Patents by Inventor Michiel Bergstra

Michiel Bergstra 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: 20240010765
    Abstract: Loop-Loop-gas-phase reactor polypropylene plant and process for producing polypropylene and polypropylene copolymers.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 22, 2021
    Publication date: January 11, 2024
    Inventors: Michiel Bergstra, Klaus Nyfors, Claus Molin, Esa Kokko
  • Publication number: 20230416416
    Abstract: Method of revamping a bulk loop reactor propylene plant by incorporation of a gas phase reactor having high capacity.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 24, 2021
    Publication date: December 28, 2023
    Inventors: Michiel Bergstra, Danny Cox, Klaus Nyfors, Claus Molin
  • Patent number: 11603418
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for reducing the volatile organic compound (VOC) content of plastomers the process comprising the steps of subjecting the plastomer in granular form containing VOCs which is contained in an aeration vessel to a gasflow, and withdrawing granular plastomer from the aeration vessel which has a lower content of VOCs, wherein the average particle size of the granular plastomer is greater than 2.5 mm, preferably greater than 2.7 mm, more preferably greater than 3.0 mm, wherein the gas has a minimum temperature of at least 26° C. measured at a gas inlet of the aeration vessel, and a maximum temperature of 4° C. below the Vicat temperature (10N, ISO 306) of the granular plastomer or 35° C. measured at the gas inlet of the aeration vessel, whatever value is lower, and wherein at least a part of the withdrawn granular plastomer is recirculated to the aeration vessel.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Date of Patent: March 14, 2023
    Assignee: Borealis AG
    Inventors: Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, Michiel Bergstra, Charlotta Weber, Gert Stijnen
  • Publication number: 20220380498
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a polymerization process, comprising: a) supplying a feed containing ethylene and at least one alpha-olefin having 3 to 12 carbon atoms in a hydrocarbon solvent to a polymerization reactor, b) contacting the feed of step a) in the reactor with a catalyst to form a reaction mixture containing an ethylene-alpha-olefin co-polymer, c) withdrawing the reaction mixture from the polymerization reactor as a reactor outlet stream which comprises the ethylene-alpha-olefin co-polymer, unreacted monomer and comonomer, catalyst, and hydrocarbon solvent, d) heating the reactor outlet stream to a temperature which is at least 5° C. higher than the temperature of the reaction mixture at the outlet of the reactor for a time period of between 1 and 250 seconds in order to de-activate the polymerization catalyst, and e) separating hydrocarbon solvent, monomer and comonomer from the reactor outlet stream and recycling it back to the polymerization reactor without further purification steps.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 7, 2020
    Publication date: December 1, 2022
    Inventors: Mohammad Al-haj Ali, Michiel Bergstra, Erik Eriksson, Sameer Vijay, Christof Wumitsch, Samuli Zitting, Henry Sleijster, Noureddine Ajellal
  • Patent number: 11034784
    Abstract: A process for reducing the volatile organic compound content of granular plastomers having a density of equal to or lower than 883 kg/m3 and a MFR2 of 100.0 g/10 min or lower (ISO 1133 at 2.16 kg load and 190° C.), to below 65 ppm (VOC, VDA277), the process comprising the steps of providing a granular raw plastomer in a treatment vessel, the granular raw plastomer having a density of equal to or lower than 883 kg/m3, and a MFR2 of 100.0 g/10 min or lower (ISO 1133 at 2.16 kg load and 190° C.), and a volatile organic compound content (VOC, VDA277) of above 150 ppm, subjecting said granular raw plastomer to a gasflow within the range of 30 m3/(h t) to 150 m3/(h t) for an aeration time of less than 96 hours, whereby the gas has a minimum temperature of at least 26° C. measured at a gas inlet of the treatment vessel and a maximum temperature of 4° C. below the Vicat temperature (10 N, ISO 306) of the granular raw plastomer or 35° C.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Date of Patent: June 15, 2021
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, Michiel Bergstra, Stefan Hochradl, Velichko Hristov, Alexander Standler
  • Publication number: 20210108007
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for reducing the volatile organic compound (VOC) content of plastomers the process comprising the steps of subjecting the plastomer in granular form containing VOCs which is contained in an aeration vessel to a gasflow, and withdrawing granular plastomer from the aeration vessel which has a lower content of VOCs, wherein the average particle size of the granular plastomer is greater than 2.5 mm, preferably greater than 2.7 mm, more preferably greater than 3.0 mm, wherein the gas has a minimum temperature of at least 26° C. measured at a gas inlet of the aeration vessel, and a maximum temperature of 4° C. below the Vicat temperature (10N, ISO 306) of the granular plastomer or 35° C. measured at the gas inlet of the aeration vessel, whatever value is lower, and wherein at least a part of the withdrawn granular plastomer is recirculated to the aeration vessel.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 28, 2019
    Publication date: April 15, 2021
    Inventors: Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, Michiel Bergstra, Charlotta Weber, Gert Stijnen
  • Publication number: 20210024669
    Abstract: Process for reducing the volatile organic compound content of plastomer having a density of equal to or lower than 883 kg/m3 and—a MFR2 of 100.0 g/l 0 min or lower (ISO 1133 at 2.16 kg load and 190° C.); to below 65 ppm(VOC, VDA277), the process comprising the steps of a) providing raw plastomer in granular form, the raw plastomer having a density of equal to or lower than 883 kg/m3; and a MFR2 of 100.0 g/10 min or lower (ISO 1133 at 2.16 kg load and 190° C.); and a volatile organic compound content (VOC, VDA277) of above 150 ppm, and the granules having an average D50 diameter of 2.5 to 4.5 mm b) subjecting said granular raw plastomer to at least one intensive hydrodynamic regime at a minimum temperature of at least 20° C. and a maximum temperature of 4° C. below the Vicat temperature (10 N, ISO 306) of the granular raw plastomer or 35° C., whatever value is lower, with the temperature measured at the gas inlet to the fast-fluidization regime, c) recovering the granular plastomer.
