Process for monomer recovery from a polymerization process
First Claim
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1. A process for the recovery of unreacted monomers from a slurry polymerization process comprising:
- (a) recovering a fluid stream from a polymer slurry comprising essentially liquid diluent, unreacted monomer, comonomers and solid polyolefin particles, by separating at least a majority of the diluent and unreacted monomer and comonomers from said polyolefin solid particles;
(b) distilling said fluid stream, and withdrawing from said distillation a bottom stream comprising C4-10 hydrocarbons, and an overhead stream comprising unreacted monomer and diluent;
(c) distilling said overhead stream and withdrawing (i) a bottom stream comprising substantially olefin-free hydrocarbon diluent, optionally a side stream comprising hydrocarbon diluent, and (ii) an overhead vapor stream comprising unreacted monomer and light gas;
(d) contacting said removed overhead vapor stream in a gas-liquid absorption zone with a scrub liquid comprising at least one C4-10 hydrocarbons, thereby absorbing at least a portion of the unreacted monomers in said scrub liquid; and
(e) withdrawing from said absorption zone (i) a vapor overhead and (ii) an absorber bottoms scrub liquid comprising said C4-10 hydrocarbons and said unreacted monomer, wherein the bottom stream of step (b) comprising C4-10 hydrocarbons, is combined with makeup scrub liquid and cooled to provide said scrub liquid feed to said gas-liquid absorption zone.
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Abstract
The present relates to a process for optimizing the recovery of unreacted monomers from a polymerization process, wherein said process comprises the steps of
- recovering a fluid stream generated by the separation of the polyolefin product from the polymerization fluid comprising unreacted monomers and optionally comonomers;
- contacting said fluid stream in an absorption zone with a scrub liquid comprising at least one C4-10 hydrocarbons, thereby absorbing at least a portion of the unreacted monomers in said scrub liquid; and
- withdrawing from said absorption zone (i) a vapor overhead comprising light gas and (ii) an absorber bottoms scrub liquid comprising said C4-10 hydrocarbons and said unreacted monomer; thereby recovering said unreacted monomer in said absorber bottoms scrub liquid comprising said C4-10 hydrocarbons.
The present invention also concerns a process for the recovery of unreacted monomers from a gas phase or slurry polymerization process, and also concerns a process for the production of polyolefins.
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Citations
6 Claims
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1. A process for the recovery of unreacted monomers from a slurry polymerization process comprising:
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(a) recovering a fluid stream from a polymer slurry comprising essentially liquid diluent, unreacted monomer, comonomers and solid polyolefin particles, by separating at least a majority of the diluent and unreacted monomer and comonomers from said polyolefin solid particles; (b) distilling said fluid stream, and withdrawing from said distillation a bottom stream comprising C4-10 hydrocarbons, and an overhead stream comprising unreacted monomer and diluent; (c) distilling said overhead stream and withdrawing (i) a bottom stream comprising substantially olefin-free hydrocarbon diluent, optionally a side stream comprising hydrocarbon diluent, and (ii) an overhead vapor stream comprising unreacted monomer and light gas; (d) contacting said removed overhead vapor stream in a gas-liquid absorption zone with a scrub liquid comprising at least one C4-10 hydrocarbons, thereby absorbing at least a portion of the unreacted monomers in said scrub liquid; and (e) withdrawing from said absorption zone (i) a vapor overhead and (ii) an absorber bottoms scrub liquid comprising said C4-10 hydrocarbons and said unreacted monomer, wherein the bottom stream of step (b) comprising C4-10 hydrocarbons, is combined with makeup scrub liquid and cooled to provide said scrub liquid feed to said gas-liquid absorption zone. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6)
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Specification