# US 8,569,433 B2 · Energy efficient polyolefin process > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,569,433 B2 - Document ID: US8569433B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/656,357 - Filed: 2012-10-19 - Published: 2013-03-07 - Granted: 2013-10-29 - Earliest claimed: 2004-08-27 - Assignees: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP - Applicants: Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP; Penny A. Zellers - Inventors: Robert R. McElvain; John D. Hottovy; Ralph W. Romig; Donald W. Verser; David H. Burns; John H. Tait; Richard Peacock; James E. Hein; Scott E. Kufeld; Carl W. Fenderson; Anurag Gupta; Dale A. Zellers - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8569433B2 ## CPC - B01J 19/0013: {Controlling the temperature of the process} - B01J 8/0015: {Feeding of the particles in the reactor; Evacuation of the particles out of the reactor} - B01J 19/1837: {Loop-type reactors} - B01J 19/2455: {provoking a loop type movement of the reactants (tubular loop-type reactors B01J19/2435; loop reactors having moving elements inside B01J19/1868)} - C08F 2/01: characterised by special features of the polymerisation apparatus used - C08F 6/003: {from polymer solutions, suspensions, dispersions or emulsions without recovery of the polymer therefrom} - C08F 10/00: Homopolymers and copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond - B01J 2208/00212: Plates; Jackets; Cylinders - B01J 2208/00752: Feeding - B01J 2219/00006: Large-scale industrial plants - B01J 2219/0236: Metal based - C08F 110/02: Ethene - B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS - C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS ## Abstract A manufacturing system for producing polyolefin includes a polymerization reactor, a flash chamber, and a purge column. In certain embodiments, the purge column may receive a solids stream directly from the flash chamber. Further, the purge column may function as a feed tank for an extruder within an extrusion/loadout system. According to certain embodiments, the manufacturing system may be configured to consume less than 445 kilowatt-hours of energy per metric ton of polyolefin produced based on consumption of electricity, steam, and fuel gas. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A method for operating a polyolefin manufacturing process, comprising: polymerizing a monomer in a polymerization reactor to produce a slurry comprising polyolefin particles and diluent; separating a majority of the diluent from the polyolefin particles of the slurry in a flash chamber to produce a flash stream comprising separated diluent, and a solids stream comprising the polyolefin particles and residual diluent; purging the solids stream in a purge column to generate a discharge stream comprising the residual diluent, and to generate a fluff stream comprising the polyolefin particles, wherein the purge column receives the solids stream directly from the flash chamber; feeding the discharge stream from the purge column to a fractionation system; extruding the polyolefin particles of the fluff stream in an extruder to form extruded polyolefin; and pelletizing the extruded polyolefin in a pelletizer to produce polyolefin pellets. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising consuming less than approximately 325 kilowatt-hours of electricity per metric ton of polyolefin pellets produced. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising consuming less than approximately 144 kilograms of steam per metric ton of polyolefin pellets produced. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising consuming less than approximately 2.8 kilograms of fuel gas per metric ton of polyolefin pellets produced. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising employing the purge column as a feed tank for the extruder and utilizing a pressure in the flash chamber to convey the polyolefin particles to the purge column. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising conveying the polyolefin pellets from the pelletizer to pellet silos via a pellet water pump. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The method of claim 1, comprising continuously discharging the solids stream from the flash chamber to the purge column. ### Claim 8 A method for operating a polyolefin manufacturing process, comprising: polymerizing a monomer in a polymerization reactor to produce a slurry comprising polyolefin particles and diluent; separating a majority of the diluent from the polyolefin particles of the slurry in a flash chamber to produce a flash stream comprising separated diluent, and a solids stream comprising the polyolefin particles and residual diluent; purging the solids stream in a purge column to generate a discharge stream comprising the residual diluent, and to generate a fluff stream comprising the polyolefin particles, wherein the purge column receives the solids stream directly from the flash chamber; extruding the polyolefin particles of the fluff stream in an extruder to form extruded polyolefin; pelletizing the extruded polyolefin in a pelletizer to produce polyolefin pellets; and; conveying the polyolefin pellets from the pelletizer to pellet silos via a pellet water pump. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, comprising consuming less than approximately 325 kilowatt-hours of electricity per metric ton of polyolefin pellets produced. ### Claim 10 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, comprising consuming less than approximately 144 kilograms of steam per metric ton of polyolefin pellets produced. ### Claim 11 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, comprising consuming less than approximately 2.8 kilograms of fuel gas per metric ton of polyolefin pellets produced. ### Claim 12 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, comprising employing the purge column as a feed tank for the extruder and utilizing a pressure in the flash chamber to convey the polyolefin particles to the purge column. ### Claim 13 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, comprising continuously discharging the solids stream from the flash chamber directly to the purge column via a solids discharge conduit. ### Claim 14 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, comprising continuously discharging the slurry from the polymerization reactor. ### Claim 15 (depends on 8) The method of claim 8, comprising producing at least approximately 600 million pounds of polyolefin pellets per year. ### Claim 16 A method for operating a polyolefin manufacturing process, comprising: polymerizing a monomer in a polymerization reactor to produce a slurry comprising polyolefin particles and diluent; separating a majority of the diluent from the polyolefin particles of the slurry in a flash chamber to produce a flash stream comprising separated diluent, and a solids stream comprising the polyolefin particles and residual diluent; purging the solids stream in a purge column to generate a discharge stream comprising the residual diluent, and to generate a fluff stream comprising the polyolefin particles; and feeding the discharge stream from the purge column to a fractionation system. ### Claim 17 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, comprising receiving the solids stream directly from the flash chamber in an extrusion/loadout system. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, comprising extruding the polyolefin particles of the fluff stream in an extruder to form extruded polyolefin. ### Claim 19 (depends on 18) The method of claim 18, comprising pelletizing the extruded polyolefin in a pelletizer to produce polyolefin pellets. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) The method of claim 19, comprising consuming less than approximately 445 kilowatt-hours of energy per metric ton of polyolefin pellets produced based on consumption of electricity, steam, and fuel gas.