Apparatus and process for the gas-phase polymerization

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12330147-B2
Application number	US-202017782047-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 9, 2020
Priority date	Dec 11, 2019
Publication date	Jun 17, 2025
Grant date	Jun 17, 2025

Abstract

Apparatus for carrying out a catalytic gas-phase olefin polymerization having a first polymerization zone for growing polymer particles to flow upward under fast fluidization or transport conditions, a second polymerization zone for the growing polymer particles to flow downward, and a gas/solid separation zone; wherein the second polymerization zone has an upper part being connected to the separation zone and a lower part being connected to the upper part; wherein the ratio of the height H01 of the separation zone to the diameter D01 of the separation zone is 2.5 to 4.5.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. An apparatus for carrying out a catalytic gas-phase olefin polymerization comprising
at least a first polymerization zone, adapted and arranged for growing polymer particles to flow upward under fast fluidization or transport conditions, and
at least a second polymerization zone, adapted and arranged for the growing polymer particles to flow downward; and
a gas/solid separation zone having a cylindrical shape;
wherein
the second polymerization zone has an upper part being connected to the separation zone, a lower part being connected to the upper part and a line for feeding a gas, a liquid, or a combination of both into the second polymerization zone;
the first polymerization zone being connected to the separation zone by a connecting part; and
the lower part of the second polymerization zone being connected to the lower part of the first polymerization zone by a connecting part;
wherein the ratio of the diameter D01 of the separation zone to the diameter D03 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone is 1.02 to 1.5;
wherein the ratio of the height H01 of the separation zone to the diameter D01 of the separation zone is 2.5 to 4.5; and
wherein the ratio of the diameter D03 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone to the diameter D04 of the lower part of the second polymerization zone is 1.2 to 2.

2. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the height H05 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone is 5000 to 10000 mm.

3. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the ratio of the height H05 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone to the diameter D03 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone is 2 to 4.

4. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the separation zone and the upper part of the second polymerization zone are connected by a first connecting part having a height H02 and an associated angle A01, wherein the diameter of the connecting part constantly decreases from the diameter D01 of the separation zone to the diameter D03 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone.

5. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the upper part of the second polymerization zone and the lower part of the second polymerization zone are connected by a second connecting part having a height H06 and an associated angle A02, wherein the diameter of the connecting part constantly decreases from the diameter D03 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone to the diameter D04 of the lower part of the second polymerization zone.

6. The apparatus of claim 4 , wherein the angle A01 of the first connecting part connecting the separation zone to the upper part of the second polymerization zone is 5 to 25°.

7. The apparatus of claim 5 , wherein the angle A02 of the second connecting part connecting the upper part of the second polymerization zone to the lower part of the second polymerization zone is 5 to 25°.

8. The apparatus of claim 1 , wherein the height H05′ from the bottom tangent line of the upper part of the second polymerization zone to the entrance of the feeding line into the second polymerization zone is 2000 to 6000 mm.

9. The apparatus of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of the following:
i) a recycle line connecting the separation zone to one or more points of reintroduction into the connecting part or into the first polymerization zone;
ii) a line for feeding a catalyst into the first polymerization zone;
iii) a line for feeding monomers into the apparatus;
iv) a discharge system for discharging polymer from the second polymerization zone.

10. A process for carrying out a catalytic gas-phase olefin polymerization in the apparatus of claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
(a) feeding one or more olefins into the apparatus,
(b) contacting the olefins and a catalyst under reaction conditions in the at least first polymerization zone and the at least second polymerization zone, and
(c) collecting the polymer product from the at least second polymerization zone,
wherein the growing polymer particles
(I) flow upward through the first polymerization zone under fast fluidization or transport conditions,
(II) leave the first polymerization zone,
(III) pass through the gas/solid separation zone, and
(IV) enter the second polymerization zone,
(V) flow downward under the action of gravity,
(VI) leave the second polymerization zone, and
(VII) are reintroduced, at least partially, into the first polymerization zone,
thereby establishing a circulation of polymer between the first polymerization zone and the second polymerization zone, wherein the second polymerization zone comprises a bed of densified polymer particles.

11. The process of claim 10 , wherein introducing a gas or liquid into the second polymerization zone via feeding line prevents completely or partially the gas mixture in the first polymerization zone from flowing down the upper part of the second polymerization zone, and the gas mixture in the second polymerization zone differs from the gas mixture in the first polymerization zone.

12. The process of claim 11 , wherein the surface of the bed of densified polymer particles is located in the upper part of the second polymerization zone.

13. The process of claim 11 , wherein introducing the gas or liquid into the upper part of the second polymerization zone over or below the surface of the bed of densified polymer particles prevents the gas mixture in the first polymerization zone from entering the second polymerization zone.

14. The process of claim 10 , wherein the polymerization is a homopolymerization of ethylene, a copolymerization of ethylene and one or more other olefins selected from the group consisting of 1-butene, 1-hexene, and 1-octene, a homopolymerization of propylene, or a copolymerization of propylene and one or more other olefins selected from the group consisting of ethylene, 1-butene, and 1-hexene.

15. The process of claim 10 , wherein the height H05 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone is 5000 to 10000 mm.

16. The process of claim 10 , wherein the ratio of the height H05 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone to the diameter D03 of the upper part ( 5 ) of the second polymerization zone is 2 to 4.

17. The process of claim 10 , wherein the separation zone and the upper part of the second polymerization zone are connected by a first connecting part having a height H02 and an associated angle A01, wherein the diameter of the connecting part constantly decreases from the diameter D01 of the separation zone to the diameter D03 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone.

18. The process of claim 10 , wherein the upper part of the second polymerization zone and the lower part of the second polymerization zone are connected by a second connecting part having a height H06 and an associated angle A02, wherein the diameter of the connecting part constantly decreases from the diameter D03 of the upper part of the second polymerization zone to the diameter D04 of the lower part of the second polymerization zone.

19. The process of claim 17 , wherein the angle A01 of the first connecting part connecting the separation zone to the upper part of the second polymerization zone is 5 to 25°.

20. The process of claim 18 , wherein the angle A02 of the second connecting part connecting the upper part of the second polymerization zone to the lower part of the second polymerization zone is 5 to 25°.

Assignees

• Basell Polyolefine Gmbh

Inventors

• Penzo Giuseppe
• Dorini Maurizio
• Rinaldi Riccardo
• Soffritti Silvia
• Mei Giulia

Classifications

• B01J19/2435 Primary

  Loop-type reactors · CPC title

• B01J8/0055 Primary

  using cyclones · CPC title

• C08F10/00

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

• B01J8/26

  with two or more fluidised beds, e.g. reactor and regeneration installations · CPC title

• B01J8/1863

  followed by a downward movement outside the reactor and subsequently re-entering it · CPC title