Published March 1979
The manufacture of polyolefins continues to be a very active area of technology. In this third supplement to PEP Report 19, attention is confined to high density (linear) polyethylene. Polypropylene information is becoming so extensive that we are preparing a separate report dealing only with polypropylene.
In the present report, evaluations of high density polyethylene (HDPE) production have been made for a number of processes in production or available under license. Originally, we described our evaluations of HDPE processes only generically, with terms such as Ziegler catalyst and metal oxide catalyst, and then later, with terms such as solution, particle form, and gas phase. We have found, however, that our clients want more specific information about the processes of particular companies; therefore, in this report we use the generic terms as far as they are applicable, and then identify the technology base by company.
The new evaluations are based on the technologies of:
(1) Farbwerke Hoechst, which was the first company to use a Ziegler catalyst to produce HDPR cormnercially.
(2) Mitsubishi Chemical Industries, which is typical of several Japanese HDPE producers who have developed improved processes.
(3) BASF, which has adapted its gas phase polypropylene reactor to the manufacture of polyethylene.
Additionally, previous evaluations have been revised and brought up-todate on the basis of the most recent information. These evaluations include those for processes based on the technologies of:
(4) Union Carbide Corporation, whose gas phase process is now installed in a number of locations around the world.
(5) Solvay et Cie and (6) Montedison, both of which have developed liquid phase slurry processes that use high activity Ziegler catalysts.
