Patent ID: 9108891
Filing Date: 2015-08-18
Classification: B01D,B01J,C07C,C08F,Y02P

Abstract:
1. A process for component separation in a polymer production system, the process comprising: (a) separating a polymerization product stream into a gas stream and a polymer stream; (b) processing the gas stream in one or more distillation columns to yield a light hydrocarbon stream, wherein the light hydrocarbon stream comprises ethylene and ethane; (c) contacting at least a portion of the light hydrocarbon stream with a purged hydrocarbon adsorber to yield a loaded hydrocarbon adsorber and a non-adsorbed gas stream, wherein at least a portion of the ethane is adsorbed by the purged hydrocarbon adsorber at a first pressure to yield adsorbed ethane, and wherein the non-adsorbed gas stream comprises recovered ethylene, wherein the recovered ethylene comprises at least a portion of the ethylene of the light hydrocarbon stream; (d) contacting at least a portion of the loaded hydrocarbon adsorber with a sweeping gas stream at a second pressure to yield an unloaded hydrocarbon adsorber and a recovered adsorbed gas stream, wherein the recovered adsorbed gas stream comprises at least a portion of the sweeping gas stream and at least a portion of desorbed ethane, and wherein the desorbed ethane comprises at least a portion of the adsorbed ethane; and (e) contacting at least a portion of the unloaded hydrocarbon adsorber with at least a portion of the sweeping gas stream at the first pressure to yield the purged hydrocarbon adsorber and a spent sweeping gas.