Patent ID: 9574025
Date: 2017-02-21
CPC Classifications: C08F,C08J

Claim:
1. An improved continuous solution polymerization process wherein energy consumption is reduced, comprising: i) injecting ethylene, one or more aliphatic hydrocarbon solvents, a catalyst, optionally one or more α-olefins and optionally hydrogen into one or more upstream reactors operating at a temperature and pressure to produce an ethylene polymer in a single liquid phase solution, or optionally a two liquid phase solution; ii) injecting a catalyst deactivator, downstream of said one or more upstream reactors, into said single liquid phase solution, or optionally said two liquid phase solution, forming a deactivated reactor solution; iii) passing said deactivated reactor solution through a heat exchanger to increase the temperature, passing said deactivated reactor solution through a pressure let down device and collecting said deactivated reactor solution in a first V/L separator forming a first bottom stream of ethylene polymer rich solvents, ethylene, deactivated catalyst and optional α-olefins and a first gaseous overhead stream of ethylene, solvent, oligomers, optional α-olefins and optional hydrogen; iv) passing said first gaseous overhead stream to a distillation column, and passing said first bottom stream to a second V/L separator wherein a second gaseous overhead stream and a second bottom stream are formed; v) passing said second bottom stream, comprising molten ethylene polymer and deactivated catalyst, to a polymer recovery operation and condensing said second gaseous overhead stream to form a recovered solvent comprised essentially of solvents, ethylene, optional α-olefins and impurities if present, and collecting said recovered solvent in a recovered solvent drum; vi) passing from 0% to 40% of said recovered solvent to said distillation column and passing the remainder of said recovered solvent through a purification column to remove impurities, if present, forming a purified solvent; vii) optionally passing said purified solvent through an analytical device wherein chemical composition is determined and collecting said purified solvent in a purified solvent drum; viii) passing said purified solvent through a high pressure pump forming a pressurized solvent stream and injecting said pressurized solvent stream into said one or more upstream reactors.