HEAT EXCHANGER POLYMERIZATION REACTORS FOR MANUFACTURING DRAG REDUCING AGENTS

摘要

Temperature control and efficient heat transfer are important to producing high quality polymer drag reducing agents from alpha-olefin and/or other monomers. Many polymerization reactions are exothermic, and controlling or minimizing the exotherm combined with low reaction temperatures yields high molecular weight and, for poly(alpha-olefins), high quality drag reducing agent polymers. It has been found that a shell and tube heat exchanger-type reactor, with the inner tubes hosting the reaction mixture and a coolant circulating through the shell side gives good temperature control. The use o f appropriate release agents helps to keep the inner reaction chambers from building up any polymer residue. These reactors can be operated in a continuous filling and harvesting mode to facilitate the continuous producti on of polymer drag reducing agent and related formulations.