Improved pumping apparatus and process for slurry polymerization in loop reactors

摘要

There is disclosed a loop reactor apparatus comprising:
a plurality of major segments;
a plurality of minor segments, each minor segment connecting two of the major segments to each other, whereby the major and minor segments form a continuous flow path for carrying slurry;
a monomer feed attached to one of the segments;
a catalyst feed attached to one of the segments;
a product take-off attached to one of the segments;
a pump within an arced pump case, the pump case being positioned in one of the segments, the pump having at least one impeller mounted on a shaft, the impeller having blades that are oriented at an angle between 0 to 90 degrees to the shaft, the pump having a bulge positioned along the shaft proximate the at least one impeller, such that a curved flow path is defined between the bulge and the pump case, the flow path being disposed such that the slurry flows by the blades and is redirected out of the pump case by the flow path;
and wherein the pump further includes guide vanes situated along the flow path to redirect the rotational flow of the slurry upon discharge from the impeller. A polymerization process using the loop reactor apparatus is also disclosed.