Operation of the Phillips Pilot Plant Pipe-Loop Reactor

7 Operation of the Phillips Pilot Plant Pipe-Loop Reactor 

Norwood reported that flow velocities necessary for reactors with an internal loop diameter of up to 40 inches were in the range of 15-45 feet/sec. 

The introduction of the Phillips loop reactor in 1961 quickly made the solution autoclave reactor obsolete and licensees worldwide adopted the loop design for commercial reactors. By 1962, there were five companies in the United States and six foreign companies producing an annual total of about 450 million pounds of polyethylene. Table 5.17 documents these companies [22]. 

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