Process for catalyst activation

• US 9,440,211 B2
• Filed: 10/22/2015
• Issued: 09/13/2016
• 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:
  US14/919,853
• Publication Number:
  US 20160038900A1
• Time in Patent Office: 327 Days
• Field of Search: 502/439
• 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 process for activating a batch of polymerisation catalyst which comprises fluidising the batch of polymerisation catalyst in a fluidisation zone of an activator vessel, wherein the activator vessel comprises a fluidisation zone and a disengagement zone above the fluidisation zone, the diameter of the fluidisation zone of the activator vessel being at least 1 m, the height of the fluidised bed of catalyst being at least twice the diameter of the fluidisation zone and the height of the disengagement zone being between 1 to 3 m.

2. A process according to claim 1 wherein the height of the fluidised bed of catalyst is at least three times the diameter, for example at least four times the diameter.

3. A process according to claim 1 wherein the height of the fluidised bed of catalyst is between 2 and 8 m, and preferably between 4 and 8 m.

4. A process according to claim 1 wherein the expansion on fluidisation is above 100%, such as at least 120%.

5. A process according to claim 1 wherein the diameter of the fluidisation zone of the activator vessel is at least 1.2 m, and preferably at least 1.5 m.

6. A process according to claim 1 wherein the settled bed has a depth between 1.8 and 3 m.

7. A process according to claim 1 wherein the settled bed has a bulk volume of greater than 1.5 m³.

8. A process according to claim 1 wherein the height of the disengagement zone is between 1 to 2 bed diameters.

9. A process according to claim 1 wherein the height of the disengagement zone is between 0.25 to 0.75 times the height of the fluidisation zone.

10. A process according to claim 1 wherein the disengagement zone has the same cross-sectional area as the fluidisation zone such that the fluidisation zone and disengagement zone form a single cylindrical activator vessel having a total height between 3 and 11 m.

11. A process for activating a batch of polymerisation catalyst which comprises fluidising the batch of polymerisation catalyst in a fluidisation zone of an activator vessel, the diameter of the fluidisation zone of the activator vessel being at least 1.2 m and the height of the fluidised bed of catalyst being at least twice the diameter of the fluidisation zone.

12. A process according to claim 11 wherein the height of the fluidised bed of catalyst is at least three times the diameter, for example at least four times the diameter.

13. A process according to claim 11 wherein the height of the fluidised bed of catalyst is between 2 and 8 m, and preferably between 4 and 8 m.

14. A process according to claim 11 wherein the expansion on fluidisation is above 100%, such as at least 120%.

15. A process according to claim 11 wherein the diameter of the fluidisation zone of the activator vessel is at least 1.5 m.

16. A process according to claim 11 wherein the settled bed has a depth between 1.8 and 3 m.

17. A process according to claim 11 wherein the settled bed has a bulk volume of greater than 1.5 m³.

18. A process according to claim 11 wherein the activator vessel comprises a fluidisation zone and a disengagement zone above the fluidisation zone, the height of the disengagement zone being between 1 to 3 m.

19. A process according to claim 11 wherein the activator vessel comprises a fluidisation zone and a disengagement zone above the fluidisation zone, the height of the disengagement zone being between 1 to 2 bed diameters.

20. A process according to claim 11 wherein the activator vessel comprises a fluidisation zone and a disengagement zone above the fluidisation zone, the disengagement zone having the same cross-sectional area as the fluidisation zone such that the fluidisation zone and disengagement zone form a single cylindrical activator vessel having a total height between 3 and 11 m.