JP2009126908A - Polymerizer - Google Patents

Abstract

<P>PROBLEM TO BE SOLVED: To provide a polymerizer equipped with a vibration sensor functioning to detect cakes formed in producing a powdery polymer such as a polyolefin, and capable of preventing equipment damage and/or operation halt stemming from such cakes. <P>SOLUTION: The polymerizer is such that a polymerization vessel equipped with agitating blades is fed with raw material monomer(s) and a polymerization catalyst so as to contact with each other and the objective polymer is produced while agitating powder formed in the vessel with the agitating blades. This polymerizer is characterized by being equipped with a cake sensor functioning as follows: When cakes are formed in the vessel, vibrations generated on contact or collision of the cakes with the agitating blades are detected by a vibration sensor, an electric signal from the sensor is then transmitted to a detection mechanism to detect the amount of cakes formed; wherein the vibration sensor functions to detect vibrations with frequencies higher than 0 Hz but not higher than 10,000 Hz and is installed at a position on the outer surface of the vessel and in the proximity to the agitating blades. <P>COPYRIGHT: (C)2009,JPO&INPIT

Description

  The present invention relates to a polymerization reaction apparatus provided with a stirring blade, and more specifically, includes a vibration sensor for detecting an agglomerate generated when producing a powdered polymer such as polyolefin, and damages the apparatus due to the agglomerate. And a polymerization reaction apparatus that can prevent an emergency shutdown.

  When a raw material monomer and a polymerization catalyst are supplied to a polymerization reactor and brought into contact with each other to produce a powdery polymer such as polyolefin, the powder may agglomerate in the polymerization reactor. When the amount of the agglomerated material is small, the polymerization reactor can be operated continuously. However, when the amount of the agglomerated material increases, the production of the polymer is hindered, and finally the polymerization reactor is stopped to remove the agglomerated material. Need arises.

  Conventionally, several devices and methods for detecting agglomerates are known. For example, for piping having a vibration sensor in a pipe for transferring powder from a vertical polymerization reaction apparatus for producing polyolefin powder. Providing a blockage detection device has been proposed (see Patent Document 1). In this method, vibration of a fluid flowing through a pipe is measured by a vibration sensor, and the blockage of the pipe is detected based on an electric signal from the vibration sensor, and agglomerates are not directly detected.

  Further, as for detecting the agglomerate in the polymerization reaction apparatus itself, for example, it is possible to detect the agglomerate adhering to the inner wall by measuring the capacitance of the polymerization reactor in which the powder is fluidized. It has been proposed (see Patent Documents 2 and 3). This is to detect an agglomerate stuck to the inner wall of the polymerization reaction apparatus. Similarly, an apparatus that detects radiation using a radiation is also known as an agglomerate generated on the inner wall of the polymerization reaction apparatus (see Patent Document 4). Since all of these conventional techniques detect an attached lump, that is, a lump that does not move, the detection is relatively easy.

  In the production of polyolefin, apart from such a polymerization reactor, a polymerization reactor having a stirring blade in the polymerization reactor is also used. As such a type of polymerization reaction apparatus, for example, a horizontal reactor including a stirrer having a horizontal rotation shaft in a cylindrical container is known (see Patent Document 5). In this case, an agglomerate (hereinafter also simply referred to as an agglomerate) is generated in the horizontal reactor, and even if it is attached to the inner wall, it is scraped off by the rotation of the stirring blade. It will not adhere to. However, since the lump is moved by the stirring blade, the reflected wave and the absorption wave always change, so that it is difficult to detect by the conventional detection means. If such a lump remains in the polymerization reactor, the polymerization reaction field becomes non-uniform, which may make it difficult to produce a stable polymer. On the other hand, the lump is sent out of the reactor. Then, there is a risk of closing the next piping or gas separation device (blow case).

