Abstract: A bi-modal radial flow reactor comprising a cylindrical outer housing surrounding at least five cylindrical, concentric zones, including at least three annulus vapor zones and at least two catalyst zones. The at least two catalyst zones comprise an outer catalyst zone and an inner catalyst zone. The at least three annulus vapor zones comprise an outer annulus vapor zone, a middle annulus vapor zone, and a central annulus vapor zone, wherein the central annulus vapor zone extends along a centerline of the bi-modal radial flow reactor. The outer catalyst zone is intercalated with the outer annulus vapor zone and the middle annulus vapor zone, and the inner catalyst zone is intercalated with the middle annulus vapor zone and the central annulus vapor zone. A removable head cover can be fixably coupled to a top of the cylindrical outer housing to seal a top of the bi-modal radial flow reactor.

Abstract: A method comprising a) contacting a solvent, a carboxylic acid, and a peroxide-containing compound to form an acidic mixture wherein a weight ratio of solvent to carboxylic acid in the acidic mixture is from about 1:1 to about 100:1; b) contacting a titanium-containing compound and the acidic mixture to form a solubilized titanium mixture wherein an equivalent molar ratio of titanium-containing compound to carboxylic acid in the solubilized titanium mixture is from about 1:1 to about 1:4 and an equivalent molar ratio of titanium-containing compound to peroxide-containing compound in the solubilized titanium mixture is from about 1:1 to about 1:20; and c) contacting a chromium-silica support comprising from about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % water and the solubilized titanium mixture to form an addition product and drying the addition product by heating to a temperature in a range of from about 50° C. to about 150° C. and maintaining the temperature in the range of from about 50° C. to about 150° C.

Abstract: A method comprising a) contacting a solvent, a carboxylic acid, and a peroxide-containing compound to form an acidic mixture wherein a weight ratio of solvent to carboxylic acid in the acidic mixture is from about 1:1 to about 100:1; b) contacting a titanium-containing compound and the acidic mixture to form a solubilized titanium mixture wherein an equivalent molar ratio of titanium-containing compound to carboxylic acid in the solubilized titanium mixture is from about 1:1 to about 1:4 and an equivalent molar ratio of titanium-containing compound to peroxide-containing compound in the solubilized titanium mixture is from about 1:1 to about 1:20; and c) contacting a chromium-silica support comprising from about 0.1 wt. % to about 20 wt. % water and the solubilized titanium mixture to form an addition product and drying the addition product by heating to a temperature in a range of from about 50° C. to about 150° C. and maintaining the temperature in the range of from about 50° C. to about 150° C.

Abstract: This disclosure provides methods of predicting the steady state small scale critical temperatures (S4 Tc) of polymer resins and pipes therefrom.

Abstract: A process comprising A) continuously introducing into a reaction zone i) ethylene, ii) an iron salt, iii) a pyridine bisimine, iv) an organoaluminum compound, and v) an organic reaction medium, and B) forming an oligomer product in the reaction zone, the reaction zone having i) an iron of the iron salt concentration in a range of 5×10?4 mmol/kg to 5×10?3 mmol/kg, ii) an aluminum of the organoaluminum compound to iron of the iron salt molar ratio in a range of 300:1 to 800:1, ii) an ethylene partial pressure in a range of 750 psig to 1200 psig, iv) an ethylene to organic reaction medium mass ratio in a range of 0.8 to 4.5, v) a temperature in a range of 75° C. to 95° C., and optionally vi) a hydrogen partial pressure of at least 5 psi.

Abstract: Disclosed are ethylene polymer compositions containing a homogeneously-branched first ethylene polymer component and a homogeneously-branched second ethylene polymer component of higher density than the first ethylene polymer component. The ethylene polymer composition can be characterized by a density from 0.912 to 0.925 g/cm3, a melt index less than 3.5 g/10 min, and a CY-a parameter at 190° C. from 0.25 to 0.65. These polymer compositions have the excellent dart impact strength and optical properties of a metallocene-catalyzed LLDPE, but with improved machine direction tear resistance, and can be used in blown film and other end-use applications.

