Abstract:
A system for detecting an interface between a polymer-rich phase and a solvent-rich phase comprising a liquid-liquid separator configured to receive a polymer solution as an inlet stream comprising solvent, polymer and unreacted monomer produced in a solvent-based polymerization reactor through an inlet feed, wherein a tank is configured to provide a residence time of at least 20 minutes and to permit the stream to separate into the polymer rich phase and the solvent rich phase; a first sonic transponder for sending a first sonic signal from either a top or bottom of the liquid-liquid separator and for receiving a first reflected portion of the sonic signal, the reflected portion of the sonic signal created by the passage of the sonic signal through a liquid-liquid interface between the solvent rich phase and the polymer rich phase, wherein the first sonic transponder is positioned such that it transmits the signal which travels perpendicularly to the liquid-liquid interface is provided.
Abstract:
A process to form a block copolymer comprising two or more regions or segments of differentiated polymer composition or properties, including feeding a first mixture that includes a chain shuttling agent, a solvent, the one or more monomers, and optionally hydrogen into a first reactor or reactor zone, feeding a second mixture that includes at least one olefin polymerization catalyst and at least one cocatalyst into the first reactor or reactor zone, contacting the first mixture and the second mixture under polymerization conditions in the first reactor or reactor zone to form a reaction mixture that is characterized by the formation of polymer chains from the monomers, allowing polymerization to occur in the first reactor or reactor zone and/or a second reactor or reactor zone to form polymer chains that are differentiated from the polymer chains, such that the resultant polymer has two or more chemically or physically distinguishable blocks.
Abstract:
The invention provides a process to form a composition comprising at least one ethylene-based polymer and at least one oil, said process comprising the following: polymerizing a mixture comprising ethylene, and optionally one or more comonomers, in a reactor system, comprising at least one reactor and at least one mixer, located downstream from the reactor, to form the ethylene-based polymer; and wherein the oil is added to the ethylene-based polymer upstream of the mixer. The invention also provides a reactor system for a process to form a composition comprising at least one ethylene-based polymer and at least one oil, said reactor system comprising at least one reactor, at least one mixer, and an oil feed into the ethylene-based polymer, and wherein the oil feed is located after the reactor and before the mixer.
Abstract:
A process to form a block copolymer comprising two or more regions or segments of differentiated polymer composition or properties, including feeding a first mixture that includes a chain shuttling agent, a solvent, the one or more monomers, and optionally hydrogen into a first reactor or reactor zone, feeding a second mixture that includes at least one olefin polymerization catalyst and at least one cocatalyst into the first reactor or reactor zone, contacting the first mixture and the second mixture under polymerization conditions in the first reactor or reactor zone to form a reaction mixture that is characterized by the formation of polymer chains from the monomers, allowing polymerization to occur in the first reactor or reactor zone and/or a second reactor or reactor zone to form polymer chains that are differentiated from the polymer chains, such that the resultant polymer has two or more chemically or physically distinguishable blocks.
Abstract:
The invention provides a method, and apparatus, for determining the degree of separation (DOS) of a polymer solution into a polymer-rich stream and a solvent-rich stream, said method comprising the following: adding to a liquid-liquid separation vessel the polymer solution, which comprises a polymer, a solvent and an anti-solvent; separating the polymer solution into a polymer-rich stream and a solvent-rich stream; removing at least some the polymer-rich stream from at least one outlet P on the vessel, and measuring the actual solution density of this polymer-rich stream using at least one flow meter; removing at least some of the solvent-rich stream from at least one other outlet S on the vessel, and measuring the actual density of the solvent-rich stream using at least one flow meter; and wherein the degree of separation (DOS) is determined by the following equation (Eqn. 1): DOS=[actual solution density (polymer-rich steam)−actual solution density (solvent-rich stream)]/[theoretical solution density (polymer-rich stream)−theoretical solution density (solvent-rich stream)] (Eqn. 1).