Therefore, even in a polymerization reactor having a stirring blade, a lump moving with the stirring blade can be easily detected, and a polymer having a stable property can be produced without making the polymerization reaction field uneven. Even if a lump is sent out of the reactor, it has been desired to develop a polymerization reaction apparatus that does not block the downstream piping or the gas separation device (blow case).
JP-A-6-174200 JP-A-4-361150 Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-86109 JP-A-57-28110 JP 63-22001 A

  An object of the present invention is to detect a movable agglomerate generated in a production process of a polymer in a polymerization reaction apparatus provided with a stirring blade for producing a powdery polymer. And when a lump occurs in the device, it is possible to issue an alarm or shut down the device when the amount of lump is likely to exceed the preset standard, preventing damage to the device It is possible to do that.

  As a result of intensive studies in view of the above problems, the inventors of the present invention, in a polymerization reaction apparatus equipped with a stirring blade, the powder produced in the polymerization reaction apparatus and the stirring blade contact or collide to generate vibration, When an agglomerate is generated, the agglomerate comes into contact with or collides with the stirring blade, and vibration is also generated in a specific frequency band different from the above. Therefore, the vibration in the specific frequency band is detected by a vibration sensor. As a result, the present inventors have found that the situation of occurrence can be accurately grasped and completed the present invention.

  That is, according to the first aspect of the present invention, the raw material monomer and the polymerization catalyst are supplied to a polymerization reactor equipped with a stirring blade and brought into contact with each other, and the powder produced in the polymerization reactor is stirred with the stirring blade. However, in the polymerization reaction apparatus for producing the polymer, when an agglomerate is generated in the polymerization reactor, vibration generated when the agglomerate contacts or collides with the stirring blade is detected by a vibration sensor. A polymerization reaction apparatus is provided, characterized by comprising an agglomerate detector for detecting the amount of agglomerate generated by transmitting the electrical signal to the detection means.

According to a second aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polymerization reaction apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the produced powder is a polypropylene polymer.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polymerization reaction apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the polymerization reactor is a horizontal reactor.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, there is provided the polymerization reaction apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the polymerization reactor is a horizontal reactor having a weir for restricting the movement of powder. The

According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, there is provided a polymerization reaction apparatus according to the first aspect, wherein the vibration sensor detects vibration at a frequency of more than 0 Hz and not more than 10,000 Hz. .
According to a sixth aspect of the present invention, in the first or fifth aspect, the vibration sensor is installed at a position close to the outer surface of the polymerization reactor and the stirring blade. An apparatus is provided.
According to a seventh aspect of the present invention, in the first aspect, the detection means includes a frequency band of 2000 to 3000 Hz and a frequency of 5000 to 9500 Hz among the frequency band signals transmitted from the vibration sensor. A polymerization reaction apparatus is provided, which detects a band signal as derived from an agglomerate.
Further, according to the eighth invention of the present invention, in the first invention, the signal of the agglomerate is received from the detection means, and the signal is close to the strength that damages the stirring blade or closes the polymerization apparatus. There is provided a polymerization reaction device comprising an alarm means for issuing an alarm in the event of a failure.

The polymerization reaction apparatus of the present invention is a polymerization reaction apparatus in which a raw material gas and a polymerization catalyst are brought into contact with each other in a polymerization reactor equipped with a stirring blade, and a polymer is produced while stirring the generated powder with a rotating stirring blade. A vibration sensor for detecting vibration caused by contact or collision of the agglomerate generated in the polymerization reactor with a stirring blade; and a detecting means for detecting the amount of agglomerate generated based on an electric signal from the vibration sensor. Therefore, it is possible to prevent the agitation blade from being damaged and the operation of the polymerization reaction apparatus from being stopped when the agglomerated material violently collides with the agitation blade.
Furthermore, by receiving an agglomerate signal from the detection means, and providing an alarm means for issuing an alarm when the signal is close to the strength that damages the stirring blade or closes the piping of the polymerization reactor, etc. The effect can be further ensured. In addition, in a polymerization reaction apparatus in which a plurality of polymerization reactors are connected in series, a high-quality polymer can be produced more stably and efficiently, and thus has great industrial value.

  Hereinafter, the polymerization reaction apparatus of the present invention will be described in detail for each item.