Abstract: Processes for converting an olefin reactant into a diol compound are disclosed, and these processes include the steps of contacting the olefin reactant and a supported chromium catalyst comprising chromium in a hexavalent oxidation state to reduce at least a portion of the supported chromium catalyst to form a reduced chromium catalyst, and hydrolyzing the reduced chromium catalyst to form a reaction product comprising the diol compound. While being contacted, the olefin reactant and the supported chromium catalyst can be irradiated with a light beam at a wavelength in the UV-visible spectrum. Optionally, these processes can further comprise a step of calcining at least a portion of the reduced chromium catalyst to regenerate the supported chromium catalyst.

Abstract: Catalyst preparation systems and methods for preparing reduced chromium catalysts are disclosed, and can comprise irradiating a supported chromium catalyst containing hexavalent chromium with a light beam having a wavelength within the UV-visible light spectrum. Such reduced chromium catalysts have improved catalytic activity compared to chromium catalysts reduced by other means. The use of the reduced chromium catalyst in polymerization reactor systems and olefin polymerization processes also is disclosed, resulting in polymers with a higher melt index.

Abstract: Disclosed herein are ethylene-based polymers generally characterized by a melt index of less than 15 g/10 min, a density from 0.91 to 0.945 g/cm3, a CY-a parameter at 190° C. from 0.2 to 0.6, an average number of long chain branches per 1,000,000 total carbon atoms of the polymer in a molecular weight range of 500,000 to 2,000,000 g/mol of less than 5, and a maximum ratio of ?E/3? at an extensional rate of 0.03 sec?1 in a range from 3 to 15. The ethylene polymers have substantially no long chain branching in the high molecular weight fraction of the polymer, but instead have significant long chain branching in the lower molecular weight fraction, such that polymer melt strength and bubble stability are maintained for the fabrication of blown films and other articles of manufacture.

Abstract: Disclosed are catalyst systems, processes for making the catalyst systems, and processes for polymerizing at least one olefin monomer comprising ethylene to form a low-density polyethylene (LDPE). The polymerization process uses a catalyst system that can include: at least one diimine complex having the formula I: wherein M is Ni, Pd, or Pt; a first activator such as an organoaluminum compound; and a second activator including a solid oxide chemically-treated with an electron withdrawing anion, such as fluoride silica-alumuina. It was discovered that such the complexes could be activated in a manner to provide an active catalyst system that polymerized ethylene to form a low-density polyethylene (LDPE).

Abstract: Disclosed are ethylene polymer compositions containing a homogeneously-branched first ethylene polymer component and 15-35 wt. % of a homogeneously-branched second ethylene polymer component of higher density than the first ethylene polymer component. The ethylene polymer composition can be characterized by a density from 0.912 to 0.925 g/cm3, a ratio of Mw/Mn from 2 to 5, a melt index less than 2 g/10 min, and a CY-a parameter at 190° C. from 0.35 to 0.7. These polymer compositions have the excellent dart impact strength and optical properties of a metallocene-catalyzed LLDPE, but with improved machine direction tear resistance, and can be used in blown film and other end-use applications. Further, methods for improving film Elmendorf tear strength also are described.

Abstract: A method comprising a) drying a support material comprising silica at temperature in the range of from about 150° C. to about 220° C. to form a dried support; b) contacting the dried support with methanol to form a slurried support; c) subsequent to b), cooling the slurried support to a temperature of less than about 60° C. to form a cooled slurried support; d) subsequent to c), contacting the cooled slurried support with a titanium alkoxide to form a titanated support; and e) thermally treating the titanated support by heating to a temperature of equal to or greater than about 150° C. for a time period of from about 5 hours to about 30 hours to remove the methanol and yield a dried titanated support.

Abstract: A method comprising contacting a silica support with a titanium-containing solution to form a titanated silica support, wherein the titanium-containing solution comprises a titanium compound, a solvent, and an amino acid. Also disclosed are olefin polymerization catalysts and pre-catalyst compositions thereof and methods of preparing olefin polymerization catalysts and pre-catalyst compositions thereof.

