This invention relates to a robotic device 10.1, 10.2 and method for handling catalyst material 106, 206 in a reactor 100 by removing spent catalyst from the reactor and/or loading the reactor with fresh catalyst without an operator having to enter an interior of the reactor which increases operator safety. The robotic device includes a body 12, which is configured to engage a flange 104 of the reactor, and a handling arm which is configured for use both as a cleaning arm 18 and a loading arm 218. The handling arm is connected to the body and is angularly and longitudinally displaceable relative to the body. The handling arm has a segment which is telescopically extendible/retractable relative to the body. When used as a cleaning arm, the arm receives a vacuum line for removing catalyst. When used as a loading arm, a telescopic loading sleeve is connected to the segment.

The number of small gels that form in polyolefin thin films may be reduced by altering certain production parameters of the polyolefin. In some instances, the number of small gels may be influenced by the melt index of the polyolefin. However, in many instances, melt index is a critical part of the polyolefin product specification and, therefore, is not manipulated. Two parameters that may be manipulated to mitigate small gel count while maintaining the melt index are polyolefin residence time in the reactor and ICA concentration in the reactor.

Polyolefin polymerization performed by contacting in a reactor an olefin monomer and optionally a comonomer with a catalyst system in the presence of induced condensing agents (ICA) and optionally hydrogen. The ICA may include two or more ICA components where the composition of the ICA (i.e., the concentration of each ICA component) may affect the polyolefin production rate. Changes to the relative concentration of the two or more ICA components may be according to ICA equivalency factors that allow for increasing the polyolefin production rate while maintain a sticking temperature, increasing polyolefin production rate while increasing the dew point approach temperature of the ICA, or a combination thereof.

A solid powder reactor includes: a reaction kettle, including a hollow kettle body and covers; an agitating device, including an agitating shaft and blades, wherein the agitating shaft is arranged in the kettle body and the blades are fixed on the agitating shaft; and a heating system, including a kettle body heater and an agitating heater, wherein the kettle body heater is fixed on the kettle body and the agitating heater is arranged on the agitating device. While the agitating device and the kettle body are driven to agitate, by a driving device fixedly arranged outside the reaction kettle, the heating system heats materials in the reactor. The present invention is applicable to solid reaction of solid powders. The materials containing attached water or not are both feasible, and the materials can directly enter the reactor and react. Compared with conventional solid reactors, the present invention increases the production efficiency.

A method and arrangement of producing polymer comprising polymerizing in reactor having a top zone having a generally conical shape, a middle zone in direct contact with and below said top zone having a generally cylindrical shape, a bottom zone having a generally conical shape thereby polymerizing at least one olefin, in the presence of a polymerization catalyst and fluidization gas to obtain (i) a first stream comprising fluidization gas and particles of olefin polymer, (ii) a second stream comprising fluidization gas and agglomerates of olefin polymer, (iii) a third olefin polymer product stream, —directing the first stream comprising fluidization gas and olefin polymer particles to a series of at least three cyclones connected to the fluidized bed reactor, —separating agglomerates of olefin polymer from the second stream, withdrawing from the fluidized bed polymerization reactor the third olefin polymer product stream.

A system for removing particle agglomerates from a particulate product stream. The system including a product stream inlet configured for receiving the particulate product stream, a diverter system configured for permitting a particulate product having a size less than or equal to a desired size to pass through the diverter system, a carrying fluid source connected to the diverter system configured to feed a carrying fluid into the diverter system to carry the particle agglomerate out of the diverter system during a discharge operation, a collector vessel connected to the diverter system, the collector vessel configured for receiving the particle agglomerate carried out by the carrying fluid from the diverter system during the discharge operation, and a particulate product outlet connected to the diverter system, the particulate product outlet configured for conveying the particulate product to a downstream process.

An apparatus and a method to withdraw samples from a polymerization plant using a defined sequence of steps combined with locking devices for valves opened by a single key.

Disclosed is a catalyst pre-contact method for the continuous polymerization of an olefin, wherein a primary catalyst, a co-catalyst and, optionally, an external electron donor are mixed and then undergo a pre-contact reaction, with the pre-contact reaction temperature being −30° C. to 35° C. and adjustable, and the pre-contact reaction time being 0.5 min to 10 min and adjustable, and the pre-contacted catalyst is brought into a catalyst prepolymerization system and then into a catalyst polymerization system, or is directly brought into the catalyst polymerization system. Further disclosed is a catalyst pre-contact device for the continuous polymerization of an olefin, which can adjust the pre-contact time and pre-contact temperature of the catalyst so that the performance of the catalyst achieves a better level according to the process.

A method of autothermal oxidative coupling of methane (OCM) utilizes introducing a methane-containing feedstock and an oxygen-gas-containing feedstock into a reactor (10) as a flowing mixture (18) with a space time of 500 ms or less. The reactor (10) contains a catalyst bed (20) of an OCM catalyst that contacts the flowing mixture and wherein the catalyst bed (20) has a heat Peclet number (Pe.sub.h) of from 5 or less, a mass Peclet number (Pe.sub.m) of from 5 or more, and a transverse Peclet number (P) of from 1 or less while contacting the flowing mixture. The methane and oxygen of the feedstocks are allowed to react within the reactor (10) to form methane oxidative coupling reaction products. A reactor (10) for carrying out the OCM reaction is also disclosed.

An apparatus and a method to withdraw samples from a polymerization plant using a defined sequence of steps combined with locking devices for valves opened by a single key.