Patents by Inventor Vasileios Kanellopoulos

Vasileios Kanellopoulos 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: 11897975
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-stage process for producing a C2 to C8 olefin polymer composition in a process comprising at least two reactors, wherein a pre-polymerized solid Ziegler-Natta catalyst is prepared by carrying out an off-line pre-polymerization of a solid Ziegler-Natta catalyst component with a C2 to C4 olefin monomer before feeding to the polymerization process.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Date of Patent: February 13, 2024
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Klaus Nyfors, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Erno Elovainio, Ravindra Tupe, Victor Sumerin
  • Patent number: 11559776
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for improving the cooling capacity of a gas solids olefin polymerization reactor by splitting the fluidization gas and returning part of the fluidization gas to the reactor into the bottom zone of the reactor and another part of the fluidization gas directly into the dense phase formed by particles of a polymer of the at least one olefin suspended in an upwards flowing stream of the fluidization gas in the middle zone of the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 24, 2023
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Günter Weickert, Eric-Jan Prinsen, Klaus Nyfors, Erno Elovainio, Vasileios Kanellopoulos
  • Patent number: 11400429
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for polymerizing olefin monomer(s) in a gas solids olefin polymerization reactor wherein the fluidization gas is split and returned to the reactor into the bottom zone of the reactor and directly into the dense phase formed by particles of a polymer of the olefin monomer(s) suspended in an upwards flowing stream of the fluidization gas in the middle zone of the reactor.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Date of Patent: August 2, 2022
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Günter Weickert, Eric-Jan Prinsen, Klaus Nyfors, Erno Elovainio, Vasileios Kanellopoulos
  • Publication number: 20220234021
    Abstract: A process for the production of polyolefins comprising: feeding a slurry comprising at least one polymerization catalyst, at least one carrier liquid, first olefin monomer(s) and optionally at least one first comonomer into at least one loop reactor; polymerizing the first olefin monomer(s) and optionally the at least one first comonomer yielding a first polyolefin; withdrawing the first polyolefin from the loop reactor; feeding the first polyolefin to a gas-solids olefin polymerization reactor, wherein the gas-solids olefin polymerization reactor comprises: a top zone; a middle zone, which comprises a top end in direct contact with said top zone and which is located below said top zone, the middle zone having a generally cylindrical shape; and a bottom zone, which is in direct contact with a bottom end of the middle zone and which is located below the middle zone; introducing a fluidization gas stream into the bottom zone of the gas-solids olefin polymerization reactor; polymerizing second olefin monomer(s)
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: July 28, 2022
    Inventors: Apostolos Krallis, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Erno Elovainio, Klaus Nyfors, Joana Kettner
  • Publication number: 20220177616
    Abstract: A process for polymerizing olefin monomer(s) in a gas-solids olefin polymerization reactor comprising a top zone; a middle zone, which comprises a top end in direct contact with said top zone and which is located below said top zone, the middle zone having a generally cylindrical shape; and a bottom zone, which is in direct contact with a bottom end of the middle zone and which is located below the middle zone; comprising the following steps: introducing a fluidization gas stream into the bottom zone; polymerizing olefin monomer(s) in the presence of a polymerization catalyst in a dense phase formed by particles of a polymer of the olefin monomer(s) suspended in an upwards flowing stream of the fluidization gas in the middle zone; introducing a jet gas stream through one or more jet gas feeding ports in a jet gas feeding area of the middle zone at the dense phase in the middle zone of the gas-solids olefin polymerization reactor; wherein the kinetic energy (EJG) input in the reactor by the jet stream is betwe
    Type: Application
    Filed: April 6, 2020
    Publication date: June 9, 2022
    Inventors: Gunter Weickert, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Eric-Jan Prinsen, Pablo Ivan Aguayo Arellano, Markku Vahteri, Juha Salminen, Jari-Jussi Ruskeeniemi, Ravindra Tupe, Erno Elovainio, Klaus Nyfors
  • Patent number: 11220558
    Abstract: A method and arrangement of producing polymer comprising polymerizing in reactor having a top zone having a generally conical shape, a middle zone in direct contact with and below said top zone having a generally cylindrical shape, a bottom zone having a generally conical shape thereby polymerizing at least one olefin, in the presence of a polymerization catalyst and fluidization gas to obtain (i) a first stream comprising fluidization gas and particles of olefin polymer, (ii) a second stream comprising fluidization gas and agglomerates of olefin polymer, (iii) a third olefin polymer product stream, —directing the first stream comprising fluidization gas and olefin polymer particles to a series of at least three cyclones connected to the fluidized bed reactor, —separating agglomerates of olefin polymer from the second stream, withdrawing from the fluidized bed polymerization reactor the third olefin polymer product stream.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: January 11, 2022
