Patents by Inventor Gabriele Mei

Gabriele Mei has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Publication number: 20140309384
    Abstract: Process for transferring polyolefin particles from a first gas-phase polymerization reactor to a second gas-phase polymerization reactor in a multistage polymerization of olefins carried out in at least two serially connected gas-phase polymerization reactors, wherein the first gas-phase reactor is a fluidized-bed reactor comprising a gas distribution grid and a settling pipe, which is integrated with its upper opening into the distribution grid and contains a bed of polyolefin particles which moves from top to bottom of the settling pipe, the process comprising the steps of introducing a fluid into the settling pipe in an amount that an upward stream of the fluid is induced in the bed of polyolefin particles above the fluid introduction point; withdrawing polyolefin particles from the lower end of the settling pipe; and transferring the withdrawn polyolefin particles into the second gas-phase polymerization reactor, process for polymerizing olefins comprising such a process for transferring polyolefin partic
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 4, 2012
    Publication date: October 16, 2014
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Massimo Covezzi, Giuseppe Penzo, Gabriele Mei, Giulia Mei, Pietro Baita, Gerhardus Meier, Antonio De Lucia, Ulf Schueller, Gianpiero Ferraro
  • Publication number: 20130190466
    Abstract: Extruded articles, particularly films, comprising an ethylene polymer obtained by a polymerization process carried out in the presence the products obtained by contacting the following components: (a) a solid catalyst component comprising a magnesium halide, a titanium compound having at least a Ti-halogen bond and optionally one or more internal electron donor compounds, (b) an aluminum hydrocarbyl compound, (c) optionally an external electron donor compound, and (d) a polyalcohol partially esterified with carboxylic acids with alkyl groups having at least 10 carbon atoms.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 26, 2011
    Publication date: July 25, 2013
    Applicant: BASELL POLYOFINE GmbH
    Inventors: Pietro Baita, Diego Brita, Paolo Ferrari, Harilaos Mavridis, Gabriele Mei, Roberta Pica, Jens Wiesecke
  • Patent number: 8431658
    Abstract: A process for introducing a catalyst powder based on a titanium compound supported on magnesium halide into a gas-phase olefin polymerization reactor, characterized in that it comprises: (a) storing the catalyst powder under an atmosphere of a liquid C3-C12 alkane; (b) withdrawing from step (a) a measured amount of said catalyst powder by means of a rotary valve; (c) transferring said metered amount of catalyst powder to a catalyst activation section by a continuous pick-up flow of a liquid C3-C12 alkane; (d) contacting the catalyst powder with a liquid phase comprising an organo-aluminum compound and optionally an external donor compound, at a temperature ranging from ?20° C. to 60° C.; (e) introducing the activated catalyst powder in one or more gas-phase olefin polymerization reactors, where a gaseous mixture comprising at least one alpha-olefin is subjected to polymerization.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 30, 2013
    Assignee: Basell Poliolefine Italia S.r.l.
    Inventors: Pietro Baita, Rainer Karer, Gerhardus Meier, Guido Funk, Gabriele Mei
  • Patent number: 8198383
    Abstract: A process for the gas-phase polymerization of ?-olefins carried out in two interconnected polymerization zones, wherein the growing polymer particles flow through the first of said polymerization zones (riser) under fast fluidization conditions, leave said riser and enter the second of said polymerization zones (downcomer) through which they flow downward in a densified form, the process being characterized in that: (a) the gas mixture present in the riser is totally or partially prevented from entering the downcomer by introducing into the upper part of said downcomer a liquid stream LB having a composition different from the gaseous mixture present in the riser; (b) the ratio R between the flow rate Fp of polymer circulated between said downcomer and said riser and the flow rate LB of said liquid being adjusted in a range from 10 to 50.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Date of Patent: June 12, 2012
    Assignee: Basell Poliolefine Italia, s.r.l.
    Inventors: Antonio Mazzucco, Riccardo Rinaldi, Silvia Soffritti, Enrico Balestra, Giuseppe Penzo, Gabriele Mei
  • Patent number: 8148478
    Abstract: A process for the polymerization of olefins carried out in a gas-phase reactor having interconnected polymerization zones, where the growing polymer particles flow upward through a first polymerization zone (riser) under fast fluidization or transport conditions, leave said riser and enter a second polymerization zone (downcomer) through which they flow downward under the action of gravity, leave said downcomer and are reintroduced into the riser, a gas recycle stream being withdrawn from said first polymerization zone, subjected to cooling below its dew point and then returned to said first polymerization zone, the process being characterized in that said gas recycle stream is cooled at a temperature Tc ranging from 0.05° C. to 3° C. below its dew point.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Date of Patent: April 3, 2012
    Assignee: Basell Poliolefine Italia s.r.l.
