Lecithin quenching agent

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11142593-B2
Application number	US-201916260518-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 29, 2019
Priority date	Feb 22, 2018
Publication date	Oct 12, 2021
Grant date	Oct 12, 2021

Abstract

This disclosure describes polymerization processes and processes for quenching polymerization reactions using reactive particulates, such as lecithin, as quenching agents, typically in solution or bulk polymerization processes.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A process for producing a polymer, wherein the process comprises:
polymerizing a hydrocarbon monomer dissolved in a solvent in the presence of a catalyst system under conditions to obtain a first effluent stream comprising a solution of the polymer and the solvent;
introducing a quenching agent into the first effluent stream to quench the polymerization reaction, wherein the quenching agent has a molecular weight (M n ) greater than about 2000 daltons and a hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) of less than about 20,
wherein the quenching agent comprises a lecithin.

2. A process for quenching a polymerization reaction, wherein the process comprises:
introducing a quenching agent into a first effluent stream comprising polymer exiting a polymerization zone to quench the polymerization reaction, wherein the quenching agent has a molecular weight greater than about 2000 daltons and a hydrophilic lipophilic balance (HLB) of less than about 20, wherein the quenching agent comprises a lecithin.

3. The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
performing a separation on the first effluent stream to produce:
a second effluent stream comprising the quenching agent; and

a recycle stream comprising the solvent, unreacted hydrocarbon monomer and optionally, the quenching agent,
wherein the second effluent stream has a higher concentration of the quenching agent than the recycle stream.

4. The process of claim 3 , wherein less than about 5.0 wppm of the quenching agent is present in the recycle stream.

5. The process of claim 3 , wherein the separation is a liquid-liquid separation.

6. The process of claim 5 , wherein the quenching agent has a molecular weight (M n ) of greater than or equal to about 5000 daltons and an HLB of less than about 15.

7. The process of claim 5 , wherein the quenching agent has a molecular weight of greater than or equal to about 6000 daltons.

8. The process of claim 5 , wherein the quenching agent has an HLB of less than about 10.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the lecithin comprises a phospholipid selected from the group consisting of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidic acid, and combinations thereof.

10. The process of claim 5 , wherein the separation is performed at a temperature of about 170° C. to about 230° C. and a pressure of about 400 psig (2800 kPa) to about 600 psig (4100 kPa).

11. The process of claim 3 , wherein the separation is a liquid-vapor separation.

12. The process of claim 11 , wherein the quenching agent has a molecular weight (M n ) of greater than or equal to about 2500 daltons and an HLB of less than about 18.

13. The process of claim 11 , wherein the quenching agent has a molecular weight of greater than or equal to about 3000 daltons.

14. The process of claim 11 , wherein the quenching agent has an HLB of less than about 15.

15. The process of claim 11 , wherein the quenching agent comprises a phospholipid selected from the group consisting of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidic acid, and combinations thereof.

16. The process of claim 11 , wherein the separation is performed at a temperature of about 80° C. to about 150° C. and a pressure of about 50 psig (340 kPa) to about 300 psig (2100 kPa).

17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst system comprises a coordination catalyst.

18. The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises polyethylene and/or polypropylene.

19. The process of claim 1 , wherein the hydrocarbon monomer comprises C 2 -C 40 olefins and/or C 1 -C 4 paraffins.

20. A process for producing a polymer, wherein the process comprises:
polymerizing a hydrocarbon monomer dissolved in a solvent in the presence of a catalyst system under conditions to obtain a first effluent stream comprising a solution of the polymer and the solvent; and
introducing a quenching agent into the first effluent stream to quench the polymerization reaction, wherein the quenching agent is a lecithin.

21. The process of claim 20 , wherein the quenching agent comprises a phospholipid selected from the group consisting of phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidic acid, and combinations thereof.

Assignees

• Exxonmobil Chemical Patents Inc

Inventors

• Reimers Jay L
• Hong Yifeng
• Hagadorn John R

Classifications

• C08F2/42 Primary

  using short-stopping agents · CPC title

• C08F6/02

  Neutralisation of the polymerisation mass, e.g. killing the catalyst (short-stopping C08F2/42 ){also removal of catalyst residues} · CPC title

• C08F4/64089

  NNN · CPC title

• C08F10/00

  Homopolymers and copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond · CPC title

• C08K5/521

  Esters of phosphoric acids, e.g. of H3PO4 · CPC title