UNIPOL technology

In principle, PE gas phase plants are so-called swing units which are able to produce both HDPE, MDPE and LLDPE, even if cost-wise it is better to avoid frequent switches between the PE grades with different densities. The gas phase process is the most commonly used technology for the production of LLDPE with 1-butene or 1-hexene as a comonomer. Fluidised bed gas phase process technology is licensed by Univation (Unipol) and BP (Innovene), stirred bed gas phase technology by Basell (Lupotech G). 

Licensor The Dow Chemical Co. Univation Technologies is the licensor of the UNIPOL PE process. 

Figure 1.9 Bimodal MWD polyethylene produced with SSC in Unipol gas phase process P. J. Ferenz, 2" Asian Petrochemicals Technology Conference, May 7-8,2002, Seoul, Korea.

Univation Technologies Unipol HDPE, MDPE, LLDPE gas phase Ziegler-Natta, supported Cr, single site Bimodal PE available with proprietary catalyst system... 

Figure 7.4 Schematic process flow diagram for Unipol gas phase process for linear low density polyethylene. (Reprinted with permission of John Wiley Sons, Inc., Kirk-Othmer Encyclopedia of Chemical Technology, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., 6 edition, 2006).

Commercial plants Nearly 45 reaction lines are in operation, with capacities ranging from 80,000 tpy to 650,000 tpy. Approximately seven additional plants are in design and construction. UNIPOL PP offers singlereaction-line systems capable of producing the full range of PP products at capacities up to 650,000 tpy. Total worldwide licensed production of polypropylene with this technology is nearly 12 million tpy. 

Univation Technologies, LLC Polyethylene Ethylene UNIPOL Polyethylene process produces the widest array of linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE) and high-density polyethylene (HDPE) having unimodal or bimodal molecular weight distribution using single, low-pressure, gas-phase reactor 100 NA... 

The Dow Chemica Co/ Univation Technologies Polypropylene Propylene comonomers Process produces homopolymer, random copolymer and impact copolymer polypropylene using the Dow gas-phase UNIPOL PP process 52 2010... 

The Unipol low-pressure gas-phase fluidized-bed process, which was introduced by Union Carbide in 1977 for LLDPE, has also been adapted to the production of PP homopolymers and block copolymers using Shell Chemicals high-activity (Ziegler-type) catalyst technology. The Spheripol and Unipol... 

The Novolen process [78], now licensed by Novolen Technology Holdings (NTH), uses the vertically stirred reactor for propylene polymerization. The basic process is similar to the Unipol process but with a simpler polymer discharge system. Novolen claims this process requires the lowest capital investment of its class and has low operating costs. 

The Unipol process was first introduced by Union Carbide in its Seadrift, Texas, facility in 1968. Other companies such as Amoco and British Petroleum developed the technology further. Today over a 100 reactors are in operation (or in constmction) worldwide with an annual capacity of 19 billion pounds of HOPE or LLDPE resin. 

EPM and EPDM can be produced by solution polymerization, while suspension and slurry polymerization are viable options. EPDM can be gas-phase 1,-4 hexadiene polymerized using Ziegler-Natta catalysts. Union Carbide produces ethylene propylene rubber (EPR) using modified Unipol low-pressure gas-phase technology. 

Unipol, PE gas-phase process technology, Univation Technologies... 

The Unipol PP process combines the Union Carbide fluid bed technology developed for polyethylene with the Shell supported high yield catalysts (SHAC). 

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