PROCESS FOR FLUSHING AN OLIGOMERIZATION REACTOR AND OLIGOMERIZATION OF AN OLEFIN
A process for flushing an oligomerization reactor is described, including flushing the oligomerization reactor with a flushing medium comprising C 6 linear alpha olefins, C 8 linear alpha olefins, C 10 linear alpha olefins, or a combination including at least one of the foregoing, to provide a purge stream comprising the C 6 linear alpha olefins, C 8 linear alpha olefins, C 10 linear alpha olefins, or a combination including at least one of the foregoing, and a polymer byproduct of an oligomerization reaction. A process for the oligomerization of an olefin is also described, wherein the process includes oligomerizing the olefin in the reactor to form a reaction product stream comprising linear alpha olefins, and subsequently flushing the oligomerization reactor according to the process disclosed herein.
1 . A process for flushing an oligomerization reactor, comprising:
flushing the oligomerization reactor with a flushing medium comprising C 6 linear alpha olefins, C 8 linear alpha olefins, C 10 linear alpha olefins, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, to provide a purge stream comprising the C 6 linear alpha olefins, C 8 linear alpha olefins, C 10 linear alpha olefins, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, and a polymer byproduct of an oligomerization reaction.
2 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising
contacting, in a separation system, the purge stream with a C 8 + product fraction from an olefin oligomerization process to form a first intermediate stream;
separating the first intermediate stream to provide a C 6-10 linear alpha olefin fraction, and a heavy stream comprising a C 12 + product fraction and the polymer byproduct; and
recycling at least a portion of the C 6-10 linear alpha olefin fraction to a reactor flushing system.
3 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising combining the purge stream with a C 12 + product fraction from an oligomerization process.
4 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising recovering the C 6 linear alpha olefins, C 8 linear alpha olefins, C 10 linear alpha olefins, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing from the purge stream.
5 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising disposing of the purge stream, preferably by incineration.
6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the flushing medium comprises C 6 linear alpha olefins.
7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the flushing medium comprises C 8 linear alpha olefins.
8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the flushing medium comprises C 10 linear alpha olefins.
9 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the flushing medium comprises C 8-10 linear alpha olefins.
10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein flushing the oligomerization reactor occurs after the reactor is used to perform an oligomerization of an olefin to provide a linear alpha olefin product.
11 . The process of claim 10 , wherein the olefin is ethylene.
12 . The process of claim 10 , wherein the oligomerization is a selective trimerization or tetramerization, preferably a selective trimerization.
13 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the polymer byproduct comprises polyethylene.
14 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the separation system comprises one or more distillation columns, a thin film vaporizer, a wiped film vaporizer, a falling film vaporizer, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.
15 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the flushing medium excludes a solvent.
16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the flushing medium excludes a solvent selected from toluene, xylenes, benzene, and a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.
17 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the flushing medium excludes C 12 + linear alpha olefins.
18 . The process of claim 1 , wherein flushing the oligomerization reactor is at a temperature of 150 to 200° C.
19 . A process for flushing an oligomerization reactor, comprising:
flushing the oligomerization reactor with a flushing medium comprising C 6 linear alpha olefins, C 8 linear alpha olefins, C 10 linear alpha olefins, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, to provide a purge stream comprising the C 6 linear alpha olefins, C 8 linear alpha olefins, C 10 linear alpha olefins, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, and a polymer byproduct;
contacting, in a separation system, the purge stream with a C 8 + product fraction from an olefin oligomerization process to form a first intermediate stream;
separating the first intermediate stream to provide a C 6-10 linear alpha olefin fraction, and a heavy stream comprising a C 12 + product fraction and the polymer byproduct; and
recycling at least a portion of the C 6-10 linear alpha olefin fraction to a reactor flushing system.
20 . A process for oligomerization of an olefin, comprising:
oligomerizing the olefin in the reactor to form a reaction product stream comprising linear alpha olefins;
separating a C 4-6 linear alpha olefin product fraction from the reaction product stream to provide a first stream comprising a C 8 + product fraction;
subsequent to oligomerizing the olefin in the reactor, flushing the reactor with a flushing medium comprising C 6 linear alpha olefins, C 8 linear alpha olefins, C 10 linear alpha olefins, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, to provide a purge stream comprising the C 6 linear alpha olefins, C 8 linear alpha olefins, C 10 linear alpha olefins, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing, and a polymer byproduct;
contacting in a separation system the purge stream with the C 8 + product fraction to form a first intermediate stream;
separating the first intermediate stream to provide a C 6-10 linear alpha olefin fraction, and a heavy stream comprising a C 12 + product fraction and the polymer byproduct; and
recycling at least a portion of the C 6-10 linear alpha olefin fraction to a reactor flushing system.