Catalyst delivery system for polymerization vessel

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-10933392-B2
Application number	US-201716345834-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 31, 2017
Priority date	Oct 31, 2016
Publication date	Mar 2, 2021
Grant date	Mar 2, 2021

Abstract

Described herein are systems and methods for delivering catalyst to a reaction vessel. The methods include the use of a positive displacement reciprocating piston system having a catalyst delivery housing that contains a piston system. The piston system includes a top section, a bottom section, and a catalyst holding space between the top and bottom section such that the piston system is movable between a first and a second position to inject catalyst from the catalyst holding space into the reaction vessel when the piston system is in the second position and fill the catalyst holding space with catalyst from a catalyst feed supply when the piston system is in the first position.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A system for producing a polymer by polymerizing a monomer using a catalyst, the system comprising:
a polymerization reaction vessel comprising a cavity which comprises a monomer, the polymerization reaction vessel further comprising an opening for introducing catalyst into the cavity of the polymerization reaction vessel;
a positive displacement reciprocating piston system, comprising:
a catalyst delivery housing connected to the opening of the polymerization reaction vessel,
a catalyst feed supply connected to the catalyst delivery housing such that catalyst can be fed from the catalyst feed supply into the catalyst delivery housing, and
a piston system positioned inside the catalyst delivery housing, the piston system comprising a piston having a top section and a bottom section attached to one another and an annular catalyst holding space between the top section and the bottom section of the piston, the piston being movable between a first position and second position,
wherein the annular catalyst holding space is suitable to be filled with catalyst from the catalyst feed supply when the piston is in the first position, and catalyst is discharged from the annular catalyst holding space into the cavity of the polymerization reaction vessel through the opening of the polymerization reaction vessel when the piston system is in the second position.

2. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a cam driven by a motor to move the piston between the first position and the second position.

3. The system of claim 1 , the bottom section of the piston being shaped such that no catalyst in the annular catalyst holding space can flow past or through the bottom section of the piston through the opening of the polymerization reaction vessel when the piston is in the first position.

4. The system of claim 1 , catalyst in the annular catalyst holding space being separated from the opening of the polymerization reaction vessel by the bottom section of the piston when the piston is in the first position.

5. The system of claim 1 , catalyst in the catalyst feed supply being blocked from the annular catalyst holding space by the top section of the piston when the piston is in the second position.

6. The system of claim 1 , a portion of the bottom section of the piston extending into the cavity of the polymerization reaction vessel when the piston is in the second position.

7. The system of claim 1 , further comprising:
a catalyst reservoir comprising a catalyst in fluid communication with the catalyst feed supply such that the catalyst can be fed from the catalyst reservoir to the catalyst delivery housing through the catalyst feed supply.

8. The system of claim 1 , the catalyst being a metal-based catalyst selected from the group consisting of lithium-based, sodium-based, titanium-based, cobalt-based, nickel-based, palladium-based, scandium-based, yttirium-based, and lanthanide metal-based catalysts.

9. A method of producing a polymer by polymerizing a monomer using a catalyst, the method comprising:
feeding catalyst from a catalyst feed supply to a catalyst holding space of a catalyst delivery housing of a positive displacement reciprocating piston system, the catalyst delivery housing being connected to an opening of a polymerization reaction vessel for introducing the catalyst from the catalyst holding space to a monomer-containing cavity in the polymerization reaction vessel;
reciprocating a piston of the positive displacement reciprocating piston system from a first position to a second position to introduce catalyst to the polymerization reaction vessel through the opening, wherein the catalyst in the catalyst holding space is discharged into the polymerization reaction vessel during reciprocation of the piston from the first position to the second position.

10. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
the piston having a top section and a bottom section connected to one another and the catalyst holding space being between the top section and the bottom section.

11. The method of claim 10 , the top section of the piston connected to a cam, the cam driven by a motor to move the piston between the first position and the second position.

12. The method of claim 10 , the bottom section of the piston being shaped such that no catalyst in the catalyst holding space can flow past or through the bottom section of the piston when the piston is in the first position.

13. The method of claim 9 , further comprising:
feeding the catalyst to the catalyst holding space from a catalyst reservoir being connected to the catalyst feed supply.

14. The method of claim 10 , catalyst in the catalyst feed supply being blocked from the catalyst holding space by the top section of the piston when the piston is in the second position.

15. The method of claim 9 , the catalyst being a metal-based catalyst selected from the group consisting of alkali metal-based catalysts, alkaline earth metal-based, and transition metal-based catalysts.

16. The system of claim 1 , the bottom section of the piston being composed of a non-metal material.

17. The system of claim 1 , the catalyst being suitable for producing a butadiene-containing polymer.

18. The system of claim 1 , the monomer being a diene monomer.

19. The system of claim 1 , the cavity of the polymerization vessel being open to the annular catalyst holding space when the piston system is in the second position and a portion of the bottom section of the piston extends into the cavity of the polymerization vessel.

20. The system of claim 1 , the catalyst delivery housing having an inner surface that defines a portion of the annular catalyst holding space when the piston is in the first position.

Assignees

• Bridgestone Corp

Inventors

• Tartamella Timothy L
• Padolewski Joseph P

Classifications

• B01J8/002

  with a moving instrument · CPC title

• B01J8/0035

  Periodical feeding or evacuation · CPC title

• B01J4/008 Primary

  Feed or outlet control devices · CPC title

• B01J8/003

  in a downward flow · CPC title

• B01J4/007 Primary

  provided with moving parts · CPC title