    Inventors: Riccardo Rinaldi, Antonio Mazzucco, Enrico Balestra, Giuseppe Penzo, Maurizio Dorini, Gabriele Mei
  • Publication number: 20110282013
    Abstract: A process for introducing a catalyst powder based on a titanium compound supported on magnesium halide into a gas-phase olefin polymerization reactor, characterized in that it comprises: (a) storing the catalyst powder under an atmosphere of a liquid C3-C12 alkane; (b) withdrawing from step (a) a measured amount of said catalyst powder by means of a rotary valve; (c) transferring said metered amount of catalyst powder to a catalyst activation section by a continuous pick-up flow of a liquid C3-C12 alkane; (d) contacting the catalyst powder with a liquid phase comprising an organo-aluminum compound and optionally an external donor compound, at a temperature ranging from ?20° C. to 60° C.; (e) introducing the activated catalyst powder in one or more gas-phase olefin polymerization reactors, where a gaseous mixture comprising at least one alpha-olefin is subjected to polymerization.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 23, 2009
    Publication date: November 17, 2011
    Applicant: BASELL POLIOLEFINE ITALIA S.R.L.
    Inventors: Pietro Baita, Rainer Karer, Gerhardus Meier, Guido Funk, Gabriele Mei
  • Patent number: 8059264
    Abstract: Method for monitoring the velocity of growing polymer particles flowing in a two-phase stream during a polymerization process, said method comprising measuring the degree of attenuation in the propagation of light in said two-phase stream by means of a photometric instrument, said photometric instrument comprising: one or more transmitting optical waveguides connecting one or more light sources to said two-phase stream, one or more receiving optical waveguides connecting said two-phase stream to a light detector.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: February 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: November 15, 2011
    Assignee: Basell Poliolefine Italia, s.r.l.
    Inventors: Christian Ulrich Schmidt, Stefan Ziegler, Gabriele Mei, Stefano Bertolini, Gerben Meier
  • Publication number: 20110054127
    Abstract: A process for the polymerisation of olefins carried out in a gas-phase reactor having interconnected polymerization zones, where the growing polymer particles flow upward through a first polymerization zone (riser) under fast fluidization or transport conditions, leave said riser and enter a second polymerization zone (downcomer) through which they flow downward under the action of gravity, leave said downcomer and are reintroduced into the riser, a gas recycle stream being withdrawn from said first polymerisation zone, subjected to cooling below its dew point and then returned to said first polymerisation zone, the process being characterised in that said gas recycle stream is cooled at a temperature Tc ranging from 0.05° C. to 3° C. below its dew point.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 15, 2009
    Publication date: March 3, 2011
    Applicant: Basell Polyolefine Italia s.r.l.
    Inventors: Riccardo Rinaldi, Antonio Mazzucco, Enrico Balestra, Giuseppe Penzo, Maurizio Dorini, Gabriele Mei
  • Publication number: 20100317811
    Abstract: A process for the gas-phase polymerization of ?-olefins carried out in two interconnected polymerization zones, wherein the growing polymer particles flow through the first of said polymerization zones (riser) under fast fluidization conditions, leave said riser and enter the second of said polymerization zones (downcomer) through which they flow downward in a densified form, the process being characterized in that: (a) the gas mixture present in the riser is totally or partially prevented from entering the downcomer by introducing into the upper part of said downcomer a liquid stream LB having a composition different from the gaseous mixture present in the riser; (b) the ratio R between the flow rate Fp of polymer circulated between said downcomer and said riser and the flow rate LB of said liquid being adjusted in a range from 10 to 50.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2008
    Publication date: December 16, 2010
    Applicant: Basell Poliolefine Italia s.r.l.
    Inventors: Antonio Mazzucco, Riccardo Rinaldi, Silvia Soffritti, Enrico Balestra, Giuseppe Penzo, Gabriele Mei
  • Patent number: 7786254
    Abstract: A process to perform the finishing of polyolefins produced by gas-phase catalytic polymerization of one or more ?-olefins in the presence of a polymerization diluent selected from a C3-C5 alkane, wherein the polyolefin granules discharged from the gas-phase reactor are subjected to: (1) a first degassing step in which said polyolefin is counter-currently contacted with a gaseous stream containing at least 85% by mol of a stripping agent selected from a C3-C5 alkane, said gaseous stream being continuously derived from the monomer recovery section of the polymerization plant; (2) a second degassing step in which said polyolefin is counter-currently contacted with steam, the amount of steam being from 10 to 200 Kg per 1000 kg of polyolefin.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Date of Patent: August 31, 2010
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Pietro Baita, Giuseppe Penzo, Gabriele Mei
  • Patent number: 7687588
    Abstract: A process for the gas-phase polymerization of ?-olefÊns CH2?CHR, where R is hydrogen or a hydrocarbon radical having 1-12 carbon atoms, carried out in a first and a second interconnected polymerization zones, wherein the growing polymer particles flow through the first of said polymerization zones (riser) under fast fluidization conditions, leave said riser and enter the second of said polymerization zones (downcomer) through which they flow downward in a densified form, leave said downcomer and are reintroduced into said riser, in which process: (a) the gas mixture present in the riser is totally or partially prevented from entering the downcomer, and (b) the gaseous composition inside a portion of the downcomer is maintained substantially similar to the gaseous composition reacting in the riser.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Date of Patent: March 30, 2010
    Assignee: Basel Poliolefine Italia s.r.l.