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Apostolos Krallis, Klaus Nyfors, Erno Elovainio
  • Patent number: 11208507
    Abstract: An olefin polymerisation method and arrangement comprising polymerising at least one olefin in gas phase in a fluidised bed in the presence of an olefin polymerisation catalyst in a polymerisation reactor having a vertical body; a generally conical downwards tapering bottom zone; a generally cylindrical middle zone, above and connected to said bottom zone; and a generally conical upwards tapering top zone above and connected to said middle zone wherein (i) fluidisation gas is introduced to the bottom zone of the reactor from where it passes upwards through the reactor; (ii) the fluidisation gas is withdrawn from the top zone of the reactor; (iii) a fluidised bed is formed within the reactor where the growing polymer particles are suspended in the upwards rising gas stream; and wherein the polymerisation reactor has an operating temperature set point and which reactor comprises at least one temperature measurement sensor, wherein a temperature difference (DT) between the temperature measurement sensor (Tm), an
    Type: Grant
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Date of Patent: December 28, 2021
    Assignee: Borealis AG
    Inventors: Apostolos Krallis, Vasileios Kanellopoulos
  • Publication number: 20210370255
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for improving the cooling capacity of a gas solids olefin polymerization reactor by splitting the fluidization gas and returning part of the fluidization gas to the reactor into the bottom zone of the reactor and another part of the fluidization gas directly into the dense phase formed by particles of a polymer of the at least one olefin suspended in an upwards flowing stream of the fluidization gas in the middle zone of the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Publication date: December 2, 2021
    Inventors: Günter WEICKERT, Eric-Jan PRINSEN, Klaus NYFORS, Erno ELOVAINIO, Vasileios KANELLOPOULOS
  • Patent number: 11179690
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing polymer material from a gas-solids olefin polymerization reactor wherein the gas-solids olefin polymerization reactor is connected to the top part of an outlet vessel via a feed pipe wherein the powder surface of discharged polymer material and the barrier gas injection point are situated in the outlet vessel as such to fulfill the following criteria: R?=X/Y?2.0; and R?=X/D?1.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Date of Patent: November 23, 2021
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Klaus Nyfors, Erno Elovainio, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Gunter Weickert, Eric-Jan Prinsen
  • Publication number: 20210317236
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a multi-stage process for producing a C2 to C8 olefin polymer composition in a process comprising at least two reactors, wherein a pre-polymerized solid Ziegler-Natta catalyst is prepared by carrying out an off-line pre-polymerization of a solid Ziegler-Natta catalyst component with a C2 to C4 olefin monomer before feeding to the polymerization process.
    Type: Application
    Filed: September 19, 2019
    Publication date: October 14, 2021
    Inventors: Klaus Nyfors, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Erno Elovainio, Ravindra Tupe, Victor Sumerin
  • Patent number: 11111324
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for withdrawing polymer agglomerates from a fluidised bed polymerisation reactor, the polymerisation reactor comprising a bottom zone having a generally conical shape and no fluidisation grid. The agglomerates are withdrawn by using an agglomerate trap below the bottom zone. A value of a process variable indicative of the content of agglomerates in the agglomerate trap is measured and the opening time of the valves transferring polymer to and from the agglomerate trap is adjusted based on the measured value.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Date of Patent: September 7, 2021
    Assignee: Borealis AG
    Inventors: Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Apostólos Krallis, Klaus Nyfors, Pablo Ivan Aguayo Arellano, Gunter Weickert, Eric-Jan Prinsen
  • Publication number: 20210269560
    Abstract: The present invention is concerned with a process for polymerizing ethylene or copolymerizing ethylene and at least one alpha-olefin comonomer in the presence of a supported polymerization catalyst in a multi-stage process in which the last polymerization stage is a gas phase reactor, the use of said process for reducing particle carry-over in the last polymerization stage and the use of a supported polymerization catalyst with a certain median particle size to polymerize an ethylene homo- or copolymer in said multi-stage process with a span of its particle size distribution which can be predicted from the median particle size of the catalyst.