  The polymerization reaction apparatus of the present invention supplies a raw material monomer and a polymerization catalyst to a polymerization reactor equipped with a stirring blade and brings them into contact with each other, and produces a polymer while stirring the powder produced in the polymerization reactor with the stirring blade. In the polymerization reaction apparatus, when an agglomerate is generated in the polymerization reactor, a vibration sensor detects vibration caused by contact or collision of the agglomerate with a stirring blade, and an electric signal from the vibration sensor is detected. It is characterized by comprising an agglomerate detection device that transmits to the means and detects the amount of agglomerate generated.

The polymerization reaction apparatus used in the present invention is an apparatus for producing a powdery polymer such as polyolefin and polystyrene, and is preferably applied to an apparatus equipped with a stirring blade in a polymerization reactor.
The obtained powder (polymer) is preferably a polyolefin in which the same or different α-olefins having 4 to 20 carbon atoms are polymerized. Examples of the α-olefin include 1-butene and 1-hexene in addition to ethylene and propylene. 4-methyl-pentene-1, 1-octene-1, 1-decene, and the like. Examples include polyethylene, polypropylene, and propylene block copolymers. Particularly preferred are propylene polymers such as polypropylene and propylene block copolymers.

  As the polymerization reaction, any of a gas phase method, a slurry method, and a bulk method can be used as long as a powdery polymer is produced. In the slurry method and the bulk method, there is a double tube type like a loop type reactor as a reactor type, but in the present invention, it is applied to a vertical cylindrical stirring tank type reactor. Unlike the slurry method and the bulk method, the gas phase method is preferable in the present invention because vibration of the agglomerate can be detected effectively because there is little or no liquid in the polymerization reactor.

1. Polymerization reactor The polymerization reactor equipped with a stirrer is not particularly limited in shape, size, material, etc., as long as it is suitable for the reaction, depending on the raw materials used, reaction conditions, reaction form, products, etc. Can be arbitrarily selected and used. Although a horizontal reactor or a vertical reactor may be used, in the present invention, since the vibration generated by the contact or collision between the agglomerate and the stirring blade is detected by the vibration sensor, the horizontal reactor is preferable. In particular, a horizontal reactor equipped with a stirrer.

  Any arrangement of the polymerization reactors can be used as long as the object of the present invention is not impaired. One or a plurality of polymerization reactors may be used. As a method for further narrowing the residence time distribution without increasing the number of tanks, a weir for restricting the movement of powder can be provided in the polymerization reactor. As a form of the weir, a fixed weir fixed to the polymerization reactor may be used, or a rotating weir fixed to the rotating shaft may be used. When there are a plurality of polymerization reactors, they may be connected in series or in parallel. In particular, when a block copolymer of propylene and other monomers is produced, it is desirable to arrange them so as to include at least two polymerization reactors connected in series.

  In the present invention, the stirring blade may be attached to a rotating shaft driven by a motor, and the rotating shaft may be oriented in the vertical direction or the horizontal direction. As the shape of the stirring blade, an arbitrary one such as a paddle or a helical can be used. Among these, the method using the one in which a large number of paddle blades are attached to the rotating shaft oriented in the horizontal direction is most preferable.

As the polymerization method, either a batch method or a continuous method may be used, but from the viewpoint of productivity,
It is desirable to use a continuous process. As a particularly preferred example, a method of polymerizing by a continuous method using a polymerization reaction apparatus in which 2 to 4 polymerization reactors are connected in series can be exemplified.

  As the polymerization catalyst, a Ziegler catalyst or a supported metallocene catalyst is used. Examples of the Ziegler catalyst include a solid catalyst, an organoaluminum compound, and, if necessary, an electron donating compound. The solid catalyst is preferably pre-activated by further supporting a small amount of an olefin polymer. In addition, the metallocene catalyst is a catalyst using a transition metal compound having at least one conjugated five-membered ring. If this catalyst is used as a supported type, the resulting polymer becomes particulate and adheres to the reactor. In addition to eliminating fusion between the polymers, it is possible not only to transfer the force after polymerization but also to perform gas phase polymerization.