    Type: Application
    Filed: January 15, 2019
    Publication date: January 28, 2021
    Inventors: Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Michiel Bergstra
  • Patent number: 10829610
    Abstract: The present invention deals with a process for polymerising olefins in a solution and withdrawing a stream of the solution from the polymerisation reactor and passing it to a sequence of heating steps. The heated solution is passed to a separation step, which is conducted at a pressure of no more than 15 bar and in which separation step a liquid phase comprising the polymer and a vapour phase coexist. A vapour stream and a concentrated solution stream comprising the polymer are withdrawn from the separation step. At least a part of the vapour stream is passed to the first polymerisation reactor, to the second polymerisation reactor or to both.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: November 10, 2020
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, Michiel Bergstra, Erik Eriksson, Guhan Mathivanan, Jukka Räsänen, Henry Sleijster, Sameer Vijay, Christof Wurnitsch, Samuli Zitting, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Jani Aho
  • Patent number: 10597472
    Abstract: An in-line blending process for polymers comprising: (a) providing two or more reactor-low pressure separator units (1,7) in parallel configuration, each reactor-low pressure separator unit comprising one reactor (2,8) fluidly connected to one low pressure separator (3,9) downstream and further a recycling line (5,11) connecting the low pressure separator (3,9) back to the corresponding reactor (2,8); (b) polymerizing olefin monomers having two or more carbon atoms in each of the reactors (2,8) in solution polymerisation; (c) forming an unreduced reactor effluents stream including a homogenous fluid phase polymer-monomer-solvent mixture in each of the reactors (2,8), (d) passing the unreduced reactor effluents streams from each of the reactors (2,8) through the corresponding low pressure separators (3,9), whereby the temperature and pressure of the low pressure separators (3,9) is adjusted such that a liquid phase and a vapour phase are obtained, whereby yielding a polymer-enriched liquid phase and a polymer-
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Date of Patent: March 24, 2020
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Henry Sleijster, Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, Jukka Rasanen, Samuli Zitting, Michiel Bergstra, Erik Eriksson, Christof Wurnitsch, Guhan Mathivanan, Sameer Vijay, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Jani Aho, Jouni Takakarhu
  • Publication number: 20200062876
    Abstract: A process for reducing the volatile organic compound content of granular plastomers having a density of equal to or lower than 883 kg/m3 and a MFR2 of 100.0 g/10 min or lower (ISO 1133 at 2.16 kg load and 190° C.), to below 65 ppm (VOC, VDA277), the process comprising the steps of providing a granular raw plastomer in a treatment vessel, the granular raw plastomer having a density of equal to or lower than 883 kg/m3, and a MFR2 of 100.0 g/10 min or lower (ISO 1133 at 2.16 kg load and 190° C.), and a volatile organic compound content (VOC, VDA277) of above 150 ppm, subjecting said granular raw plastomer to a gasflow within the range of 30 m3/(h t) to 150 m3/(h t) for an aeration time of less than 96 hours, whereby the gas has a minimum temperature of at least 26° C. measured at a gas inlet of the treatment vessel and a maximum temperature of 4° C. below the Vicat temperature (10 N, ISO 306) of the granular raw plastomer or 35° C.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 21, 2017
    Publication date: February 27, 2020
    Inventors: Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, Michiel Bergstra, Stefan Hochradl, Velichko Hristov, Alexander Standler
  • Publication number: 20190126511
    Abstract: Process for hydraulic conveying of polyolefin pellets comprising the steps of: (i) extruding molten polyolefin into strands and cutting the strands into pellets in an underwater pelletiser (A); (ii) withdrawing a first pellet suspension stream (1.1) from the pelletiser; (iii) concentrating the first pellet suspension stream in a first pellet separator (B); (iv) passing the concentrated pellet stream (1.4) to a hydraulic conveying line through a first vessel (D) and mixing it with water thereby producing a second pellet suspension stream (1.5); (v) withdrawing the second pellet suspension stream from the first vessel and passing it to a second pellet separator (E); (vi) separating the pellets from water in the second pellet separator thereby creating a second water stream (1.6) and a dry pellet stream (1.10) and passing the second water stream back to the first vessel; wherein any one of the first or second pellet suspension stream or the dry pellet stream comprises an antiblock.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 9, 2017
