Process for introducing catalyst in a polymerization process

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12559580-B2
Application number	US-202318516217-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 21, 2023
Priority date	Dec 28, 2018
Publication date	Feb 24, 2026
Grant date	Feb 24, 2026

Abstract

Methods of adding a catalyst to a bulk polymerization process may include mixing the catalyst with propylene to form a catalyst mixture that is substantially free of any C20 or greater hydrocarbons, feeding the catalyst mixture into a polymerization reactor, activating the catalyst mixture; and performing a polymerization on the catalyst mixture in the polymerization reactor. Polymers may be formed by polymerization processes that are substantially free of any C20 or greater hydrocarbons.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A system for a bulk polymerization process, the system comprising:
a first reactor configured to prepare, in the absence of cocatalyst and electron donor, at a temperature of room temperature to −48° C. and a pressure sufficient to ensure the presence of liquid propylene, a catalyst mixture, comprising unreacted liquid propylene and free of C20 or greater hydrocarbons, a catalyst feed that feeds a catalyst into the first reactor, a first propylene feed that feeds liquid propylene into the first reactor, a second reactor configured to activate the catalyst mixture by the addition of a cocatalyst, an electron donor, and liquid propylene at temperature sufficiently low to as to not polymerize or prepolymerize the propylene, wherein the second reactor is either a continuous stirred-tank reactor or a continuous plug-flow reactor; a first feeder transferring the catalyst mixture from the first reactor into a second reactor, a cocatalyst feed that feeds the cocatalyst into the second reactor, an electron donor feed that feeds the electron donor into the second reactor, a second liquid propylene feed that feeds liquid propylene into the first feed or the second reactor, a bulk polymerization reactor, and a second feeder that connects the second reactor to the bulk polymerization reactor and feeds the catalyst mixture from the second reactor into the bulk polymerization reactor.

2 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first reactor is selected from the group consisting of a continuous stirred tank reactor, a continuous plug flow reactor, and a batch-stirred reactor.

3 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst feed uses an inert gas to feed the catalyst into the first reactor.

4 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is a catalyst powder.

5 . The system of claim 4 , wherein the catalyst powder comprises either a Ziegler-Natta catalyst powder or a metallocene catalyst powder.

6 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid propylene in the first reactor is at a temperature of about room temperature to −48° C.

7 . The system of claim 6 , wherein the liquid propylene in the first reactor is at a temperature of 0° C. to −20° C.

8 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the first feeder or second feeder is at least one of a group consisting of a rotatory valve, a rotatory pump, a diaphragm pump, a screw pump, and a piston pump.

9 . The system of claim 1 , further comprising at least one monomer feed that feeds monomer into the bulk polymerization reactor.

10 . The system of claim 1 , wherein the liquid propylene in the second reactor is at a temperature of about room temperature to −48° C.

11 . The system of claim 10 , wherein the liquid propylene in the second reactor is at a temperature of 0° C. to −20° C.

Assignees

• Braskem Sa

Inventors

• Martins Junior Olavo
• Pozzer Dihogenes Adriano
• Cavalli Élita

Classifications

• C08F4/654

  with magnesium or compounds thereof · CPC title

• C08F2/02

  Polymerisation in bulk · CPC title

• B01J2204/002

  the feeding side being of particular interest · CPC title

• B01J19/18

  Stationary reactors having moving elements inside (B01J19/08, B01J19/26 take precedence) · CPC title

• B01J4/001

  Feed or outlet devices as such, e.g. feeding tubes · CPC title