  The polymerization temperature is about 30 to 120 ° C, preferably about 50 to 90 ° C. The polymerization pressure is 0.1 to 6 MPa, preferably 0.1 to 4 MPa. Moreover, it is preferable to use a molecular weight (MFR) adjusting agent so that the fluidity of the polymer is appropriate, and hydrogen is preferable as the adjusting agent. The MFR (test conditions: 230 ° C., 2.16 kg load) depends on the use of the final polymer, but the preferred range is 0.1 to 3000 g / 10 minutes, preferably 0.1 to 2000 g / 10 minutes, more preferably 0.1 to 1000 g / 10 min.

  Next, a specific example of polypropylene production using the polymerization reaction apparatus of the present invention will be described with reference to the flow sheet shown in FIG. The polymerization reaction apparatus of the present invention comprises a horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5 having a stirring blade 7, a gas-liquid separation tank 8, a condenser 9, a compressor 13, a blow case 14, and the like. From the pipes 1 and 2, the preactivated solid catalyst and the organoaluminum compound are continuously supplied, and propylene is supplied from the pipe 11. The propylene can be supplied by any method such as a supply method for maintaining the reactor at a constant speed or constant pressure, a combination thereof, or a stepwise change.

  At this time, hydrogen gas is continuously supplied from the circulation pipe 12 so that the hydrogen concentration in the gas phase in the polymerization reactor is maintained at a predetermined hydrogen / propylene molar ratio, and the MFR of the first stage polymer is Adjusted. Inside the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5, a mixed phase of gas and powder is formed, and a circulating gas is supplied from the lower pipe 12 of the polymerization reactor, and a quench liquid such as liquefied propylene is supplied from the upper pipe 11. . The gas and vapor in the polymerization reactor 5 are freely circulated and mixed with each other throughout the vapor space. At this time, the reaction heat generated in the polymerization reactor 5 is removed by the latent heat of vaporization of the liquefied propylene. That is, it is injected from the top of the tank of the polymerization reactor 5 and comes into contact with the polymer particles and the raw material gas while being stirred by the stirring blade 7 to absorb heat for vaporization and remove the heat of polymerization reaction. The amount of liquefied propylene used in this case is required several times as much as the amount of polymer produced, and the amount of vaporized gas becomes very large. The polypropylene powder produced in the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5 is transported to the second-stage polymerization reaction apparatus as necessary due to the gravity difference and pressure difference between the polymerization reactor 5 and the blow case 14.

  Generally, catalyst particles gradually grow into polymer particles by a polymerization reaction. When propylene is polymerized in a horizontal polymerization reactor having a stirring blade as described above, these particles are gradually grown while being gradually grown by the two forces of formation of polypropylene by polymerization and mechanical stirring. Proceed along the axis of rotation. For this reason, particles having a uniform growth rate, that is, a residence time are aligned with time from the upstream side to the downstream side of the polymerization reactor. That is, in the horizontal polymerization reactor having a weir, the flow pattern is a piston flow type, and there is an effect of narrowing the residence time distribution to the same extent as when several complete mixing tanks are arranged in series. This is an excellent feature that cannot be seen in a polymerization reactor without a stirring blade, and a solid mixing degree equivalent to two, three or more polymerization reactors in a single polymerization reactor. Is economically advantageous in that it can be easily achieved.

  FIG. 2 shows the internal structure of a horizontal stirring polymerization reactor to which the present invention is applied. The interior of the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5 is divided into four sections by three fixed weirs 20, and 10 to 12 stirring blades 7 having a width w in the vertical and horizontal directions with respect to the rotating shaft 21 are attached to each section. Yes. There is a gap S between the stirring blade 7 having a width w and the fixed weir 20 having a thickness T, and there is a gap L between the stirring blade 7 and the inner wall of the polymerization reactor 5. When the polymer is polymerized in the polymerization reactor, particles having a uniform growth rate, that is, a residence time are produced side by side from upstream (left side) to downstream (right side).

