to produce a first stream containing the majority of the first component and a second stream containing the majority of the fresh feed and the majority of the second component, and passing the second stream to the polymerization reactor.

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Temse, Belgium

Philip Van Breuseghem