Process for continuous polymerization of olefin monomers in a reactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10836842-B2
Application number	US-201615755633-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 18, 2016
Priority date	Aug 27, 2015
Publication date	Nov 17, 2020
Grant date	Nov 17, 2020

Abstract

The invention relates to a process and system for the continuous polymerization of one or more α-olefin monomers comprising the steps of: (a) withdrawing fluids from a reactor (b) cooling fluids comprising the withdrawn fluids with a cooling unit (c) introducing the cooled fluids to a separator to separate at least part of the liquid from these fluids to form a liquid phase and a gas/liquid phase (d) introducing the gas/liquid phase below to the reactor below a distribution plate (e) introducing the liquid phase to a settling tank to separate liquid from fines that settle down in the settling tank (f) introducing liquid from the settling tank up stream of the cooling unit.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A process for the continuous polymerization of one or more α-olefin monomers of which at least one is ethylene or propylene comprising the steps of:
(a) withdrawing fluids from a reactor
(b) cooling fluids comprising the withdrawn fluids with a cooling unit
(c) introducing the cooled fluids to a separator to separate at least part of the liquid from these fluids to form a liquid phase and a gas/liquid phase
(d) introducing the gas/liquid phase below to the reactor below a distribution plate
(e) introducing the liquid phase to a settling tank to separate liquid from fines that settle down in the settling tank
(f) introducing liquid from the settling tank upstream of the cooling unit so as to add the liquid from the settling tank to the fluids to be cooled in the cooling unit.

2. The process according to claim 1 , wherein, the reactor is a fluidized bed reactor.

3. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the cooling unit is a heat exchanger.

4. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the separator is a hydro cyclone.

5. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the amount of liquid from the settling tank introduced upstream of the cooling unit is between 0.5 wt. % to 25.0 wt. % of the recycle stream or between 10 kg/h to 250 kg/h.

6. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a slurry comprising solid polymer particles from the settling tank, is introduced to the reactor below the distribution plate.

7. A system for the continuous polymerization of one or more α-olefin monomers of which at least one is ethylene or propylene whereby
a reactor is connected to the intake of a compressor via a line so as to allow to withdraw fluids from the reactor and to carry these withdrawn fluids to the intake of a compressor, so as to allow them to be compressed in the at least one compressor,
whereby further an additional line for a first feed is also connected to the line leading from the reactor to the intake of the at least one compressor, so as to allow the compounds of the first feed to also be compressed together with the withdrawn fluids in the at least one compressor,
whereby further the output of the compressor is connected via a line to a cooling unit, so as to allow the compressed fluids exiting the compressor to be cooled in the at least one cooling unit, so that at least one part of these fluids condensates,
whereby further a line for a second feed is connected to the line between the output of the at least one compressor and the at least one cooling unit, so as to allow the compounds of the second feed to be also cooled by the at least one cooling unit together with the fluids coming from the output of the at least one compressor,
whereby further the at least one cooling unit is connected via a line to a separator, so as to allow the cooled fluids from the at least one cooling unit to enter at least one separator to separate these fluids in a liquid phase and a gas/liquid phase,
whereby further the at least one separator is connected to the bottom of the at least one reactor via a line, so as to be able to introduce the gas/liquid phase to the reactor,
whereby further the at least one separator is moreover connected via a line to at least one settling tank, so as to allow the liquid phase with solid particles to be introduced in the at least one settling tank,
whereby further the portion of the at least one settling tank where a liquid settles is connected via a line to the at least one line of the second feed and/or so as to introduce the liquid from the at least one settling tank upstream of the at least one cooling unit, so as to add it to the fluids to be cooled in the at least one cooling unit.

8. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the portion of the at least one settling tank where a slurry with solid polymer particles settles is connected via a line to the reactor, so as to allow the slurry with solid polymer particles to be injected to the reactor below the distribution plate.

9. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the portion of the at least one settling tank where a liquid settles is connected via a line with a pump to the at least one line of the second feed.

10. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the system comprises a polymer discharge.

11. The process according to claim 6 , wherein the slurry is from the bottom portion of the settling tank.

12. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the solid particles in the liquid phase comprise solid polymer particles.

13. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the portion of the at least one settling tank where a liquid settles is connected via a line to the at least one line of the second feed.

14. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the portion of the at least one settling tank where a liquid settles is connected via a line with a pump so as to introduce the liquid from the at least one settling tank upstream of the at least one cooling unit and to add it to the fluids to be cooled in the at least one cooling unit.

15. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the portion of the at least one settling tank where a liquid settles is connected via a line so as to introduce the liquid from the at least one settling tank upstream of the at least one cooling unit, so as to add it to the fluids to be cooled in the at least one cooling unit.

16. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the system comprises a vent gas recovery system.

17. The system according to claim 7 , wherein the portion of the at least one settling tank where a slurry with solid polymer particles settles is connected via a line to the reactor, so as to allow the slurry with solid polymer particles to be injected to the reactor above the distribution plate.

18. The process according to claim 1 , wherein the reactor is a multi-zone reactor.

19. The process according to claim 1 , wherein a slurry comprising solid polymer particles from the settling tank, is introduced to the reactor above the distribution plate.

Assignees

• Sabic Global Technologies Bv

Inventors

• Banat Yahya
• Wajeeh Moughrabiah

Classifications

• B01J8/08

  with moving particles (with fluidised particles B01J8/18) · CPC title

• B01J8/18

  with fluidised particles {(combustion apparatus with fluidised bed in general F23C10/00; furnaces with fluidised bed F27B15/00)} · CPC title

• C08F2/01 Primary

  characterised by special features of the polymerisation apparatus used · CPC title

• B01J8/24

  according to "fluidised-bed" technique (B01J8/20 takes precedence) · CPC title

• B01J8/0055

  using cyclones · CPC title