Process and apparatus for producing poly-alpha-olefins
AssigneeNeste Oyj
InventorsJan Wahlström, Hanna Honkanen, Veli-Matti Purola, Filip Thierie
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Abstract
The current disclosure relates to an apparatus and a process for producing poly-α-olefins (PAO), including reacting olefin monomers in a presence of a catalyst complex to form PAO product. The reaction is performed in a reaction including a reactor vessel and a system for recycling and cooling part of reactor outlet stream. At least one reactor is a cone reactor with a first cross sectional area in an upper part of the vessel and the cross sectional area decreases downwards to a second cross sectional area, which is smaller than the first cross sectional area.
Claims17
A process for producing poly-α-olefins (PAO), the process comprising:
- a) providing a reactor system including at least one reactor having a reactor vessel and a system for recycling and cooling part of reactor vessel outlet stream;
- b) introducing to at least one reactor vessel of the reactor system at least α-olefin monomers, recycled reactor outlet stream, catalyst and co-catalyst, which co-catalyst together with the catalyst forms a catalyst complex;
- c) reacting in the reactor vessel the α-olefin monomers to form a mixture of poly-α-olefins (PAO) product;
- d) withdrawing from the reactor vessel an outlet stream including unreacted monomers, the mixture of PAO product and the catalyst complex;
- and
- e) splitting the outlet stream to a first stream, which is cooled and introduced back to the reactor vessel as a recycled reactor outlet stream, and a product stream;
- wherein
- at least one reactor in the reactor system is a cone reactor, in which cone reactor the reactor vessel has a first cross sectional area in an upper part of the vessel the cross sectional area decreases downwards to a second cross sectional area, which is smaller than the first cross sectional area.
An apparatus for performing a process for for producing poly-α-olefins (PAO), which includes:
- a) providing a reactor system including at least one reactor having a reactor vessel and a system for recycling and cooling part of reactor vessel outlet stream;
- and co-catalyst, which co-catalyst together with the catalyst forms a catalyst complex:
- catalyst b) introducing to at least one reactor vessel of the reactor system at least α-olefin monomers, recycled reactor outlet stream,
- c) reacting in the reactor vessel the α-olefin monomers to form a mixture of poly-α-olefins (PAO) product;
- d) withdrawing from the reactor vessel an outlet stream including unreacted monomers, the mixture of PAO product and the catalyst complex;
- and
- e) splitting the outlet stream to a first stream, which is cooled and introduced back to the reactor vessel as a recycled reactor outlet stream, and a product stream;
- wherein
- at least one reactor in the reactor system is a cone reactor, in which cone reactor the reactor vessel has a first cross sectional area in an upper part of the vessel the cross sectional area decreases downwards to a second cross sectional area, which is smaller than the first cross sectional area, wherein the apparatus comprises;
- a reactor system including at least one reactor having a reactor vessel and a system for recycling and cooling part of reactor vessel outlet stream;
- means for introducing to at least one reactor vessel at least α-olefin monomers, recycled reactor outlet stream, catalyst and co-catalyst;
- and
- an outlet for withdrawing an outlet stream from the reactor vessel, wherein:
- the at least one reactor vessel is a cone reactor, which cone reactor has a first cross sectional area in an upper part of the vessel and the cross sectional area decreases downwards to a second cross sectional area, which is smaller than the first cross sectional area.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.