Patent ID: 9126878
Filing Date: 2015-09-08
Classification: B01D,B01J,C07C,C08F,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process for component separation in a polymer production system, comprising: (a) separating a polymerization product stream into a gas stream and a polymer stream, wherein the polymer stream comprises polyethylene, ethylene and ethane; (b) contacting at least a portion of the polymer stream with a purge gas to yield a purged polymer stream and a spent purge gas stream, wherein the purged polymer stream comprises polyethylene, and wherein the spent purge gas comprises purge gas, ethylene, and ethane; (c) contacting at least a portion of the spent purge gas stream with a temperature swing adsorber contactor (TSAC) to yield a loaded TSAC and a non-adsorbed gas stream, wherein at least a portion of the ethylene is adsorbed by the TSAC at a first temperature to yield TSAC-adsorbed ethylene, wherein a portion of the ethane is adsorbed by the TSAC at the first temperature to yield TSAC-adsorbed ethane, and wherein the loaded TSAC comprises TSAC-adsorbed ethylene and TSAC-adsorbed ethane; (d) heating at least a portion of the loaded TSAC to a second temperature to yield a regenerated TSAC, desorbed ethylene and desorbed ethane, wherein the desorbed ethylene comprises at least a portion of the TSAC-adsorbed ethylene, and wherein the desorbed ethane comprises at least a portion of the TSAC-adsorbed ethane; and (e) contacting at least a portion of the regenerated TSAC with a sweeping gas stream to yield a recovered adsorbed gas stream, wherein the recovered adsorbed gas stream comprises sweeping gas, recovered ethylene and recovered ethane, wherein the recovered ethylene comprises at least a portion of the desorbed ethylene, and wherein the recovered ethane comprises at least a portion of the desorbed ethane.