Patent ID: 7794670

Claim:
Method of producing polymers in a gas phase polymerization reactor, the reactor having an elongated reactor body, defined by reactor walls, and an essentially vertically disposed central axis, the reactor comprising an upper part, in which a reactor bed of fluidized catalyst particles can be formed, and a lower part, in which monomer gas can be introduced, said upper and said lower parts being separated by a distribution plate having an annular opening along the reactor walls which promotes distribution into the fluidized bed of monomers flowing from the lower part into the upper part, the annular opening being formed between the periphery of the distribution plate edge and the reactor wall to allow at least 30% of the total flow of the gas stream to flow along the inside of the wall past the distribution plate, wherein said method comprises: feeding a gas stream containing one or more monomers into the lower part of the reactor; polymerizing the monomers on the catalyst particles to form a polymer; withdrawing unreacted monomers; and recovering the polymer, wherein the gas stream is fed into the lower part of the reactor along the periphery of the inside of the reactor walls past the abutting distribution plate to prevent the formation of stagnant zones in the fluidized bed at the reactor walls in the vicinity of the distribution plate, and a single distribution plate is used in the reactor body, wherein at least 30% of the total flow of gas through the distribution plate is conducted along the periphery of the inside of the reactor walls.