Patents by Inventor Blu E. Englehorn

Blu E. Englehorn 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: 20230077569
    Abstract: Processes for forming a polypropylene composition are provided herein comprising the steps of making a first propylene-based copolymer having a molecular weight distribution between 3 to 8.5, and making a second propylene-based polymer in the presence of the first propylene-based polymer to produce the polypropylene composition having a high molecular weight tail in the amount of between 1.0 wt. % and 10.0 wt. %. The polypropylene compositions produced have a broad molecular weight distribution and high molecular weight tail to provide improved stiffness while retaining toughness.
    Type: Application
    Filed: February 12, 2021
    Publication date: March 16, 2023
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: George J. PEHLERT, Ranadip GANGULY, Christopher G. BAUCH, Blu E. ENGLEHORN, Xiaodan ZHANG, Mark S. CHAHL, Kevin W. LAWSON, Xuejia YAN
  • Publication number: 20230056312
    Abstract: Provided are methods for producing bimodal polyolefins comprising the steps of contacting ?-olefin monomers with a catalyst in slurry polymerization conditions in the presence of zero to minimum hydrogen to produce a high molecular weight polyolefin and contacting additional ?-olefin monomers in gas phase polymerization conditions and the high molecular weight polyolefin and the catalyst to produce bimodal polyolefin having high stiffness and broad molecular weight distribution. An additional step of polymerizing the bimodal polyolefin with a comonomer in a second gas phase can provide a bimodal impact copolymer having high stiffness and broad molecular weight distribution. Among the advantages of the present methods, bimodal polyolefins can be produced in a continuous process between a slurry polymerization reactor and a gas phase polymerization reactor without a venting step in between and with minimal hydrogen in the slurry polymerization reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 7, 2021
    Publication date: February 23, 2023
    Applicant: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Xiaodan ZHANG, Christopher G. BAUCH, Todd S. EDWARDS, Mark S. CHAHL, Blu E. ENGLEHORN, Khoa TO, Steven L. LAMBERT
  • Patent number: 11149100
    Abstract: A process of polymerizing olefins comprising combining propylene with a polymerization catalyst, hydrogen, and at least one external electron donor, such as at least one amino-silane donor, to form polypropylene in a first polymerization medium under solution or slurry conditions at or below the bubble point; removing hydrogen from the first polymerization medium and providing a first olefin/polyolefin separation step to form a second polymerization medium; transferring the second polymerization medium to a gas phase reactor and further combining with ethylene; obtaining a propylene-based impact copolymer. The propylene-based impact copolymer desirably has a melt flow rate of at least 60 g/10 min and is useful in automotive components.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Date of Patent: October 19, 2021
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Blu E. Englehorn, Chon-Yie Lin
  • Patent number: 11078311
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for polymerizing olefins comprising passing a heterogeneous single-site catalyst to a solution or slurry polymerization reactor in the absence of pre-polymerization, wherein the polymerization reactor operates at a temperature of at least 50° C. The heterogeneous single-site catalyst may be suspended and/or dissolved in a solvent selected from the group consisting of oils, aliphatic hydrocarbons and mixtures thereof. Also, the heterogeneous single-site catalyst may be passed to the polymerization reactor at a velocity of greater than 1 m/s or 3 m/s.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Date of Patent: August 3, 2021
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventor: Blu E. Englehorn
  • Patent number: 10934372
    Abstract: A process for reducing the level of hydrogen in certain polymerization effluent and recycle streams containing unreacted propylene monomers and hydrogen by contacting the streams with a hydrogenation catalyst so as to convert at least part of the propylene to the corresponding alkane. The process is particularly applicable to the effluent from a slurry polymerization reactor which has been used to produce a polypropylene homopolymer or copolymer having a first molecular weight and at least part of the effluent is to be supplied to a slurry polymerization reactor to produce a polypropylene homopolymer or copolymer having a second, higher molecular weight.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Date of Patent: March 2, 2021
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher G. Bauch, Blu E. Englehorn, Kevin W. Lawson, Todd S. Edwards, Keith W. Trapp
  • Publication number: 20200283549
    Abstract: A process of polymerizing olefins comprising combining propylene with a polymerization catalyst, hydrogen, and at least one external electron donor, such as at least one amino-silane donor, to form polypropylene in a first polymerization medium under solution or slurry conditions at or below the bubble point; removing hydrogen from the first polymerization medium and providing a first olefin/polyolefin separation step to form a second polymerization medium; transferring the second polymerization medium to a gas phase reactor and further combining with ethylene; obtaining a propylene-based impact copolymer. The propylene-based impact copolymer desirably has a melt flow rate of at least 60 g/10 min and is useful in automotive components.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 21, 2018
    Publication date: September 10, 2020
    Inventors: Blu E. Englehorn, Chon-Yie Lin
  • Patent number: 10544237
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of reducing and/or regulating the level of hydrogen in a polymerization reactor comprising contacting a first feed comprising a first amount of hydrogen with a hydrogenation catalyst prior to entering a polymerization reactor to form a second feed; then contacting the second feed having a second amount of hydrogen with monomers and a polymerization catalyst in a polymerization reactor to form a polymer. The first and second feeds may reside in a feed line from one reactor to another, a monomer feed line to the reactor, or in a recycle line to and from the same reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Date of Patent: January 28, 2020
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Christopher G. Bauch, Todd S. Edwards, Daniel L. Bilbao, Kevin W. Lawson, Blu E. Englehorn
  • Publication number: 20200024378
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method for polymerizing olefins comprising passing a heterogeneous single-site catalyst to a solution or slurry polymerization reactor in the absence of pre-polymerization, wherein the polymerization reactor operates at a temperature of at least 50° C. The heterogeneous single-site catalyst may be suspended and/or dissolved in a solvent selected from the group consisting of oils, aliphatic hydrocarbons and mixtures thereof. Also, the heterogeneous single-site catalyst may be passed to the polymerization reactor at a velocity of greater than 1 m/s or 3 m/s.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 27, 2017
    Publication date: January 23, 2020
    Inventor: Blu E. Englehorn
  • Publication number: 20190144573
    Abstract: A process for reducing the level of hydrogen in certain polymerization effluent and recycle streams containing unreacted propylene monomers and hydrogen by contacting the streams with a hydrogenation catalyst so as to convert at least part of the propylene to the corresponding alkane. The process is particularly applicable to the effluent from a slurry polymerization reactor which has been used to produce a polypropylene homopolymer or copolymer having a first molecular weight and at least part of the effluent is to be supplied to a slurry polymerization reactor to produce a polypropylene homopolymer or copolymer having a second, higher molecular weight.
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 22, 2017
    Publication date: May 16, 2019
    Inventors: Christopher G. Bauch, Blu E. Englehorn, Kevin W. Lawson, Todd S. Edwards, Keith W. Trapp
  • Publication number: 20180237555
    Abstract: Disclosed is a method of reducing and/or regulating the level of hydrogen in a polymerization reactor comprising contacting a first feed comprising a first amount of hydrogen with a hydrogenation catalyst prior to entering a polymerization reactor to form a second feed; then contacting the second feed having a second amount of hydrogen with monomers and a polymerization catalyst in a polymerization reactor to form a polymer. The first and second feeds may reside in a feed line from one reactor to another, a monomer feed line to the reactor, or in a recycle line to and from the same reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: July 25, 2016
    Publication date: August 23, 2018
    Inventors: Christopher G. Bauch, Todd S. Edwards, Daniel L. Bilbao, Kevin W. Lawson, Blu E. Englehorn