System for Producing Polyolefin and Process for Recovering Polymerization Product from Gas Phase Reactor

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2023001374-A1
Application number	US-202017773970-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Dec 3, 2020
Priority date	Dec 9, 2019
Publication date	Jan 5, 2023
Grant date	—

Abstract

The invention relates to a system for producing polyolefin. The system comprises a gas phase reactor (1) for polymerizing an olefin to obtain polymerization product. The gas phase reactor (1) comprises a gas distribution plate (11) arranged inside the gas phase reactor (1); a first outlet (12) for continuously withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor (1) as a first product stream, the first outlet (12) being arranged above the gas distribution plate (11); and a second outlet (13) for continuously withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor (1) as a second product stream, the second outlet (13) being arranged above the gas distribution plate (11). The system further comprises a first outlet tank (2) in fluid communication with the first outlet (12) via a first passage (22), wherein the first passage (22) comprises a first valve means (221) for controlling the flow of the first product stream in the first passage (22) and wherein the first outlet tank (2) is arranged to receive the first product stream and to concentrate the first product stream; a product receiver tank (3) in fluid communication with the second outlet (13) via a second passage (31), wherein the second passage (31) comprises a second valve means (311) for controlling the flow of the second product stream in the second passage (31), and wherein the product receiver tank (3) is arranged to receive the second product stream; and a control means in communication with the first valve means (221) and the second valve means (311) and arranged to control the operation of the first valve means (221) and the second valve means (311) so that flow in only one of the first passage (22) and the second passage (31) is allowed at a time.The invention relates also to a process for recovering polymerization product from a gas phase reactor (1). The gas phase reactor (1) is suitable for polymerizing an olefin to obtain polymerization product and comprises a gas distribution plate (11) arranged inside the gas phase reactor (1); a first outlet (12) for continuously withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor (1), the first outlet (12) being arranged above the gas distribution plate (11); and a second outlet (13) for continuously withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor (1), the second outlet (13) being arranged above the gas distribution plate (11). The process comprises selectively withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor (1) via the first outlet (12) as a first product stream, feeding the first product stream to a first outlet tank (2), and concentrating the first product stream in the first outlet tank (2); or withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor (1) via the second outlet (13) as a second product stream, and feeding the second product stream to a product receiver tank (3).

First claim

1 . A system for producing polyolefin, comprising a gas phase reactor ( 1 ) for polymerizing an olefin to obtain polymerization product, the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) comprising
a gas distribution plate ( 11 ) arranged inside the gas phase reactor ( 1 ); a first outlet ( 12 ) for continuously withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) as a first product stream, the first outlet ( 12 ) being arranged above the gas distribution plate ( 11 ); and a second outlet ( 13 ) for continuously withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) as a second product stream, the second outlet ( 13 ) being arranged above the gas distribution plate ( 11 );
wherein the system further comprises
a first outlet tank ( 2 ) in fluid communication with the first outlet ( 12 ) via a first passage ( 22 ), wherein the first passage ( 22 ) comprises a first valve means ( 221 ) for controlling the flow of the first product stream in the first passage ( 22 ) and wherein the first outlet tank ( 2 ) is arranged to receive the first product stream and to concentrate the first product stream;
a product receiver tank ( 3 ) in fluid communication with the second outlet ( 13 ) via a second passage ( 31 ), wherein the second passage ( 31 ) comprises a second valve means ( 311 ) for controlling the flow of the second product stream in the second passage ( 31 ), and wherein the product receiver tank ( 3 ) is arranged to receive the second product stream; and
a control means in communication with the first valve means ( 221 ) and the second valve means ( 311 ) and arranged to control the operation of the first valve means ( 221 ) and the second valve means ( 311 ) so that flow in only one of the first passage ( 22 ) and the second passage ( 31 ) is allowed at a time,

wherein
the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) comprises a third outlet ( 14 ) for continuously withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) as a third product stream, the third outlet ( 14 ) being arranged above the second outlet ( 13 );
the product receiver tank ( 3 ) is in fluid communication with the third outlet ( 14 ) via a third passage ( 32 ) and arranged to receive the third product stream;
the third passage ( 32 ) comprises a third valve means ( 321 ) for controlling the flow of the third product stream in the third passage ( 32 );
the control means is in communication with the third valve means ( 321 ); and
the control means is arranged to control the operation of the first valve means ( 221 ), the second valve means ( 311 ) and the third valve means ( 321 ) so that flow in only one of the first passage ( 22 ), the second passage ( 31 ) and the third passage ( 32 ) is allowed at a time.