    Inventors: Gabriele Mei, Joachim T. M. Pater, Gerben Meier, Pietro Baita
  • Patent number: 7678867
    Abstract: A process for preparing a broad molecular weight polyethylene carried out in the presence of a catalyst system comprising (i) a solid catalyst component comprising Mg, Ti, halogen, and optionally an internal electron donor compound, and (ii) an Al-alkyl cocatalyst said process comprising at least two step of polymerization (a) and (b), in which: in a first step (a) ethylene is polymerized in the presence of a molecular weight regulator in order to produce a ethylene (co)polymer, and in a further step (b), which is carried out in the presence of an external electron donor compound added to this polymerization step as a fresh reactant, ethylene is copolymerized with an alpha olefin of formula CH2?CHR, in which R is a C1-C20 hydrocarbon group, to produce an ethylene copolymer having a molecular weight higher than that of the copolymer produced in step (b).
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 24, 2004
    Date of Patent: March 16, 2010
    Assignee: Basell Polyolefine GmbH
    Inventors: Pietro Baita, Massimo Covezzi, Gabriele Mei, Giampiero Morini, Joachim T. M. Pater
  • Patent number: 7652108
    Abstract: Process for the gas-phase polymerization of one or more alpha-olefins in the presence of a catalyst system, the process comprising: contacting in a continuous way one or more of said alpha-olefins with said catalyst system in a prepolymerization reactor, wherein the reaction is carried out in a liquid medium at a temperature ranging from 23° to 50° C.; feeding in continuous the prepolymer obtained in step a) into a gas-phase reactor having interconnected polymerization zones, where the growing polymer particles flow upward through a first polymerization zone (riser) under fast fluidization or transport conditions, leave said riser and enter a second polymerization zone (downcomer) through which they flow downward under the action of gravity, leave said downcomer and are reintroduced into said riser; wherein the prepolymer obtained from step a) is continuously fed at a section of said riser characterized by an upwardly gas velocity higher than 3.0 m/s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Date of Patent: January 26, 2010
    Assignee: Basell Poliolefine Italia s.r.l.
    Inventors: Gabriele Mei, Massimo Covezzi, Stefano Bertolini
  • Publication number: 20100004408
    Abstract: A process to perform the finishing of polyolefins produced by gas-phase catalytic polymerization of one or more ?-olefins in the presence of a polymerization diluent selected from a C3-C5 alkane, wherein the polyolefin granules discharged from the gas-phase reactor are subjected to: (1) a first degassing step in which said polyolefin is counter-currently contacted with a gaseous stream containing at least 85% by mol of a stripping agent selected from a C3-C5 alkane, said gaseous stream being continuously derived from the monomer recovery section of the polymerization plant; (2) a second degassing step in which said polyolefin is counter-currently contacted with steam, the amount of steam being from 10 to 200 Kg per 1000 kg of polyolefin.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2007
    Publication date: January 7, 2010
    Inventors: Pietro Baita, Giuseppe Penzo, Gabriele Mei
  • Publication number: 20090156758
    Abstract: A process for the gas-phase polymerization of one or more alpha-olefins in the presence of a polymerization catalyst system, the process comprising: a) contacting in a continuous way a gas comprising one or more of said alpha-olefins with said catalyst system in a gas-phase tubular reactor at a temperature from 30° C. to 130° C. in order to obtain a polymerization degree up to 500 grams per gram of catalyst system; b) feeding in continuous the prepolymer from step a) to a successive gas-phase polymerization reactor; wherein said gas-phase tubular reactor has a length/diameter ratio higher than 100.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 15, 2006
    Publication date: June 18, 2009
    Applicant: BASELL POLIOLEFINE ITALIA S.R.L.