    Publication date: May 2, 2019
    Inventors: Jukka Räsänen, Samuli Zitting, Henry Sleijster, Michiel Bergstra, Sameer Vijay
  • Publication number: 20180371201
    Abstract: The present invention deals with a process for polymerising olefins in a solution and withdrawing a stream of the solution from the polymerisation reactor and passing it to a sequence of heating steps. The heated solution is passed to a separation step, which is conducted at a pressure of no more than 15 bar and in which separation step a liquid phase comprising the polymer and a vapour phase coexist. A vapour stream and a concentrated solution stream comprising the polymer are withdrawn from the separation step. At least a part of the vapour stream is passed to the first polymerisation reactor, to the second polymerisation reactor or to both.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Publication date: December 27, 2018
    Inventors: Mohammad AL-HAJ ALI, Michiel BERGSTRA, Erik ERIKSSON, Guhan MATHIVANAN, Jukka RÄSÄNEN, Henry SLEIJSTER, Sameer VIJAY, Christof WURNITSCH, Samuli ZITTING, Vasileios KANELLOPOULOS, Jani AHO
  • Publication number: 20180327529
    Abstract: An in-line blending process for polymers comprising: (a) providing two or more reactor-low pressure separator units (1,7) in parallel configuration, each reactor-low pressure separator unit comprising one reactor (2,8) fluidly connected to one low pressure separator (3,9) downstream and further a recycling line (5,11) connecting the low pressure separator (3,9) back to the corresponding reactor (2,8); (b) polymerizing olefm monomers having two or more carbon atoms in each of the reactors (2,8) in soltion polymerisation; (c) forming an unreduced reactor effluents stream including a homogenous fluid phase polymer-monomer-solvent mixture in each of the reactors (2,8), (d) passing the unreduced reactor effluents streams from each of the reactors (2,8) through the corresponding low pressure separators (3,9), whereby the temperature and pressure of the low pressure separators (3,9) is adjusted such that a liquid phase and a vapour phase are obtained, whereby yielding a polymer-enriched liquid phase and a polymer-le
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 21, 2016
    Publication date: November 15, 2018
    Inventors: Henry Sleijster, Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, Jukka Rasanen, Samuli Zitting, Michiel Bergstra, Erik Eriksson, Christof Wurnitsch, Guhan Mathivanan, Sameer Vijay, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Jani Aho, Jouni Takakarhu
  • Patent number: 9550132
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for treating polyolefin granules in a treatment vessel comprising the steps of: —Providing a bed of granules in liquid in said treatment vessel —Withdrawing a first stream of liquid from said treatment vessel, wherein said first stream of liquid contains hydrocarboneous compounds —introducing a first stream of vapor into said treatment vessel —Withdrawing a second stream of vapor from said treatment vessel wherein said second stream of vapor contains volatile hydrocarboneous compounds —Recovering the granules from said treatment vessel wherein said first stream of vapor has a temperature from Tb to Tb+10° C., wherein Tb is the boiling point of the liquid at the applied pressure, and said first stream of vapor produces an upwards rising vapor stream in said treatment vessel, the superficial vapor velocity of which is no more than 0.2 m/s, and a plant suitable for conducting said process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2017
    Assignee: Borealis AG
    Inventors: Michiel Bergstra, Kai Hagane, Manfred Jarzombek, Pablo Ivan Aguayo Arellano
  • Patent number: 9192905
    Abstract: The invention relates to a reactor assembly for the production of polymers including a fluidized bed reactor (1) comprising a bottom zone (5), a middle zone (6) and an upper zone (7), an inlet (8) for the fluidization gas located in the bottom zone (5), an outlet (9) for the fluidization gas located in the upper zone (7); the outlet (9) for the fluidization gas being coupled with the fluidized bed reactor (1) via inlet (8); the equivalent cross-sectional diameter of the bottom zone (5) being monotonically increasing with respect to the flow direction of the fluidization gas through the fluidized bed reactor; the middle zone (6) having an essentially constant equivalent cross-sectional diameter with respect to the flow direction of the fluidization gas through the fluidized bed reactor; the equivalent cross-sectional diameter of the upper zone (7) being monotonically decreasing with respect to the flow direction of the fluidization gas through the fluidized bed reactor; wherein that the ratio of the height of