2 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the second passage ( 31 ) comprises a first heater ( 312 ) arranged to heat the second product stream.

3 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the third passage ( 32 ) comprises a second heater ( 322 ) arranged to heat the third product stream.

4 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the first outlet tank ( 2 ) comprises a screen ( 21 ) for removing agglomerates from the first product stream.

5 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin is polypropylene.

6 . A system according to claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin is polyethylene.

7 . A system according to claim 6 , wherein
the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) comprises a fourth outlet ( 15 ) for withdrawing a batch of the polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ), the fourth outlet ( 15 ) being arranged above the gas distribution plate ( 11 ) and below the first outlet ( 12 ); the system comprises a second outlet tank ( 5 ) in fluid communication with the second outlet tank ( 5 ) via a fourth passage ( 51 ) and arranged to receive the batch of the polymerization product; the fourth passage ( 51 ) comprises a fourth valve means ( 511 ) for controlling the flow of the batch in the fourth passage ( 51 ); the control means is in communication with the fourth valve means ( 511 ); and the control means is arranged to control the operation of the first valve means ( 221 ), the second valve means ( 311 ), the third valve means ( 321 ) and the fourth valve means ( 511 ) so that flow in only one of the first passage ( 22 ), the second passage ( 31 ), the third passage ( 32 ) and the fourth passage ( 51 ) is allowed at a time.

8 . A process for recovering polymerization product from a gas phase reactor ( 1 ), the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) being suitable for polymerizing an olefin to obtain polymerization product and comprising
a gas distribution plate ( 11 ) arranged inside the gas phase reactor ( 1 ); a first outlet ( 12 ) for continuously withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ), the first outlet ( 12 ) being arranged above the gas distribution plate ( 11 ); and a second outlet ( 13 ) for continuously withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ), the second outlet ( 13 ) being arranged above the gas distribution plate ( 11 );
wherein the process comprises selectively
withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) via the first outlet ( 12 ) as a first product stream, feeding the first product stream to a first outlet tank ( 2 ), and concentrating the first product stream in the first outlet tank ( 2 ); or
withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) via the second outlet ( 13 ) as a second product stream, and feeding the second product stream to a product receiver tank ( 3 ),

wherein
the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) comprises a third outlet ( 14 ) for continuously withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ), the third outlet ( 14 ) being arranged above the second outlet ( 13 ); and
the process comprises selectively withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) via the first outlet ( 12 ) as a first product stream, feeding the first product stream to a first outlet tank ( 2 ), and concentrating the first product stream in the first outlet tank ( 2 );
withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) via the second outlet ( 13 ) as a second product stream, and feeding the second product stream to a product receiver tank ( 3 ); or
withdrawing polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) via the third outlet ( 14 ) as a third product stream, and feeding the second product stream to a product receiver tank ( 3 ).

9 . A process according to claim 8 , comprising heating the second product stream after withdrawing the second product stream from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) and before feeding the second product stream to the product receiver tank ( 3 ).

10 . A process according to claim 8 , comprising heating the third product stream after withdrawing the third product stream from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) and before feeding the third product stream to the product receiver tank ( 3 ).

11 . A process according to claim 8 , comprising removing agglomerates from the first product stream in the first outlet tank ( 2 ).

12 . A process according to claim 8 , wherein the polyolefin is polypropylene.

13 . A process according to claim 8 , wherein the polyolefin is polyethylene.

14 . A process according to claim 13 , wherein the gas phase reactor ( 1 ) comprises a fourth outlet ( 15 ) for withdrawing a batch of the polymerization product from the gas phase reactor ( 1 ), the fourth outlet ( 15 ) being arranged above the gas distribution plate ( 11 ) and below the first outlet ( 12 ); and
the process comprises selectively
withdrawing polymerization p

Assignees

• Borealis Ag

Inventors

• Leskinen Pauli
• Elovainio Erno
• Kivelä Jouni
• Nyfors Klaus
• Kokko Tapio

Classifications

• B01J8/005

  Separating solid material from the gas/liquid stream (separation processes per se B01D) · CPC title

• B01J8/24 Primary

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

• B01J19/0013

  Controlling the temperature of the process · CPC title

• B01J2208/00176

  outside the reactor · CPC title

• B01J2208/0092

  Perforated plates · CPC title