Nova Chemicals (International) S.a.

Philippa Hocking

Fazle Sibtain

Eric Cheluget

Stephen John Brown

Christopher John Brooke Dobbin

Mark Edmund Weber

In the solution polymerization of ethylene co and homopolymers the solution leaving the reactor is heated to separate polymer from solvent and residual monomers. Fouling in the heat exchanger may be reduced by adding to the solution from 0.01 to 100 ppm by weight of a polyoxyalkylene compound of the formulaHO&#x2014;(CHCHO)[CHCH(CH)O](CHCHO)Hwherein M, N and P each represent the average number of repeating units and M is from 0 to 20, N is from 2 to 50 and P is from 0 to 20 and passing the solution through a heat exchanger to increase its temperature by at least 20&#xb0; C.

Reducing fouling in heat exchangers

The cycle time for a rotomolding process is improved through the use of a molding material comprising a blend of at least two polyethylenes having narrow molecular weight distributions and homogeneous comonomer distributions. Alternatively, the molding temperature may be reduced to conserve energy and reduce energy costs. The polyethylene blend also has a narrow molecular weight distribution of less than 3 and a density of from 0.930 to 0.950 g/cc. Rotomolded parts prepared from the blend composition have excellent impact resistance and are also resistant to warpage. A preferred process employs a blend composition which contains a blend component having a higher molecular weight and a lower density than another blend component&#x2014;this blend may be used to prepare rotomolded parts with warpage resistance and improved environmental stress crack resistance (ESCR). A highly preferred process uses a blend composition which further contains a minor amount (from 0.5 to 10 weight %) of a third ethylene blend component which has a higher molecular weight and density&#x2014;this highly preferred composition may be used to prepare rotomolded parts having warpage resistance, very good ESCR and comparatively high modulus (or stiffness).

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Philippa Hocking