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US 7,582,708 B2Granted
Bulk polymerization reactor methods
AssigneeBeta Technologie AG
InventorsGerald B. Eaton, Patrick Trainor
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A polymerization reactor having at least three side wall surfaces and a bottom wall surface forming a reservoir and at least one heat exchanger plate in fluid communication with a coolant source, wherein each of the at least one heat exchanger plate is disposed on a lid. The polymerization reactors of the present invention permit large amounts of polymer to be formed in each reactor batch. Preferably, polymers are formed in the polymerization reactor by bulk polymerization. Methods for forming polymers is also disclosed.
Claims27
A method of bulk polymerization of at least one alpha olefin monomer to form bulk polyalphaolefin polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
- combining at least one alpha olefin monomer having a mass and at least one catalyst having a mass in a reservoir cavity of a reservoir to form a polymerization reaction mixture having a combined mass within the reservoir cavity, the reservoir cavity being formed by at least three side walls and bottom wall;
- inserting at least one heat exchanger plate having an exchanger cavity in fluid communication with a coolant source into the reservoir cavity thereafter contacting the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture with the at least one heat exchanger plate disposed within the reservoir cavity;
- polymerizing the mass of the at least one alpha olefin monomer within the reservoir cavity with the at least one heat exchanger plate inserted into the reservoir cavity for achieving a conversion level of at least a majority of the mass of the alpha olefin monomer based on the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture to form a bulk polyalphaolefin polymer;
- maintaining the polymerization reaction mixture within the reservoir cavity for removing sufficient heat from the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture such that the center most region of the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture is sufficiently cooled to form a bulk polyalphaolefin;
- and
- removing the least one heat exchanger plate from the reservoir cavity such that the at least one heat exchanger plate and the reservoir cavity comprising a the side walls and the bottom wall can be reused and, thus, voluminous amounts of bulk polyalphaolefin polymer are created.
3 more elements
A method of bulk polymerization of at least one alpha olefin monomer to form bulk polyalphaolefin polymer having designed properties, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a reservoir cavity comprising a plurality of side walls and a bottom wall,
- inserting into the reservoir cavity at least one heat exchanger plate, the heat exchanger plate comprising an exchanger cavity in fluid communication with a coolant source and a plurality of exterior surfaces,
- combining at least one alpha olefin monomer having a mass and at least one catalyst having a mass to form an exothermic polymerization reaction mixture having a combined mass,
- injecting the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture into the reservoir cavity,
- dispersing the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture among the side walls, the bottom and the plurality of exterior surfaces of the heat exchanger plate such that the center most region of the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture is sufficiently cooled to synthesize bulk amounts of polyalphaolefin polymer with the designed properties,
- removing sufficient heat from the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture within the reservoir to control the exothermic polymerization reaction of the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture for maintaining a temperature suitable for production of polyalphaolefin polymer with the designed properties, and for a time sufficient to obtain such polymer,
- removing the at least one heat exchanger plate from the reservoir cavity for disengaging the at least one heat exchanger plate from the bulk polyalphaolefin polymer such that the at least one heat exchanger plate can be reused, and,
- removing the bulk polyalphaolefin polymer from the reservoir cavity such that the reservoir cavity comprising the plurality of side walls and the bottom wall can be reused whereby voluminous amounts of polyalphaolefin polymer with the designed properties are created.
5 more elements
A method of bulk polymerization of an alpha olefin monomer to form bulk polyalphaolefin polymer having designed properties, the method comprising the steps of:
- forming a reservoir cavity comprising a plurality of side walls and a bottom wall,
- disposing a removable film on a heat exchanger plate, the heat exchanger plate having an exchanger cavity and a plurality of exterior surfaces, the exchanger cavity is in fluid communication with a coolant source,
- inserting into the reservoir cavity the heat exchanger plate with the removable film disposed thereupon,
- combining the alpha olefin monomer having a mass and a catalyst having a mass to form an exothermic polymerization reaction mixture having a combined mass,
- injecting the polymerization reaction mixture into the reservoir cavity,
- dispersing the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture among the side walls, the bottom and the plurality of exterior surfaces of the heat exchanger plate for engagement of the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture with the removable film,
- removing sufficient heat from the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture such that the center most region of the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture is sufficiently cooled to synthesize bulk amounts of polyalphaolefin polymer with the designed properties,
- continuing removing heat from the combined mass of the polymerization reaction mixture for a length of time necessary for the alpha olefin monomer to be polymerized into bulk polyalphaolefin polymer with the designed properties,
- withdrawing the heat exchanger plate from the reservoir cavity for disengaging the heat exchanger plate from the removable film and thus from the bulk polyalphaolefin polymer such that the heat exchanger plate can be reused, and,
- removing the bulk polyalphaolefin polymer from the reservoir cavity such that the reservoir cavity comprising a plurality of side walls and a bottom wall can be reused whereby voluminous amounts of polyalphaolefin polymer with the designed properties are created.
7 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.