Spherilene process

Covezzi, M., The Spherilene Process Linear Polyethylenes , Macromol. Symp., 89, 577-586 (1995). 

Commercial plants Licensed from 1992, nine plants using Spherilene process and technology have been licensed, with a total capacity of 1.8 million tpy. Single-line capacities in operation range from 100,000 to 300,000 tpy, with current process design available for plants up to 400,000 tpy in single-line capacity. 

The Spherilene process can also be designed with two gas-phase reactors in series to allow production of bimodal products. In addition, a Spherilene process plant built with one reactor can also be expanded in the future by the addition of a second reactor circuit to increase capacity and expand product capability. Thus, Spherilene provides a... 

The amounts of chlorine and titanium residues from the catalysis system are extremely low and toxic chromium is abs it. No other harmful solid, liquid or gas wastes are generated by the process, and therefore, the Spherilene process may be considered an environmentally safe technology. 

The Spherilene process is very simple and it has a number of performance advantages compared to other polyethylene processes. 

Product range achievable with the SPHERILENE process. 

Unipol PE process Innovene process Spherilene process... 

Fluidized bed reactors are used for the gas phase polymerization of olefins to produce LLDPE and HDPE (Unipol PE, Innovene and Spherilene processes [22]) as well as for the manufacture of polypropylene (Unipol PP process [22]). The residence time distribution of a fluidized bed reactor is close to that of a well mixed continuous reactor. Therefore, the use of a single fluidized bed reactor leads to a broad particle size distribution and to large variations in the catalyst productivity from particle to particle. The use of two fluidized bed reactors in series narrows the residence time distribution leading to a more uniform product. 

Several other companies have developed and are licensing gas-phase polyethylene technologies. They include the Innovene process from BP (now Ineos), and the Lupotech G and Spherilene processes from Basell. All of them are based on the same principle of using a fluidized-bed gas-phase reactor, although the operating mode and conditions differs among these different processes. Table 2.16 details the main characteristics of fluidized-bed processes for olefin polymerization. 

Spherilene [Spherical polyethylene] A process for making polyethylene in the form of granules. The catalyst combines a Ziegler-Natta catalyst with a silane. Developed by Montecatini, Italy. The first plant was due for startup by Himont, in Lake Charles, LA, in 1993. 

Application New generation Spherilene gas-phase technology with simplified process flow scheme, to produce the full range of linear-low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HOPE) The technology features process simplicity, best in class monomer efficiency as well as catalyst and process options and is able to meet all product portfolio requirements. 

Montecatini has developed spherical morphology MgCl2 supported catalysts for ethylene and propylene polymerization. The name of this process is spherilene. The major advantage in such... 

CATALLOY, SPHERILENE and HIV ALLOY processes are successful examples how innovative research and development are expanding the polyolefin property envelope. 

Cascaded processes are suitable for bimodal Spherilene PE from LyondellBasell (Covezzi 1995 Galli 1995) and Borstar PE from Borealis and Borouge (Avela et al. 1998)... 

---