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Erik Eriksson, Michiel Bergstra, Klaus Nyfors, Günter Weickert
  • Patent number: 9192903
    Abstract: Reactor assembly for the production of polymers including a fluidized bed reactor (1) comprising a bottom zone (5), a middle zone (6) and an upper zone (7), an inlet (8) for the fluidization gas located in the bottom zone (5), an outlet (9) for the fluidization gas located in the upper zone (7); the outlet (9) for the fluidization gas being coupled with the fluidized bed reactor (1) via inlet (8) via a gas circulation line; means for separation of solids from gas (2) being connected to said gas circulation line; the equivalent cross-sectional diameter of the upper zone (7) being monotonically decreasing with respect to the flow direction of the fluidization gas through the fluidized bed reactor; the middle zone (6) having an essentially constant equivalent cross-sectional diameter with respect to the flow direction of the fluidization gas through the fluidized bed reactor; the equivalent cross-sectional diameter of the bottom zone (5) being monotonically increasing with respect to the flow direction of the fl
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 2, 2012
    Date of Patent: November 24, 2015
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Günter Weickert, Erik Eriksson, Michiel Bergstra, Klaus Nyfors
  • Patent number: 9096751
    Abstract: Heterophasic propylene copolymer comprising (a) a matrix (M) being a polypropylene (PP), said polypropylene (PP) has a polydispersity index (PI) of at least 5.0, and (b) an elastomeric propylene copolymer (EC) dispersed in said matrix (M), wherein (i) said heterophasic propylene copolymer has a melt flow rate MFR2 (230° C.) of equal or below 1.0 g/10 min, (ii) the amorphous phase (AM) of the xylene cold soluble fraction (XCS) of the heterophasic propylene copolymer has an intrinsic viscosity (IV) of at least 3.5 dl/g.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: March 14, 2011
    Date of Patent: August 4, 2015
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Michiel Bergstra, Pauli Leskinen, Bo Malm, Cornelia Kock
  • Patent number: 9079988
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for the preparation of a propylene copolymer P1 having ethylene-derived comonomer units, which comprises the following steps: (i) introducing propylene, ethylene, and hydrogen into a polymerisation reactor R1, wherein the ethylene is fed to the polymerisation reactor R1 in a periodically varying amount, (ii) preparing the propylene copolymer in the polymerisation reactor R1 in the presence of a catalyst.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 6, 2009
    Date of Patent: July 14, 2015
    Assignee: Borealis AG
    Inventors: Michiel Bergstra, John Severn, Torvald Vestberg, Pauli Leskinen, Bo Malm, Olli Tuominen, Pirjo Jääskeläinen
  • Patent number: 8912276
    Abstract: Coating composition comprising an ethylene copolymer containing not more than 5 mole-% comonomer, whereby the fraction of the ethylene copolymer having a molecular weight of 300 000 g/mol-600 000 g/mol has a methyl branching of more than 4.0 Methyl per 1000 C as determined by SEC/FT-IR analysis.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 4, 2012
    Date of Patent: December 16, 2014
    Assignee: Borealis AG
    Inventors: Tuomas Noopila, Erik Eriksson, Magnus Palmlöf, Jari Hätönen, Michiel Bergstra, Leif Leiden, Martin Anker, Siw Bodil Fredriksen
  • Publication number: 20140202847
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for treating polyolefin granules in a treatment vessel comprising the steps of: —Providing a bed of granules in liquid in said treatment vessel —Withdrawing a first stream of liquid from said treatment vessel, wherein said first stream of liquid contains hydrocarboneous compounds —introducing a first stream of vapour into said treatment vessel —Withdrawing a second stream of vapour from said treatment vessel wherein said second stream of vapour contains volatile hydrocarboneous compounds —Recovering the granules from said treatment vessel wherein said first stream of vapour has a temperature from Tb to Tb+10° C., wherein Tb is the boiling point of the liquid at the applied pressure, and said first stream of vapour produces an upwards rising vapour stream in said treatment vessel, the superficial vapour velocity of which is no more than 0.2 m/s, and a plant suitable for conducting said process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: November 12, 2012
    Publication date: July 24, 2014
    Applicant: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Michiel Bergstra, Kai Hagane, Manfred Jarzombek, Pablo Ivan Aguayo Arellano