Bulk polymerization process
AssigneeBridgestone Corporation
InventorsTimothy L. Tartamella, William M. Cole, Mark Smale
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for the continuous production of polydienes, the method comprising the steps of (a) charging a mixture of one or more monomer, catalyst system, and less than 50% weight percent organic solvent based on the total weight of the monomer, catalyst and solvent, into first vessel, (b) polymerizing the monomer to a conversion of up to 20% by weight of the monomer to form a mixture of reactive polymer and monomer, (c) removing the mixture of reactive polymer and monomer from the vessel, and (d) terminating the reactive polymer prior to a total monomer conversion of 25% by weight.
Claims34
A method for the continuous production of polydienes, comprising:
- (a) adding liquid conjugated diene monomer, a coordination catalyst system, and, optionally an organic solvent to a first vessel, wherein the first vessel includes less than 20% by weight organic solvent;
- (b) allowing the monomer to polymerize into polydienes, the monomer, catalyst system, optional solvent, and polydienes forming a polymerization medium, wherein the polymerization of the monomer increases the temperature of the polymerization medium thereby converting a portion of the monomer to a gas-phase monomer;
- (c) agitating the polymerization medium to thereby facilitate conversion of a portion of the monomer to the gas-phase monomer;
- (d) removing the gas-phase monomer from the vessel;
- (e) optionally condensing the gas-phase monomer that is removed from the vessel to liquid monomer;
- (f) optionally transferring the condensed liquid monomer back to the first vessel;
- (g) removing a portion of the polymerization medium from the first vessel in order to maintain a monomer concentration within the first vessel of at least 80% by weight of the polymerization medium within the first vessel, and in order to maintain a head space within the first vessel that is about 40 to about 60% of the volume of the first vessel, where said portion of the polymerization medium that is removed includes residual monomer;
- (h) transferring the polymerization medium removed from the first vessel to a second vessel;
- (i) agitating and maintaining the flow of the polymerization medium within the second vessel;
- (j) maintaining sufficient temperature within the second vessel in order to convert a portion of the residual monomer to a gas-phase residual monomer;
- (k) optionally condensing the gas-phase residual monomer removed from the second reactor to liquid monomer;
- (l) optionally transferring liquid monomer converted from the gas-phase monomer removed from the second vessel to the first vessel;
- (m) optionally adding a functionalizing agent to the second vessel in order functionalize polydienes within the second reactor;
- (n) adding a quenching agent to the second vessel in order to terminate the further polymerization of monomer;
- and
- (o) recovering polydienes.
A method for the continuous production of polydienes, comprising:
- (a) continuously charging a mixture of one or more monomer, catalyst system, and less than 20% by weight organic solvent based on the total weight of the monomer, catalyst and solvent, into a first vessel to form a polymerization medium;
- (b) continuously polymerizing the monomer in the first vessel to form a mixture of reactive polymer and monomer;
- (c) continuously removing the mixture of reactive polymer and monomer from the vessel to maintain a monomer concentration within the first vessel of at least 80% by weight of the polymerization medium within the first vessel;
- (d) transferring the mixture of reactive polymer and monomer removed from the first vessel to a second vessel;
- and
- (e) continuously terminating the reactive polymer prior to a total monomer conversion of 25% by weight based on the total weight of the original monomer feed.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.