  However, when agglomerates are generated in the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5 and the amount thereof is remarkably increased, the blow case 14 is closed, making it difficult to remove the polymer from the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5, a dryer, A situation occurs that clogs the rotary feeder of the storage tank.

2. Agglomerated substance detection apparatus The polymerization reaction apparatus of the present invention detects vibration generated by contact or collision of the agglomerated substance with a stirring blade when the agglomerated substance is generated in the polymerization reactor. Is transmitted to the detecting means to detect the amount of agglomerated material generated.

The vibration sensor used in the present invention converts contact sound or impact sound between the agglomerated product generated in the stirring polymerization reactor and the stirring blade into an electric signal. An electrical signal is a signal obtained by converting impact sound (vibration energy) into electrical energy such as electric power, current, voltage, etc. As a vibration sensor having such a function, for example, when vibration energy (stress) is applied, stress is applied. Examples include a piezoelectric element (piezoelectric transducer) that generates electrical polarization corresponding to the size of.
The type of the vibration sensor is not particularly limited, but vibration generated by contact or collision between the agglomerate and the stirring blade has a wide range of peaks, and thus vibrations exceeding 0 Hz and 10000 Hz or less can be detected. Those are preferred.

  The vibration sensor is disposed on the outer surface of the polymerization reactor 5 and is disposed in the vicinity of a stirring device disposed integrally with the polymerization reactor. One vibration sensor may be arranged at a place where a lump is likely to be generated, but two or more vibration sensors are preferably arranged. By detecting and comparing vibrations from a plurality of vibration sensors arranged at intervals, it is possible to more accurately grasp the position where a lump exists. In FIG. 1, three are attached to the outer surface (bottom) of the horizontal stirring reactor 1. For example, if only one vibration sensor is arranged at the right end of the polymerization reactor 5, even if a lump is generated near the left end of the polymerization reactor 5, that is, near the catalyst inlet, detection is delayed because the vibration sensor is too far away. The detection accuracy may decrease.

  In many vertical polymerization reactors having a vertical rotation axis, the stirring blades are long in the vertical direction and have baffle plates. In such a polymerization reactor of the slurry method or bulk method, one vibration sensor may be attached to the outer surface of the portion where the liquid phase of the polymerization reactor exists. However, since the inside of the polymerization reactor is a slurry containing a solvent, vibration detection accuracy is lower than in the case of the gas phase method. Therefore, it is preferable to select a vibration sensor with higher sensitivity, or attach the vibration sensor directly to the stirring blade or baffle plate inside the polymerization reactor.

In FIG. 1, three vibration sensors are attached to the outer surface (bottom) of the polymerization reactor 5, but either one or two can be operated or three can be operated simultaneously. The electrical signal from the vibration sensor 15 is converted into an AC signal by the converter 16 and input to the signal processing circuit 17. The electrical signal in the specific frequency band input by the signal processing circuit 17 is averaged and output to the computer 18.
The vibration frequency generated by the collision between the agglomerated material and the stirring blade also varies depending on the size of the lump and the number of lump. Therefore, first, measurement is performed with a vibration sensor in the absence of agglomerates, and this is again measured with a vibration sensor with the addition of agglomerates, and these are compared and contrasted. Must be preset for each polymerization reactor.
For example, FIG. 3 shows a device in which a vibration sensor is attached to the bottom of a horizontal polymerization reactor equipped with a stirring blade (paddle blade) that rotates around a horizontal axis, and there is no agglomeration with only polymer powder. It is a chart when driving | running and measuring the vibration which generate | occur | produces in that case with a vibration sensor. When the range of 0 to 10000 Hz is measured, vibration is observed at 1000 to 2000 Hz, and it can be seen that this is caused by the contact or collision between the polymer powder and the stirring blade.