Abstract:
The invention provides a method, and apparatus, for determining the degree of separation (DOS) of a polymer solution into a polymer-rich stream and a solvent-rich stream, said method comprising the following: adding to a liquid-liquid separation vessel the polymer solution, which comprises a polymer, a solvent and an anti-solvent; separating the polymer solution into a polymer-rich stream and a solvent-rich stream; removing at least some the polymer-rich stream from at least one outlet P on the vessel, and measuring the actual solution density of this polymer-rich stream using at least one flow meter; removing at least some of the solvent-rich stream from at least one other outlet S on the vessel, and measuring the actual density of the solvent-rich stream using at least one flow meter; and wherein the degree of separation (DOS) is determined by the following equation (Eqn. 1): DOS=[actual solution density (polymer-rich steam)−actual solution density (solvent-rich stream)]/[theoretical solution density (polymer-rich stream)−theoretical solution density (solvent-rich stream)] (Eqn. 1).
Abstract:
A system for detecting an interface between a polymer-rich phase and a solvent-rich phase comprising a liquid-liquid separator configured to receive a polymer solution as an inlet stream comprising solvent, polymer and unreacted monomer produced in a solvent-based polymerization reactor through an inlet feed, wherein a tank is configured to provide a residence time of at least 20 minutes and to permit the stream to separate into the polymer rich phase and the solvent rich phase; a first sonic transponder for sending a first sonic signal from either a top or bottom of the liquid-liquid separator and for receiving a first reflected portion of the sonic signal, the reflected portion of the sonic signal created by the passage of the sonic signal through a liquid-liquid interface between the solvent rich phase and the polymer rich phase, wherein the first sonic transponder is positioned such that it transmits the signal which travels perpendicularly to the liquid-liquid interface is provided.
Abstract:
A method of producing bimodal ethylene-based polymer includes reacting ethylene monomer and C3-C12 α-olefin comonomer in the presence of a first catalyst in an agitated reactor to produce a first polymer fraction, and outputting effluent from the agitated reactor. A second catalyst is added to the effluent downstream of the agitated reactor and upstream from a non-agitated reactor, the second catalyst facilitates production of a second polymer fraction having a density and melt index (I2) different from the first polymer fraction. The second catalyst and effluent are mixed in at least one mixer. The second catalyst, second polymer fraction, and the first polymer fraction are passed to the non-agitated reactor; and additional ethylene monomer, additional C3-C12 α-olefin comonomer, and solvent are passed to the non-agitated reactor to produce more second polymer fraction and thereby the bimodal ethylene-based polymer.
Abstract:
The invention provides a process to form a “first composition comprising a first ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer and a second ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer,” said process comprising polymerizing a first mixture comprising ethylene, an α-olefin, and optionally a polyene, in a stirred tank reactor to form a first ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer, and transferring at least some of the first ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer to a loop reactor, and polymerizing, therein, a second mixture comprising ethylene, an alpha-olefin, and optionally a polyene, in the presence of the first ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer, to form the “first composition comprising the first ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer and the second ethylene/α-olefin interpolymer.” The invention also provides a polymerization reactor configuration comprising at least the following: a stirred tank reactor followed by a loop reactor.
Abstract:
A system for detecting an interface between a polymer-rich phase and a solvent-rich phase comprising a liquid-liquid separator configured to receive a polymer solution as an inlet stream comprising solvent, polymer and unreacted monomer produced in a solvent-based polymerization reactor through an inlet feed, wherein a tank is configured to provide a residence time of at least 20 minutes and to permit the stream to separate into the polymer rich phase and the solvent rich phase; a first sonic transponder for sending a first sonic signal from either a top or bottom of the liquid-liquid separator and for receiving a first reflected portion of the sonic signal, the reflected portion of the sonic signal created by the passage of the sonic signal through a liquid-liquid interface between the solvent rich phase and the polymer rich phase, wherein the first sonic transponder is positioned such that it transmits the signal which travels perpendicularly to the liquid-liquid interface is provided.