Abstract: Disclosed are metallocene compounds, catalyst compositions comprising a metallocene compound, processes for polymerizing olefins, methods for making catalyst compositions, olefin polymers and articles made from olefin polymers. In an aspect, a metallocene compounds contain a fluorenyl ligand and a cyclopentadienyl ligand which are bridged by a linking group, in which the metallocene is characterized by [1] the cyclopentadienyl ligand being substituted with a C2-C18 heterohydrocarbyl group having an oxygen atom positioned 5 atoms distance or less from the cyclopentadienyl ligand and [2] the linking group having a pendant C3-C12 alkenyl group having a terminal C?C double bond. It has been discovered that a catalyst composition comprising a metallocene compound having these features can produce polyethylene having a low melt index in the absence of a second metallocene.

Abstract: Supported chromium catalysts containing a solid oxide and 0.1 to 15 wt. % chromium, in which the solid oxide or the supported chromium catalyst has a particle size span from 0.5 to 1.4, less than 3 wt. % has a particle size greater than 100 ?m, and less than 10 wt. % has a particle size less than 10 ?m, can be contacted with an olefin monomer in a loop slurry reactor to produce an olefin polymer. Representative ethylene-based polymers produced using the chromium catalysts have a HLMI of 4 to 70 g/10 min, a density from 0.93 to 0.96 g/cm3, from 150 to 680 ppm solid oxide (such as silica), from 1.5 to 6.8 ppm chromium, and a film gel count of less than 15 catalyst particle gels per ft2 of 25 micron thick film and/or a gel count of less than or equal to 50 catalyst particles of greater than 100 ?m per five grams of the ethylene polymer.

Abstract: Polymerization processes for producing ethylene-based plastomers and elastomers having densities less than 0.91 g/cm3 utilize a metallocene-based catalyst system containing a chemically-treated solid oxide. These polymerization processes can be conducted in a slurry reactor, a solution reactor, and/or a gas phase reactor. Ethylene polymers produced from the polymerization process can be characterized by a density of less than 0.91 g/cm3, a CY-a parameter of less than 0.2, and a ratio of HLMI/MI of at least 30, or a density less than 0.91 g/cm3, a CY-a parameter from 0.25 to 0.75, and a ratio of Mw/Mn from 2 to 3.

Abstract: Catalyst compositions containing a metallocene compound, a solid activator, and a co-catalyst, in which the solid activator or the supported metallocene catalyst has a d50 average particle size of 15 to 50 ?m and a particle size distribution of 0.5 to 1.5, can be contacted with an olefin in a loop slurry reactor to produce an olefin polymer. A representative ethylene-based polymer produced using the catalyst composition has excellent dart impact strength and low gels, and can be characterized by a HLMI from 4 to 10 g/10 min, a density from 0.944 to 0.955 g/cm3, a higher molecular weight component with a Mn from 280,000 to 440,000 g/mol, and a lower molecular weight component with a Mw from 30,000 to 45,000 g/mol and a ratio of Mz/Mw ranging from 2.3 to 3.4.

Abstract: The present invention discloses methods for removing volatile components from an ethylene polymer effluent stream from a polymerization reactor, and related polyethylene recovery and volatile removal systems. In these methods and systems, the polymer solids temperature is increased significantly prior to introduction of the polymer solids into a purge column for the final stripping of volatile components from the polymer solids.

Abstract: A process of making an aromatization catalyst comprising: (a) mixing a zeolite, a binder, and water to form a mixture; (b) extruding the mixture to form a green extrudate; (c) drying the green extrudate to form a dried green extrudate; (d) calcining the dried green extrudate to form a support, wherein calcining the dried green extrudate is the only calcination step in the process; (e) washing the support to form a washed support; (f) drying the washed support to form a dried washed support; (g) impregnating the dried washed support with a Group 8-10 transition metal compound and at least one halide-containing compound to form a metalized-halided material; and (h) vacuum drying the metalized-halided material to form a dried metalized-halided material which is the aromatization catalyst.

Abstract: Catalyst deactivating agents and compositions containing catalyst deactivating agents are disclosed. These catalyst deactivating agents can be used in methods of controlling polymerization reactions, methods of terminating polymerization reactions, methods of operating polymerization reactors, and methods of transitioning between catalyst systems.