On the other hand, FIG. 4 shows that a vibration sensor is attached to the bottom of a horizontal polymerization reactor provided with a stirring blade (paddle blade) that rotates around a horizontal axis, so that 1 / It is a chart when the apparatus is operated in the presence of 30 agglomerates and the vibration generated at that time is measured by a vibration sensor. When the range of 0 to 10,000 Hz is measured, vibration peaks are observed in the vicinity of 1000 to 2000 Hz, 2600 Hz, and 9200 Hz. By comparing with FIG. 3, it can be seen that the peaks near 2600 Hz and 9200 Hz were caused by contact or collision between the agglomerate and the stirring blade.
The frequency of vibration generated by the collision between the agglomerate and the stirring blade may vary depending on the hardness of the agglomerate and the material of the stirring blade. Depending on the polymerization reactor, if the mass of the agglomerate is the same, the material of the stirring blade is brittle, or the shape and dimensions of the stirring blade are susceptible to damage, even if the peaks near 2600 Hz and 9200 Hz are small, It may lead to damage.

  In the present invention, it is possible to use a program for observing vibrations derived from these agglomerates and issuing an alarm (alarm) or stopping the apparatus when the intensity reaches a certain level. It is determined whether or not the amplitude of the electrical signal from the vibration sensor has a predetermined magnitude, and the generation of a lump is detected according to the determination result. When the amplitude exceeds a preset level, a control signal to be described later is sent to the alarm means. At this time, even when the amplitude of the electric signal exceeds a preset level (frequency), it is determined that many lumps have been generated, and a control signal is sent to the alarm means. At this time, the electrical signal may be subjected to predetermined processing such as waveform shaping so that the electrical signal becomes an appropriate signal for analysis.

The alarm means continuously detects a signal in a frequency band of 1000 to 2000 Hz and 5000 to 9500 Hz among signals in a frequency band transmitted from the vibration sensor, and is in any frequency band of 2500 to 3000 Hz and 9000 to 9500 Hz. It is preferable to set so as to issue an alarm when the intensity of the signal becomes higher than the signal intensity in the frequency band of 1000 to 2000 Hz. That is, as an example, a program such as “alarm is issued when the vibration intensity near 2600 Hz and 9200 Hz becomes stronger than the vibration intensity near 1500 Hz” can be set. As described above, the frequency and intensity may vary depending on the type of reaction apparatus and stirring blade. Therefore, such a program performs a model test on each reaction apparatus in advance and sets an appropriate frequency and intensity. It will be.
The computer 18 can be programmed to accumulate data obtained by these operations, output the polymerization conditions when an alarm is issued, and refer to it whenever necessary. As a result, it is possible to estimate an operating condition in which a lump is likely to occur, and a more stable operation is possible.

  EXAMPLES Next, although an Example demonstrates this invention further in detail, this invention is not limited at all by these examples.

(Polymerization reactor)
The agglomerate detector according to the present invention is connected to the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5 (L / D = 3.7, internal volume 100 liters) having the stirring blade 7 (thickness 5 mm) made of stainless steel shown in FIG. Attached. Although not shown, weirs are provided near the entrances of the raw material liquefied propylene supply pipe 11 and the raw material mixed gas distribution pipe 12. The agglomerated substance detection device includes a vibration sensor 15, and the vibration sensor 15 was attached to the outer surface (three places) of the polymerization reactor 5. And the vibration when there was no lump and when the lump existed was measured with the vibration sensor of the agglomerated substance detection device, and it was confirmed that the lump had a weight of 1/30 of the powder as shown in FIG. .

(Polymerization process)
Polypropylene is polymerized while continuously supplying the preactivated solid catalyst and the organoaluminum compound from the pipes 1 and 2 and maintaining the reaction temperature of 65 ° C., the reaction pressure of 2.0 MPa, and the stirring speed of 35 rpm. It was. At this time, hydrogen gas is continuously supplied from the circulation pipe 12 so that the hydrogen concentration in the gas phase in the polymerization reactor is maintained at a predetermined hydrogen / propylene molar ratio, and the MFR of the first stage polymer is increased. Adjusted.
Inside the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5, a mixed phase of gas and powder was formed. A circulating gas was introduced from the lower part of the polymerization reactor, and liquefied propylene was introduced from the upper part. The polypropylene produced in the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5 was transported by the gravity difference and the pressure difference between the polymerization reactor 5 and the blow case 14.