    Inventors: Joachim Pater T.M., Pietro Baita, Gabriele Mei, Antonio Mazzucco
  • Patent number: 7524903
    Abstract: A process for preparing heterophasic propylene copolymers by polymerizing propylene in the presence of a polymerization catalyst and hydrogen as a molecular weight regulator, the process comprising the following steps: a) polymerizing in gas- or liquid-phase propylene to prepare a crystalline polymer fraction; b) copolymerizing ethylene with propylene and/or 1-butene, and optionally one or more alpha-olefin comonomers C5-C12, in a gas-phase reactor having interconnected polymerization zones, wherein the growing polymer particles flow upward through a first polymerization zone (riser) under fast fluidization or transport conditions, leave said riser and enter a second polymerization zone (downcomer) through which they flow downward under the action of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 9, 2005
    Date of Patent: April 28, 2009
    Assignee: Basell Poliolefine Italia s.r.l.
    Inventors: Gabriele Mei, Joachim T. M. Pater, Stefano Bertolini
  • Patent number: 7514508
    Abstract: Process for preparing a broad molecular weight polyethylene by polymerizing ethylene in the presence of a polymerization catalyst, the process comprising the following steps, in any mutual order: a) polymerizing ethylene, optionally together with one or more ?-olefinic comonomers having from 3 to 12 carbon atoms, in a gas-phase reactor in the presence of hydrogen, b) copolymerizing ethylene with one or more ?-olefinic comonomers having from 3 to 12 carbon atoms in another gas-phase reactor in the presence of an amount of hydrogen less than step a), where in at least one of said gas-phase reactors the growing polymer particles flow upward through a first polymerization zone under fast fluidization or transport conditions, leave said first polymerization zone and enter a second polymerization zone through which they flow downward under the action of gravity.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 19, 2004
    Date of Patent: April 7, 2009
    Assignee: Basell Poliolefine Italia s.r.l.
    Inventors: Gerben Meier, Massimo Covezzi, Pietro Baita, Gabriele Mei
  • Publication number: 20090036617
    Abstract: A process for the gas-phase polymerization of ?-olefÊns CH2?CHR, where R is hydrogen or a hydrocarbon radical having 1-12 carbon atoms, carried out in a first and a second interconnected polymerization zones, wherein the growing polymer particles flow through the first of said polymerization zones (riser) under fast fluidization conditions, leave said riser and enter the second of said polymerization zones (downcomer) through which they flow downward in a densified form, leave said downcomer and are reintroduced into said riser, in which process: (a) the gas mixture present in the riser is totally or partially prevented from entering the downcomer, and (b) the gaseous composition inside a portion of the downcomer is maintained substantially similar to the gaseous composition reacting in the riser.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2006
    Publication date: February 5, 2009
    Applicant: BASELL POLIOLEFINE ITALIA S.R.L.
    Inventors: Gabriele Mei, Joachim T.M. Pater, Gerben Meier, Pietro Baita
  • Patent number: 7482411
    Abstract: A continuous process for the olefin polymerization in a fluidized bed reactor, said process comprising continuously passing a gaseous stream comprising one or more ?-olefin monomers through the fluidized bed in the presence of a polymerization catalyst under reactive conditions, withdrawing polymeric product and unreacted fluids from the reactor, cooling part of said unreacted fluids below the dew point to form a two-phase mixture of gas and condensed liquid and reintroducing said two-phase mixture into the reactor, the process being characterized in that said two-phase mixture is reintroduced under the distribution plate of the reactor so that a part of condensed liquid is separated from the gas and is successively fed above the fluidized bed through an external pipe connecting the bottom of the reactor to a point situated above the upper limit of the fluidized bed of polymer particles.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: April 1, 2004
    Date of Patent: January 27, 2009
    Assignee: Basell Poliolefine Italia s.r.l.
    Inventors: Guiseppe Penzo, Gabriele Mei, Gerben Meier
  • Publication number: 20080312388
    Abstract: Process for the gas-phase polymerization of one or more alpha-olefins in the presence of a catalyst system, the process comprising: contacting in a continuous way one or more of said alpha-olefins with said catalyst system in a prepolymerization reactor, wherein the reaction is carried out in a liquid medium at a temperature ranging from 23° to 50° C.; feeding in continuous the prepolymer obtained in step a) into a gas-phase reactor having interconnected polymerization zones, where the growing polymer particles flow upward through a first polymerization zone (riser) under fast fluidization or transport conditions, leave said riser and enter a second polymerization zone (downcomer) through which they flow downward under the action of gravity, leave said downcomer and are reintroduced into said riser; wherein the prepolymer obtained from step a) is continuously fed at a section of said riser characterized by an upwardly gas velocity higher than 3.0 m/s.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2005
    Publication date: December 18, 2008
    Applicant: Basell Poliolefine Italia s.r.l.
    Inventors: Gabriele Mei, Massimo Covezzi, Stefano Bertolini