Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C07—ORGANIC CHEMISTRY
  • C07C—ACYCLIC OR CARBOCYCLIC COMPOUNDS
  • C07C2/00—Preparation of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbons containing a smaller number of carbon atoms
  • C07C2/02—Preparation of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbons containing a smaller number of carbon atoms by addition between unsaturated hydrocarbons
  • C07C2/04—Preparation of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbons containing a smaller number of carbon atoms by addition between unsaturated hydrocarbons by oligomerisation of well-defined unsaturated hydrocarbons without ring formation
  • C07C2/06—Preparation of hydrocarbons from hydrocarbons containing a smaller number of carbon atoms by addition between unsaturated hydrocarbons by oligomerisation of well-defined unsaturated hydrocarbons without ring formation of alkenes, i.e. acyclic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
  • C07C2/08—Catalytic processes
  • C07C2/26—Catalytic processes with hydrides or organic compounds
  • C07C2/30—Catalytic processes with hydrides or organic compounds containing metal-to-carbon bond; Metal hydrides
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08F—MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS
  • C08F210/00—Copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond
  • C08F210/16—Copolymers of ethene with alpha-alkenes, e.g. EP rubbers

Definitions

• the present invention relates to a method for oligomerization or polymerization of ethylene and/or alpha-olefins utilizing reactor equipment and other equipment wherein starting material comprising monomer(s), catalyst, cocatalyst and solvent is transferred to a reactor equipment via first piping, and product material comprising oligomer and/or polymer, non-reacted monomer(s), catalyst, cocatalyst and solvent is discharged from the reactor equipment via second piping.
• DE 43 38 414 C1 discloses a process for the preparation of linear alpha-olefins by oligomerization of ethylene, wherein oligomerization takes place in the presence of an organic solvent and a homogenous liquid catalyst.
• a catalyst is utilized in that process comprising a zirconium component and an organoaluminum component which acts as a cocatalyst.
• Such oligomerization or polymerization methods are usually carried out in that starting material comprising monomer(s), catalyst, cocatalyst and solvent is transferred to a reactor equipment via first piping. After conversion in the reactor equipment, product material comprising oligomer and/or polymer, non-reacted monomer(s), catalyst, cocatalyst and solvent may be discharged from the reactor equipment and can be further processed. For example, in the product material the catalyst may be deactivated, the solvent may be separated and the oligomer and/or polymer may be fractionated.
• the oligomerization or polymerization plant has to be cleaned as fouling, or in the worst case plugging may occur, especially fouling at the reactor walls and the walls of the piping.
• This cleaning is usually achieved by flushing the pipings and the reactor equipment with a, preferably, hot flushing medium.
• This flushing medium may be any suitable solvent, preferably white oil can be used, which has, generally, to be imported into the plant.
• flushing of piping and equipment is especially relevant for that plant sections containing reactive organoaluminum components, such as aluminum alkyls, which act as a cocata- lyst or activator.
• organoaluminum components such as aluminum alkyls
• first piping, second piping, reactor equipment and/or other equipment are flushed with a product fraction obtained by said or a respective previous method prior to and/or after that oligomerization or polymerization method.
• flushing the plant before carrying out the method for oligomerization or polymerization utilizes a product fraction obtained in a respective previous method.
• Other equipment may be any equipment which is also provided in the oligomerization plant, such as storage vessels, lines, quenching units, separation units, etc.
• the method is the oligomerization of ethylene.
• the product fraction is obtained from the product material by further processing, preferably purification and/or separation. It is still preferred that the product fraction is a fraction of linear alpha-olefins (LAO).
• LAO linear alpha-olefins
• LAO fraction may be a heavier product fraction, preferably the fraction containing Ci 2 -C] 8 product.
• flushing is carried out for piping and equipment containing organoalumi- num compounds.
• the product fraction utilized for flushing is (re)processed in the method.
• one embodiment is characterized in that (re)processing comprises processing in a catalyst deactivation section, solvent removal and product separation section and/or discharge section.
• a specific product fraction obtained in the method for oligomeri- zation or polymerization can be suitably utilized as a flushing medium.
• the respective product fraction preferably a specific LAO-fraction in a method for oligomerization of ethylene containing C 12 -Cj 8 product, may be obtained within that method at a section before or after catalyst deactivation section, solvent removal and separation section and/or discharge section.
• the disposal of the flushing medium may thus be easily achieved within the oligomerization or polymerization plant in that the "contaminated" flushing medium is (re)processed in any of the plant sections following the reactor. Thus, no cost-intensive disposal of the flushing medium or its export is necessary.
• the inventive method is preferably suitable for flushing piping and equipment containing or- ganoaluminum components, such as aluminum alkyls, which are utilized in the oligomerization or polymerization method as cocatalyst. These reactive cocatalysts may thus be easily removed completely before the system is opened and exposed to atmosphere for maintenance.
• Figure 1 illustrates a reactor equipment 1 forming the basis reactor for oligomerization of ethylene to form linear alpha-olefins.
• Various piping 2, 3, 4, 5 is connected to that reactor equipment 1 for delivering monomer(s), catalyst and cocatalyst to the reactor and for removing reaction product from that reactor equipment 1.
• Additional piping may be provided, e.g. for delivering solvent.
• cocatalyst preferably an organoaluminum component is utilized which may be stored prior to introduction into the reactor equipment 1 in a cocatalyst containing vessel 6.
• the reaction product, non-reacted monomers), catalyst, cocatalyst and solvent may be discharged and may be transferred to a catalyst removal section 7 and afterwards to a product separation section 8 where the product may be separated into individual fractions.
• One product fraction, preferably a heavier product fraction of the oligomerization, such as the fraction containing C 12 -Ci 8 product, may be, at least partially, transferred back as a flushing medium into the organoaluminum component containing vessel (or any other equipment or piping containing cocatalyst or any other reactive component) for flushing the respective sections.
• a valve 9 is located in flushing line 10 so that flushing medium may be introduced into the cocatalyst vessel as desired.

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• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Organic Low-Molecular-Weight Compounds And Preparation Thereof (AREA)
• Polymerisation Methods In General (AREA)
• Low-Molecular Organic Synthesis Reactions Using Catalysts (AREA)
• Addition Polymer Or Copolymer, Post-Treatments, Or Chemical Modifications (AREA)
• Catalysts (AREA)

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• 2005
  • 2005-10-19 EP EP05022778A patent/EP1777210B1/en not_active Revoked
  • 2005-10-19 DE DE602005014647T patent/DE602005014647D1/de not_active Expired - Lifetime
• 2006
  • 2006-09-26 CN CN2006800389649A patent/CN101291894B/zh active Active
  • 2006-09-26 WO PCT/EP2006/009321 patent/WO2007045328A1/en not_active Ceased
  • 2006-09-26 JP JP2008535918A patent/JP2009511724A/ja active Pending
  • 2006-09-26 US US12/083,807 patent/US8093439B2/en active Active
  • 2006-09-26 ZA ZA200804037A patent/ZA200804037B/xx unknown
  • 2006-09-26 RU RU2008119480/04A patent/RU2422419C2/ru active
  • 2006-09-26 MY MYPI20081166A patent/MY145035A/en unknown

Patent Citations (1)

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