Methods for preparing catalyst systems with increased productivity

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9938361-B2
Application number	US-201314760743-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Nov 20, 2013
Priority date	Jan 14, 2013
Publication date	Apr 10, 2018
Grant date	Apr 10, 2018

Abstract

Methods for producing catalyst systems with increased productivity are disclosed. The methods may comprise providing a catalyst composition comprising a solvent and a single-site catalyst component, heating an inert gas to a temperature in a range of from about 100° C. to about 150° C., and spray drying the catalyst composition in the presence of the inert gas to form a spray-dried catalyst system. Additionally, the methods may comprise providing a catalyst composition comprising a solvent, an activator, a filler material, a metallocene catalyst, and a Group 15-containing catalyst; heating an inert gas to a temperature in a range of from about 100° C. to about 150° C.; and spray drying the catalyst composition in the presence of the inert gas to form a spray-dried catalyst system.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method for producing a catalyst system, comprising:
providing a catalyst composition comprising a non-polar solvent and a single-site catalyst component, wherein the non-polar solvent comprises at least one hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of toluene, benzene, hexane, and combinations thereof;
heating an inert gas to a temperature that is from about 20% to about 35% greater than a boiling point of the non-polar solvent selected from the group consisting of toluene, benzene, hexane, and combinations thereof, based on the Centigrade scale; and
spray drying the catalyst composition in the presence of the inert gas to form a spray-dried catalyst system comprising the single-site catalyst component, wherein the spray-dried catalyst system has an increase in productivity of at least about 10% in a polymerization reaction, as compared to another spray-dried catalyst system prepared from the same catalyst composition in a process that comprises heating the inert gas to a temperature of at least about 160° C.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the single-site catalyst component comprises a metallocene catalyst selected from the group consisting of a bis(n-propyl cyclopentadienyl)-MX 2 , a (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)(n-propylcyclopentadienyl)MX 2 , a bis(indenyl)-MX 2 , a (tetramethylcyclopentadienyl) (n-propyl cyclopentadienyl) MX 2 , and any combination thereof, wherein M is zirconium, hafnium or titanium and X is methyl, chlorine, bromine, or fluorine.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the single-site catalyst comprises a Group 15-containing catalyst selected from the group consisting of [2,4,6-Me 3 C 6 H 2 )NCH 2 CH 2 ] 2 NH MBz 2 and [2,3,4,5,6-Me 5 C 6 )NCH 2 CH 2 ] 2 NH MBz 2 , wherein M is a Group 4 metal, each Bz is independently a benzyl group, and Me is methyl.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the single-site catalyst component comprises at least one catalyst selected from the group consisting of a metallocene catalyst, a Group 15-containing catalyst, and any combination thereof.

5. A polymerization process comprising combining an olefin with the spray-dried catalyst composition prepared by:
providing a catalyst composition comprising a non-polar solvent and a single-site catalyst component, wherein the non-polar solvent comprises at least one hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of toluene, benzene, hexane, and combinations thereof;
heating an inert gas to a temperature that is from about 20% to about 35% greater than a boiling point of the non-polar solvent selected from the group consisting of toluene, benzene, hexane, and combinations thereof, based on the Centigrade scale; and
spray drying the catalyst composition in the presence of the inert gas to form a spray-dried catalyst system comprising the single-site catalyst component, wherein the spray-dried catalyst system has an increase in productivity of at least about 10% in a polymerization reaction, as compared to another spray-dried catalyst system prepared from the same catalyst composition in a process that comprises heating the inert gas to a temperature of at least about 160° C.

6. The polymerization process according to claim 5 , wherein the olefin comprises ethylene or propylene.

7. A method for producing a catalyst system, comprising:
providing a catalyst composition comprising a non-polar solvent, an activator, a filler material, a metallocene catalyst, and a Group 15-containing catalyst, wherein the non-polar solvent comprises at least one hydrocarbon selected from the group consisting of toluene, benzene, hexane, and combinations thereof;
heating an inert gas to a temperature that is from about 20% to about 35% greater than a boiling point of the non-polar solvent, based on the Centigrade scale; and
spray drying the catalyst composition in the presence of the inert gas to form a spray-dried catalyst system comprising the activator, the filler material, the metallocene catalyst, and the Group 15-containing catalyst, wherein the spray-dried catalyst system has an increase in productivity of at least about 10% in a polymerization reaction, as compared to another spray-dried catalyst system prepared from the same catalyst composition in a process that comprises heating the inert gas to a temperature of at least about 160° C.

8. The method according claim 7 , wherein the metallocene catalyst comprises a catalyst selected from the group consisting of a bis(n-propyl cyclopentadienyl)-MX 2 , a (pentamethylcyclopentadienyl)(n-propylcyclopentadienyl)MX 2 , a bis(indenyl)-MX 2 , a (tetramethylcyclopentadienyl) (n-propyl cyclopentadienyl) MX 2 , and any combination thereof wherein M is zirconium, hafnium or titanium and X is methyl, chlorine, bromine, or fluorine.

9. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the Group 15-containing catalyst comprises a component selected from the group consisting of [2,4,6-Me 3 C 6 H 2 )NCH 2 CH 2 ] 2 NH MBz 2 and [2,3,4,5,6-Me 5 C 6 )NCH 2 CH 2 ] 2 NH MBz 2 , wherein M is a Group 4 metal, each Bz is independently a benzyl group, and Me is methyl.

10. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the activator comprises an aluminoxane.

11. The method according to claim 7 , wherein the filler material comprises fumed silica.

12. A polymerization process comprising combining an olefin with the spray-dried catalyst composition prepared according to claim 7 .

13. The polymerization process according to claim 12 , wherein the olefin comprises ethylene or propylene.

14. The polymerization process according to claim 12 , wherein the polymerization process occurs in a gas phase reactor.

Assignees

• Univation Tech Llc

Inventors

• Lynn Timothy R
• Hussein F David
• Pequeno R Eric
• Zilker Jr Daniel P
• Savatsky Bruce J
• Awe Michael D

Classifications

• C08F4/65916

  supported on a carrier, e.g. silica, MgCl2, polymer · CPC title

• B01J31/2295

  Cyclic compounds, e.g. cyclopentadienyls · CPC title

• C07F7/003

  without C-Metal linkages · CPC title

• C08F210/16 Primary

  Copolymers of ethene with alpha-alkenes, e.g. EP rubbers · CPC title

• B01J2531/48

  Zirconium · CPC title