US 10,947,324 B2 · Flexible manufacturing system for selectively producing different linear alpha olefins

Abstract

A flexible manufacturing system for selectively producing different alpha-olefins from ethylene includes: (a) a reaction section 18 with ethylene feed operative to oligomerize ethylene; (b) a catalyst feed system 12, 14, 16 comprising a plurality of independent homogeneous catalyst feeders connected with the reaction section for alternatively providing different selective homogeneous catalyst compositions to the reaction section; (c) an ethylene recycle column 22 coupled to the reaction section and adapted to receive crude product and unreacted ethylene therefrom, the recycle column being operative to separate ethylene and optionally lower oligomers from the crude product which are recycled to the ethylene feed to the reaction section, the ethylene recycle column being further operative to provide a crude product bottoms stream; (d) a catalyst removal section 20 coupled to the reaction section adapted to remove spent catalyst from the system; and (e) a first product separation column 24 connected to the recycle column receiving the crude product stream therefrom, the product separation column being operative to separate purified oligomer from the crude product stream. Optionally provided is a second product separation column 26.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A flexible manufacturing system for selectively producing different alpha-olefins from ethylene comprising:

(a) a reaction section with ethylene feed operative to oligomerize ethylene;
(b) a catalyst feed system comprising a plurality of independent homogeneous catalyst feeders connected with the reaction section for alternatively providing different selective homogeneous catalyst compositions to the reaction section;
(c) an ethylene recycle column coupled to the reaction section and adapted to receive crude product and unreacted ethylene therefrom, the recycle column being operative to separate ethylene and optionally lower oligomers from the crude product which are recycled to the ethylene feed to the reaction section, the ethylene recycle column being further operative to provide a crude product bottoms stream;
(d) a catalyst removal section coupled to the reaction section adapted to remove spent catalyst from the system;
and
(e) a first product separation column connected to the recycle column receiving the crude product stream therefrom, the product separation column being operative to separate purified oligomer from the crude product stream.

3 more elements

A method of sequentially producing different alpha-olefins from ethylene in the same manufacturing system comprising:

(a) providing a flexible manufacturing system including a reaction section with ethylene feed operative to oligomerize ethylene;
(ii) a catalyst feed system comprising a plurality of independent homogeneous catalyst feeders connected with the reaction section for alternatively providing different selective homogeneous catalyst compositions to the reaction section;
(iii) an ethylene recycle column coupled to the reaction section and adapted to receive crude product and unreacted ethylene therefrom, the recycle column being operative to separate ethylene and optionally lower oligomers from the crude product which are recycled to the ethylene feed to the reaction section, the ethylene recycle column being further operative to provide a crude product bottoms stream;
(iv) a catalyst removal section coupled to the reaction section adapted to remove spent catalyst from the system;
(v) a first product separation column connected to the recycle column receiving the crude product stream therefrom, the product separation column being operative to separate purified oligomer from the crude product stream;
and optionally including
(vi) a second product separation column coupled to the first product separation column to receive bottoms therefrom and separate the bottoms from the first column into an overhead oligomerized product stream and a bottoms stream;
(b) operating the flexible manufacturing system with ethylene feed and a first homogeneous catalyst feed, wherein the first homogeneous catalyst is selective to a first alpha olefin composition;
(c) recovering the first alpha olefin composition;
and thereafter
(d) operating the flexible manufacturing system with ethylene feed and a second homogeneous catalyst feed, wherein the second homogenous catalyst feed is selective to a second alpha olefin composition which is different from the first alpha olefin composition;
and
(e) recovering the second alpha olefin composition.

10 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Flexible manufacturing system for selectively producing different linear alpha olefins

Life of this patent

Flexible manufacturing system for selectively producing different linear alpha olefins

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims20