Bulk polymerization reactors and methods for polymerization
A polymerization reactor having at least three side wall surfaces and a bottom wall surface forming a reservoir and at least one heat exchanger plate in fluid communication with a coolant source, wherein each of the at least one heat exchanger plate is disposed on a lid. The polymerization reactors of the present invention permit large amounts of polymer to be formed in each reactor batch. Preferably, polymers are formed in the polymerization reactor by bulk polymerization. Methods for forming polymers is also disclosed.
1 - 18 . (canceled)
19 . A method of bulk polymerization of at least one alpha olefin monomer to form a bulk polyalphaolefin polymer in a tank reactor, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) combining at least one alpha olefin monomer and at least one catalyst in a tank reactor having a reservoir cavity to form a polymerization reaction mixture, the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor being formed by at least three side walls and a bottom wall
(b) inserting at least one heat exchanger plate having an exchanger cavity in fluid communication with a coolant source into the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor thereby contacting the polymerization reaction mixture disposed within the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor;
(c) polvmerizing the at least one alpha olefin monomer within the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor with the at least one heat exchanger plate inserted into the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor for sufficient time to permit a majority of the at least one alpha olefin monomer to polymerize to form a bulk polyalphaolefin polymer; and
(d) removing the at least one heat exchanger plate from the polymerization reaction mixture disposed in the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor after sufficient time has passed to permit a majority of the at least one alpha olefin monomer to polymerize to form a bulk polyalphaolefin polymer.
20 . The method of polymerization of claim 19 , further comprising the step of disposing a removable film on each of the at least one heat exchanger plate prior to inserting the at least one heat exchanger plate into the reservoir cavity.
21 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 19 , wherein the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor is formed by four side wall surfaces.
22 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 19 , wherein the at least one heat exchanger plate is disposed along an inner wall surface of a lid.
23 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 22 , wherein the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor is formed by four side wall surfaces.
24 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 23 , wherein each of the four side wall surfaces of the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor has a square shape having a length and a height.
25 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 23 , wherein two of the four side wall surfaces of the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor include a length of at least two feet and a height of at least two feet; and
the other two of the four side wall surfaces of the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor include a length of at least three feet and a height of at least two feet.
26 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 25 , wherein the lid is rectangularly shaped having a length and a width, the length being at least three feet and the width being at least two feet.
27 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 22 , wherein the lid includes at least two heat exchanger plates.
28 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 27 , wherein each of the at least two heat exchanger plates are disposed at a distance of at least three inches from each other.
29 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 22 , wherein the lid includes a plate hanger assembly disposed along the inner wall surface for attaching each of the at least one heat exchanger plates to the inner wall surface of the lid.
30 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 22 , wherein each of the at least one heat exchanger plates is in fluid communication with a coolant inlet conduit and a coolant outlet conduit, thereby facilitating coolant to pass into and out of each of the at least one heat exchanger plates.
31 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 30 , wherein each of the coolant inlet conduits is in fluid communication with a coolant inlet manifold and each of the coolant outlet conduits is in fluid communication with a coolant outlet manifold.
32 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 31 , wherein the coolant inlet manifold and the coolant outlet manifold are in fluid communication with the coolant source.
33 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 22 , wherein the inner wall surface of the lid includes at least 6 heat exchanger plates.
34 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 22 , wherein the lid includes a heat exchanger, the heat exchanger having a heat exchanger assembly, a coolant inlet manifold in fluid communication with a coolant source, at least one coolant inlet conduit in fluid communication with at least one heat exchanger plate, at least one coolant outlet conduit in fluid communication with each of the at least one heat exchanger plates and in fluid communication with a coolant outlet manifold, the coolant outlet manifold being in fluid communication with the coolant source.
35 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 34 , wherein
the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor is formed by four side wall surfaces,
two of the four side wall surfaces of the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor having a length of at least two feet and a height of at least two feet,
the other two of the four side wall surfaces of the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor having a length of at least three feet and a height of at least two feet, and
the lid is rectangularly shaped having a length and a width, the length being at least three feet and the width being at least two feet.
36 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 22 , wherein at least one of the at least one heat exchanger plates includes a removable film.
37 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 34 , further comprising at least one coolant inlet manifold in fluid communication with the coolant source and at least one coolant outlet manifold in fluid communication with the coolant source.
38 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 37 , further comprising at least one coolant inlet conduit in fluid communication with the at least one coolant inlet manifold and in fluid communication with each of the at least one heat exchanger plates, and at least one coolant outlet conduit in fluid communication with the at least one coolant outlet manifold and in fluid communication with each of the at least one heat exchanger plates.
39 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 19 , wherein the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor is formed by four walls, each of the four walls having a length and a width, the length being at least 4 feet and the width being at least 2 feet.
40 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 19 , wherein at least one of the at least one heat exchanger plates includes a removable film.
41 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 19 , wherein the reservoir of the tank reactor further includes a lid, and
the lid is placed over the reservoir cavity of the tank reactor to close the reservoir cavity prior to forming the polymerization reaction mixture.
42 . A method of bulk polymerization of at least one alpha olefin monomer to form a bulk polyalphaolefin polymer, the method comprising the steps of:
(a) combining at least one alpha olefin monomer and at least one catalyst in a reservoir cavity of a reservoir to form a polymerization reaction mixture, the reservoir cavity being formed by at least three side walls and a bottom wall;
(b) inserting at least one heat exchanger plate having an exchanger cavity in fluid communication with a coolant source into the reservoir cavity thereby contacting the polymerization reaction mixture disposed within the reservoir cavity;
(c) maintaining the polymerization reaction mixture within the reservoir cavity during steps (a) and (b);
(d) polymerizing the polymerization reaction mixture within the reservoir cavity with the at least one heat exchanger plate inserted into the reservoir cavity for sufficient time to permit a majority of the at least one alpha olefin monomer to polymerize to form a bulk polyalphaolefin polymer; and
(d) removing the at least one heat exchanger plate from the reservoir cavity after sufficient time has passed to permit a majority of the at least one alpha olefin monomer to polymerize to form a bulk polyalphaolefin polymer.
43 . The method of bulk polymerization of claim 42 , wherein the reservoir further includes a lid the at least one heat exchanger plate begin disposed on the lid, and
Wherein the lid is placed over the reservoir cavity to close the reservoir cavity, thereby inserting the at least one heat exchanger plate into the reservoir cavity, prior to step (a).