Patents by Inventor Bruce C. Devoy

Bruce C. Devoy 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).

  • Patent number: 8425847
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a plant for the continuous solution polymerization of a feed comprising one or more olefin monomers in a solvent, e.g., hydrocarbon solvent, in which the plant comprises means for separating solvent from the polymer including a flash tank and a vacuum devolatilizer. The plant also includes in a first aspect stabilizer addition means for adding a stabilizer to the concentrated polymer fines at a location downstream of the flash and upstream of the vacuum devolatilizer. In another aspect the plant comprises means to add a molten stabilizer to the polymer at a location downstream of the reactors.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: April 23, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Bruce C. Devoy, Vetkav R. Eswaran, Chris B. Friedersdorf
  • Patent number: 8372924
    Abstract: Described herein in one embodiment is a plant for the continuous solution polymerization of one or more monomers in a solvent, e.g., a hydrocarbon solvent. In one aspect, the plant comprises a high pressure pump and at least one heat exchanger downstream of the pump. In another aspect a feed is cooled by three heat exchangers which are refrigerated by means of a common three stage compressor. In another aspect, the plant comprises a primary reactor and a secondary reactor arranged to operate in parallel, in which the ratio of volume of the primary reactor to the secondary reactor is in the range of 60:40 to 95:5. In another aspect, a method of defouling a heat exchanger is provided in which the level of liquid refrigerant in the heat exchanger is temporarily lowered.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 12, 2013
    Assignee: ExxonMobil Chemical Patents Inc.
    Inventors: Richard Cheng-Ming Yeh, Bruce C. Devoy, Vetkav R. Eswaran, Rui Zhao
  • Publication number: 20110172337
    Abstract: The disclosure provides a plant for the continuous solution polymerization of a feed comprising one or more olefin monomers in a solvent, e.g., hydrocarbon solvent, in which the plant comprises means for separating solvent from the polymer including a flash tank and a vacuum devolatilizer. The plant also includes in a first aspect stabilizer addition means for adding a stabilizer to the concentrated polymer fines at a location downstream of the flash and upstream of the vacuum devolatilizer. In another aspect the plant comprises means to add a molten stabilizer to the polymer at a location downstream of the reactors.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Bruce C. Devoy, Vetkav R. Eswaran, Chris B. Friedersdorf
  • Publication number: 20110172375
    Abstract: Described herein in one embodiment is a plant for the continuous solution polymerization of one or more monomers in a solvent, e.g., a hydrocarbon solvent. In one aspect, the plant comprises a high pressure pump and at least one heat exchanger downstream of the pump. In another aspect a feed is cooled by three heat exchangers which are refrigerated by means of a common three stage compressor. In another aspect, the plant comprises a primary reactor and a secondary reactor arranged to operate in parallel, in which the ratio of volume of the primary reactor to the secondary reactor is in the range of 60:40 to 95:5. In another aspect, a method of defouling a heat exchanger is provided in which the level of liquid refrigerant in the heat exchanger is temporarily lowered.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 17, 2010
    Publication date: July 14, 2011
    Inventors: Richard Cheng-Ming Yeh, Bruce C. Devoy, Vetkav R. Eswaran, Rui Zhao
  • Patent number: 6093865
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for using a single distillation column to recover the reactants and products from the reaction of a cyclic diolefin and an olefin to produce an alkenyl bridged ring compound.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 16, 1998
    Date of Patent: July 25, 2000
    Assignee: Exxon Chemical Patent Inc.
    Inventors: James R. Lattner, Leonel E. Sanchez, Christopher L. Becker, Bruce C. Devoy