Flow behavior of polypropylene reactor powder in horizontal stirred bed reactors characterized by X-ray imaging

P. Christian van der Sande*, Claris de Vries, Evert C. Wagner, Amarenske C. Vögtlander, Gabrie M.H. Meesters, J. Ruud van Ommen*

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticleScientificpeer-review

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Abstract

Horizontal stirred bed reactors (HSBRs) are widely used in the commercial production of polypropylene (PP). Despite their commercial significance, a comprehensive understanding of the flow behavior in HSBRs remains elusive, primarily due to the lack of detailed experimental data. This study investigates the influence of operating parameters on the particle flow behavior of two types of PP reactor powder in a laboratory-scale HSBR using X-ray imaging. Our results indicate that the overall flow behavior and phase holdup in the HSBR are dominated by agitation. Moreover, gas injection through the inlet points at the bottom of the HSBR results in spouting behavior, which can lead to reduced gas–solid contacting and, in extreme cases, complete bypass. Finally, the presence of liquid (in this study, isopropyl alcohol) adversely affects the flow behavior of the PP reactor powder due to liquid bridging at the contact points of particles. Powders that comprise particles with relatively small sizes and dense surface morphology are particularly prone to reduced flow behavior when exposed to liquid.
Original languageEnglish
Article number156891
Number of pages12
JournalChemical Engineering Journal
Volume500
DOIs
Publication statusPublished - 2024

Keywords

  • Horizontal stirred bed reactors
  • Multiphase reactors
  • Polypropylene
  • Reactor optimization
  • X-ray

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