Inventors:
Patrick J. McGrath - Houston TX
Ronald J. Morris - Friendswood TX
Roy W. Kreitz - Pasadena TX
Assignee:
Equistar Chemicals L.P. - Houston TX
International Classification:
C08F 212
US Classification:
526 65, 526 70, 526352, 5263482, 5263483, 5263484, 5263855, 5263486, 5263522, 526903, 526905
Abstract:
The use of two or more light solvent boiling pool reactors in series allows polymerization of ethylene and comonomer(s) to cost effectively produce bimodal polyethylene copolymers having lower densities than are practically achievable with conventional stirred tank, slurry loop or gas phase reactor technologies. Introducing catalyst to only the first reactor, operating the first reactor at high hydrogen compositions, and using a plurality of series-connected flash drums to remove hydrogen from the first reactor polymer slurry product stream allows for the production of highly homogeneous high molecular weight bimodal polyethylene resins.