    Type: Application
    Filed: August 1, 2019
    Publication date: September 2, 2021
    Applicant: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Apostolos KRALLIS, Vasileios KANELLOPOULOS, Pascal CASTRO, Vuokko OJANPERÄ, Kumudini JAYARATNE
  • Publication number: 20210130508
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for polymerizing at least one olefin in gas phase in a fluidized bed in a polymerization reactor having a top zone of a generally conical shape as such that the equivalent cross-sectional diameter is monotonically decreasing with respect to the flow direction of the fluidization gas, a middle zone in direct contact with and below said top zone of a generally cylindrical shape and a bottom zone in direct contact and below said middle zone and of a generally conical shape as such that the equivalent cross-sectional diameter is monotonically increasing with respect to the flow direction of the fluidization gas, comprising the steps of: a) introducing a first stream of fluidization gas into the bottom zone; b) polymerizing at least one olefin in the presence of a polymerization catalyst in the fluidized bed formed by particles of a polymer of the at least one olefin suspended in an upwards flowing stream of the fluidization gas in the middle zone; c) withdrawing a second
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 29, 2019
    Publication date: May 6, 2021
    Inventors: Apostolos Krallis, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Erno Elovainio, Klaus Nyfors
  • Patent number: 10988555
    Abstract: The present invention is directed to a process for separating an olefin copolymer from volatile gases using a flash separator. The flash separator can be used with a solution or high pressure process. The mass transport of volatile gases from the viscous polymer melt is increased.
    Type: Grant
    Filed: September 18, 2017
    Date of Patent: April 27, 2021
    Assignee: BOREALIS AG
    Inventors: Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Mohammad Al-Haj Ali, Apostolos Krallis
  • Publication number: 20210094008
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for removing polymer material from a gas-solids olefm polymerization reactor wherein the gas-solids olefm polymerization reactor is connected to the top part of an outlet vessel via a feed pipe wherein the powder surface of discharged polymer material and the barrier gas injection point are situated in the outlet vessel as such to fulfill the following criteria: R?=X/Y?2.0; and R?=X/D?1.
    Type: Application
    Filed: May 30, 2018
    Publication date: April 1, 2021
    Inventors: Klaus Nyfors, Erno Elovainio, Vasileios Kanellopoulos, Gunter Weickert, Eric-Jan Prinsen
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20200369806
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process and apparatus for withdrawing polymer agglomerates from a fluidised bed polymerisation reactor, the polymerisation reactor comprising a bottom zone having a generally conical shape and no fluidisation grid. The agglomerates are withdrawn by using an agglomerate trap below the bottom zone. A value of a process variable indicative of the content of agglomerates in the agglomerate trap is measured and the opening time of the valves transferring polymer to and from the agglomerate trap is adjusted based on the measured value.
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 15, 2016
    Publication date: November 26, 2020
    Inventors: Mohammad AL-HAJ ALI, Vasileios KANELLOPOULOS, Apostolos KRALLIS, Klaus NYFORS, Pablo Ivan AGUAYO ARELLANO, Gunter Weickert, Eric-Jan PRINSEN
  • 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
  • Publication number: 20200346180
    Abstract: The present invention relates to a process for polymerizing olefin monomer(s) in a gas solids olefin polymerization reactor wherein the fluidization gas is split and returned to the reactor into the bottom zone of the reactor and directly into the dense phase formed by particles of a polymer of the olefin monomer(s) suspended in an upwards flowing stream of the fluidization gas in the middle zone of the reactor.
    Type: Application
    Filed: October 25, 2018
    Publication date: November 5, 2020
    Inventors: Günter WEICKERT, Eric-Jan PRINSEN, Klaus NYFORS, Erno ELOVAINIO, Vasileios KANELLOPOULOS
  • Publication number: 20200291143
    Abstract: An olefin polymerisation method and arrangement comprising polymerising at least one olefin in gas phase in a fluidised bed in the presence of an olefin polymerisation catalyst in a polymerisation reactor having a vertical body; a generally conical downwards tapering bottom zone; a generally cylindrical middle zone, above and connected to said bottom zone; and a generally conical upwards tapering top zone above and connected to said middle zone wherein (i) fluidisation gas is introduced to the bottom zone of the reactor from where it passes upwards through the reactor; (ii) the fluidisation gas is withdrawn from the top zone of the reactor; (iii) a fluidised bed is formed within the reactor where the growing polymer particles are suspended in the upwards rising gas stream; and wherein the polymerisation reactor has an operating temperature set point and which reactor comprises at least one temperature measurement sensor, wherein a temperature difference (DT) between the temperature measurement sensor (Tm), an
    Type: Application
    Filed: June 15, 2018
    Publication date: September 17, 2020
    Inventors: Apostolos Krallis, Vasileios Kanellopoulos