The Novolen process utilizes one or two vertical gas-phase stirred bed reactors. Homopolymers and random copolymers can be manufactured either in a single reactor or in a reactor cascade with two reactors, depending on the required capacity and product range. Alternatively, two reactors can be operated in parallel to achieve higher capacity for a single train plant and to produce bimodal resins. Impact copolymers require two reactors connected in series. In the first reactor propylene homopolymer or random copolymer is polymerized; in the second reactor rubber is added by polymerizing an ethylene/propylene mixture.
Lummus Novolen Technology GmbH introduced Novolen VRC Technology that allows for maximum production flexibility. Reactors can be operated in parallel to maximize capacity and product range breadth or in cascade to produce impact copolymers.
| The polypropylene product portfolio covers a wide range of properties: |
| Melt flow rate (MFR) |
0.1 – 3,000 g/10 min. |
| Isotacticity |
90 – 99.5 % |
| Tensile modulus |
300 – 2,400 MPa |
| Tensile yield stress |
10 – 40 MPa |
Impact strength
(reactor blends) |
No break at –30 °C |
Transparency
(1mm disc) |
Up to 93 % for
Ziegler-Natta polypropylene.
Up to 96 % for
metallocene polypropylene |
| Melting temperature |
125 – 165 °C |
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