ISOBUTANE-CONTAINING INDUCED CONDENSING AGENTS IN FLUIDIZED BED POLYMERIZATION REACTIONS

摘要

Ethylene, alpha olefins, and other olefinically unsaturated monomers may be polymerized under fluidized bed polymerization reaction conditions in the presence of a Ziegler-Natta catalyst. A recycle stream featuring an induced condensing agent (ICA) comprising isobutane may increase catalyst productivity while maintaining quality of the polymer product, particularly when the recycle stream is delivered to a reactor containing the fluidized bed under conditions suitable to form a condensed or super-condensed mode in the recycle stream. The recycle stream may comprise unreacted olefinic monomers, and isobutane or a mixture of isobutane and isopentane.