US 12,421,331 B2
Systems and methods for chromium catalyst activation
Max P. McDaniel, Bartlesville, OK (US); Zhihui Gu, Kingwood, TX (US); Ted H. Cymbaluk, Seabrook, TX (US); Anand Ramanathan, Bartlesville, OK (US); Julian Abrego, Pasadena, TX (US); Taryn Huber, Pasadena, TX (US); Ravindranath Koyyalagunta, Pasadena, TX (US); Marlon L. Jordan, Pasadena, TX (US); and David W. Dockter, The Woodlands, TX (US)
Assigned to Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, The Woodlands, TX (US)
Filed by Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP, The Woodlands, TX (US)
Filed on Nov. 7, 2024, as Appl. No. 18/939,676.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/597,370, filed on Nov. 9, 2023.
Prior Publication US 2025/0154298 A1, May 15, 2025
Int. Cl. C08F 10/02 (2006.01); B01J 37/14 (2006.01); C08F 4/78 (2006.01)
CPC C08F 10/02 (2013.01) 25 Claims
OG exemplary drawing
 
1. An activation system comprising:
(a) a fluidized bed vessel having one or more heating zones and configured to fluidize and activate a supported chromium pre-catalyst;
(b) one or more fluidizing gas inlets configured to introduce a fluidizing gas into the fluidized bed vessel, the fluidizing gas comprising (i) an inert gas, (ii) an oxygen-containing gas, or (iii) a mixture of an inert gas and an oxygen-containing gas;
(c) one or more thermocouples positioned inside the fluidized bed vessel for measuring an activation temperature inside the fluidized bed vessel; and
(d) a controller configured to cycle the fluidizing gas between (i) the inert gas and (ii) the oxygen-containing gas or to adjust (iii) the mixture of the inert gas and the oxygen-containing gas, based on time intervals and/or based on the activation temperature measured by the one or more thermocouples.