Catalyst activator

• US 9,192,906 B2
• Filed: 04/15/2015
• Issued: 11/24/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 11/30/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ineos Europe AG (Ineos AG)
• Original Assignee: Ineos Europe AG (Ineos AG)
• Inventors: King, Alex, Lee, Stephen Kevin, Walworth, Brent R.
• Primary Examiner(s): JOHNSON, EDWARD M
• Application Number:
  US14/686,956
• Publication Number:
  US 20150224465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 223 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00212 Plates; Jackets; Cylinders
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00415 electric resistance heaters
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00884 Means for supporting the bed of particles, e.g. grids, bars, perforated plates
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2208/00991 Disengagement zone in fluidised-bed reactors
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 23/26 Chromium
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 37/08 Heat treatment B01J37/0009, B01J37/0018 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/24 according to "fluidised-bed" technique B01J8/20 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 8/44 Fluidisation grids
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 10/00 Homopolymers and copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 4/24 Oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 4/78 selected from chromium, molybdenum or tungsten

Abstract

The invention relates generally to a catalyst activator, and in particular to a catalyst activator for heat conditioning a catalyst, comprising: a) a vessel for containing a catalyst charge having an internal diameter of at least 1.2 meters and/or an internal volume of at least 5 m³; b) a fluidization grid plate disposed in said vessel, said fluidization grid plate and having an upper major surface and a lower major surface; c) an array of generally conical depressions in said upper major surface that overlap by less than 17%; and d) an array of holes perforating said fluidization grid plate, said holes extending from at least some of said generally conical depressions through said lower surface.

Claims

1. A catalyst activator vessel, comprising:

a) a vessel for containing a catalyst charge having an internal diameter of at least 1.2 meters and/or an internal volume of at least 5 m³;

b) a fluidisation grid plate disposed in said vessel, said fluidisation grid plate and having an upper major surface and a lower major surface;

c) an array of generally conical depressions in said upper major surface that overlap by less than 17%; and

d) an array of holes perforating said fluidisation grid plate, said holes extending from at least some of said generally conical depressions through said lower surface.

2. A catalyst activator according to claim 1 wherein the array of generally conical depressions are a regular triangular array.

3. A catalyst activator according to claim 1 wherein the array of generally conical depressions overlap by at least 15.5%, preferably in the range 15.6% to 16.5%.

4. A catalyst activator according to claim 1 wherein the vessel for containing a catalyst charge has an internal diameter of at least 1.2 meters, preferably at least 1.5 meters and/or up to 3 meters, and more preferably in the range 1.5 to 2.5 meters.

5. A catalyst activator according to claim 1 wherein the vessel for containing the catalyst charge is an inner vessel and is surrounded by an outer vessel, the gap between them forming a flue.

6. A catalyst activator according to claim 1 wherein holes extend through said lower surface from each generally conical depression in the upper surface, and thereby form an array of a fluid paths extending upwardly through each of said holes and said generally conical depressions.

7. A catalyst activator according to claim 1 wherein the pitch or spacing, being the distance between the centres of adjacent depressions, is between 2.5 and 5 cm, preferably in the range 3.5 to 4.5 cm.

8. A catalyst activator according to claim 1 wherein the nominal thickness of the fluidisation grid plate is in the range 35 to 100 mm, and more preferably from 40 mm and/or up to 65 mm.

9. A catalyst activator according to claim 1 wherein the depths of the generally conical depressions, as measured from the nominal upper surface, are less than 70% of the nominal plate thickness, preferably less than 60% and more preferably less than 50% of the nominal plate thickness.

10. A process for activating a polymerisation catalyst, which process uses a catalyst activator vessel according to claim 1.

11. A process according to claim 10 comprising:

a) providing said catalyst activator vessel for heat conditioning the catalyst;

b) introducing into said vessel a catalyst charge;

c) introducing a fluidising medium into said vessel through the fluidisation grid plate in order to fluidise said catalyst charge, and

d) heating the fluidised bed of the catalyst to activate said catalyst.

12. A process according to claim 10 wherein the catalyst is a supported chromium oxide polymerisation catalyst.

13. A process according to claim 10 wherein heating the fluidised bed of the catalyst to activate said catalyst comprises heating the fluidised bed of the catalyst particles to a temperature in the range of 50 to 1000°

C. and holding for 1 to 72 hours at said temperature.

14. A process according to claim 10 wherein the height of the fluidised bed of catalyst is at least twice the diameter of the fluidisation zone, such as at least three times the diameter, for example at least four times the diameter.

15. A process according to claim 10 wherein the array of generally conical depressions are a regular triangular array.

16. A process according to claim 10 wherein the array of generally conical depressions overlap by at least 15.5%, preferably in the range 15.6% to 16.5%.

17. A process according to claim 10 wherein the vessel for containing a catalyst charge has an internal diameter of at least 1.2 meters, preferably at least 1.5 meters and/or up to 3 meters, and more preferably in the range 1.5 to 2.5 meters.

18. A process according to claim 10 wherein the vessel for containing the catalyst charge is an inner vessel and is surrounded by an outer vessel, the gap between them forming a flue.

19. A process according to claim 10 wherein holes extend through said lower surface from each generally conical depression in the upper surface, and thereby form an array of a fluid paths extending upwardly through each of said holes and said generally conical depressions.

20. A process according to claim 10 wherein the pitch or spacing, being the distance between the centres of adjacent depressions, is between 2.5 and 5 cm, preferably in the range 3.5 to 4.5 cm.

21. A process according to claim 10 wherein the nominal thickness of the fluidisation grid plate is in the range 35 to 100 mm, and more preferably from 40 mm and/or up to 65 mm.

22. A process according to claim 10 wherein the depths of the generally conical depressions, as measured from the nominal upper surface, are less than 70% of the nominal plate thickness, preferably less than 60% and more preferably less than 50% of the nominal plate thickness.