(Block detection)
The vibration sensor 15 according to the present invention converts an impact sound between the agglomerated product and the stirring blade generated in the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5 into an electric signal. The electrical signal from the vibration sensor 15 is converted into an AC signal by the converter 16 and input to the signal processing circuit 17. The electrical signal in the specific frequency band input by the signal processing circuit 17 was averaged and output to the computer (PC) 18. Vibration peaks were observed in the 1000 to 2000 Hz region and in the vicinity of 2600 Hz and 9200 Hz. The vibration peak intensity at 2600 Hz was as strong as 1000 to 2000 Hz.
Therefore, when the operation of the polymerization reaction apparatus was stopped and the inside of the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor 5 was inspected, an agglomerate in an amount corresponding to 1/27 of the weight of the powder was generated in the reaction process.
Thus, it is possible to avoid a situation where the blow case 14 is blocked by the agglomerate generated in a large amount and it becomes difficult to withdraw the polymer from the polymerization reactor 5 and a situation where the rotary feeder of the dryer / storage tank is clogged. did it.

It is explanatory drawing which shows the structure which attached the agglomerate detection apparatus to the polymerization reaction apparatus provided with the stirrer of this invention. It is explanatory drawing which shows the internal structure of the horizontal stirring polymerization reactor to which this invention is applied. It is a chart when the vibration which generate | occur | produces when the stirring polymerization reaction apparatus of this invention is drive | operated in the state without an agglomerate is detected with the vibration sensor. It is a chart when the vibration which generate | occur | produces is detected with the vibration sensor when the stirring polymerization reaction apparatus of this invention is drive | operated in the state where powder and agglomerate exist.

Explanation of symbols

1 and 2: Catalyst component supply pipe 3: Raw material propylene supply pipe 4: Raw material supply pipe (hydrogen, etc.)
5: Polymerization reactor 6: Stirring motor 7: Stirring blade 8: Gas-liquid separation tank 9: Condenser 10: Unreacted gas extraction pipe 11: Raw material liquefied propylene supply pipe 12: Raw material mixed gas distribution pipe 13: Compressor 14: Blow case 15: Vibration sensor 16: Converter 17: Signal processing circuit 18: Computer (PC)
20: Fixed weir 21: Rotating shaft

Claims (8)

In a polymerization reactor for supplying a raw material monomer and a polymerization catalyst to a polymerization reactor equipped with a stirring blade and bringing them into contact with each other and producing a polymer while stirring the powder produced in the polymerization reactor with a stirring blade,
When an agglomerate is generated in the polymerization reactor, vibration generated when the agglomerate contacts or collides with a stirring blade is detected by a vibration sensor, and an electric signal from the vibration sensor is transmitted to a detection means. A polymerization reaction apparatus comprising an agglomerated substance detection device for detecting a generation amount of a chemical.   The polymerization reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the produced powder is a polypropylene-based polymer.   The polymerization reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the polymerization reactor is a horizontal reactor.   The polymerization reactor according to claim 3, wherein the polymerization reactor is a horizontal reactor having a weir for restricting the movement of powder.   The polymerization reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration sensor detects vibration at a frequency of more than 0 Hz and 10000 Hz or less.   6. The polymerization reaction apparatus according to claim 1, wherein the vibration sensor is installed at a position close to the outer surface of the polymerization reactor and the stirring blade.   The said detection means detects the signal of the frequency band of 2000-3000 Hz and the signal of the frequency band of 5000-9500 Hz among the signals of the frequency band transmitted from a vibration sensor as what originates in an agglomerate. Item 2. The polymerization reaction apparatus according to Item 1.   Further, it is provided with alarm means for receiving an agglomerate signal from the detection means and issuing an alarm when the signal damages the agitating blade or approaches the strength to block the piping downstream of the polymerization reaction apparatus. The polymerization reaction apparatus according to claim 1.

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