Reactor cleaning process and composition
A process of cleaning a reactor includes providing an alcohol-containing material to the reactor; and providing a metathesis catalyst to the reactor. The reactor contains a high molecular weight polymer gel and an organoaluminum material. The alcohol-containing material is not an alkyl tartrate and may be selected from triisopropanolamine, 4-tert-butylcatechol, isopropanol, and phenol formaldehyde resins.
1 . A process of cleaning a reactor containing a polymer gel and an organoaluminum material, the process comprising:
providing an alcohol-containing material to the reactor in an amount of from about 1 to about 1000 mol per mol of the organoaluminum material; and
providing a metathesis catalyst to the reactor;
wherein the alcohol-containing material is not an alkyl tartrate.
2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the alcohol-containing material is provided to the reactor before the metathesis catalyst.
3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the alcohol-containing material and the metathesis catalyst are provided to the reactor in the same composition.
4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the alcohol-containing material is selected from the group consisting of triisopropanolamine, 4-tert-butylcatechol, isopropanol, and phenol formaldehyde resins.
5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the alcohol-containing material is provided at least about 10 minutes prior to the metathesis catalyst.
6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the alcohol-containing material is provided at least about 20 minutes prior to the metathesis catalyst.
7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the metathesis catalyst is provided in an amount of about 0.1 to about 25 grams per gallon of fouling.
8 . A process of cleaning a reactor containing a polymer gel and an organoaluminum material, the process comprising:
providing an alcohol-containing material to the reactor; and
providing a metathesis catalyst to the reactor;
wherein the alcohol-containing material is not an alkyl tartrate, wherein the alcohol-containing material is selected from a polymer or a catechol compound.
9 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising:
recovering polymer after the alcohol-containing material and the metathesis catalyst are provided.
10 . The process of claim 9 , wherein the recovered polymer has a number average molecular weight (M n ) in a range of about 10,000 to about 100,000 g/mol.
11 . The process of claim 9 , wherein the process recovers about 60% to about 90% of the polymer by weight.
12 . A polymerization and reactor cleaning process comprising in sequence:
polymerizing at least one monomer in the presence of a catalyst system comprising an organoaluminum compound;
providing an alcohol-containing material to the reactor, wherein the alcohol-containing material is provided to the reactor in an amount of from about 1 to about 1000 mol per mol of organoaluminum material in the reactor;
providing a ruthenium-containing metathesis catalyst to the reactor; and
recovering a polymer from the reactor.
13 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the alcohol-containing material is selected from the group consisting of triisopropanolamine, 4-tert-butylcatechol, isopropanol, and phenol formaldehyde resins.
14 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the recovered polymer has a number average molecular weight (M n ) in a range of about 10,000 to about 100,000 g/mol.
15 . The process of claim 12 , wherein the process recovers about 60% to about 90% of the polymer by weight.