‫‪POLYETHYLENE production‬‬

‫احمد حامد عبد الزهرة‬

‫احمد كاظم عبد الحسن‬
‫أ‪.‬م‪ .‬منى يوسف عبد االحد‬
 INTRODUCTION
Fiber made from polymer or copolymers of olefin hydrocarbon such
as ethylene, propylene etc is called polyolefin fiber. Polyethylene and
polypropylene are the important fibers in this group of fibers.

Polyethylene has the simplest basic structure of any polymer It is a

polymer of ethylene produced by addition polymerization.

The different types of polyethylene are:

1. HDPE - High Density Polyethylene
2. LDPE - Low Density Polyethylene
 PROPERTIES
• Molecular Formula:

• Molecular Weight: 1,500-

100,000
• Melting Point: 358-383K
• Density: 0.91-0.93 by high
pressure process; 0.96 by low
pressure process.
• Grades: 1.5mm to 3mm pellets,
flake or powdered solid sold to
extruders.
THERMAL PROPERTIES
Polyethylene is tough at room temperature and becomes brittle on
cooling.

CHEMICAL PROPERTIES
Polyethylene is resistant to non-oxidizing acids, alkalis and many
aqueous solutions.

ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
The insulating properties of polyethylene evaluate favorably with any other
dielectric material. It is a non-polar material property such as power factor
and dielectric constant are independent of temp and frequency.
 LOW DENSITY POLYETHYLENE
 Polyethylene with low molecular weight
 LDPE has density range of 0.910–0.940
g/cc.
 It has a high degree of short and long
chain branching, which results in loose
packing of the chains.
 Produced using a high pressure process
via radical polymerization.
 Major applications for LDPE film include
heavy-duty sacks, carrier bags and for
general packaging.
 HIGH DENSITY POLYETHYLENE
 Polyethylene with high molecular weight
 LDPE has density greater or equal to
0.941 g/cc.
 HDPE has a low degree of branching
and thus low intermolecular forces and
tensile strength.
 Synthesized by co-ordination
polymerization.
 High Density polyethylene film is used
for carrier bags. Filament for ropes,
fishing nets and fabrics are an important
outlet for the high-density polyethylene.
ECONOMICS OF POLYETHYLENE
 METHODS OF PRODUCTION
• HIGH PRESSURE (1,000-2,500 atms)
This was the original process developed by ICI in the UK using peroxide
catalyst at 373-573K and producing low density random oriented, low
melting point polymer

• INTERMEDIATE PRESSURE (30-100 atms)

This uses MoO3 or Cr2O3 on alumina as catalyst, produces high density
density polymer with accompanying increases in rigidity, crystallinity,
tensile strength and softening point.

• LOW PRESSURE (6-10 atms)

It uses a catalyst consisting of aluminium triethyl activated with heavy
metal derivatives such as TiCl4.
 Material balance

Propane
Prepoylmerizatio Process Propylalu C5H11Al C4H8 H2O H2
rocess n minum
triethyl +
Propane feed = 1000
Ethylene +
Input kg/h Butane +
Propylaluminum Hydrogen
triethyl = 4.19 kg/h;
Hydrogen gas = 0.67 Input 35.44 mol/h

Output kg/h + 178,067

mol/h +
Heat released = -4.5
25,818
x 10^5 kJ/h; Heat mol/h +
absorbed = -4.5 x 4,950
10^5 kJ/h; Adiabatic mol/h
reactor with no heat
Heat Balance loss or gain Output 178,106 25,818 9,900
mol/h mol/h mol/h

Output 25.35 kg/h 1.45 kg/h 178.22 kg/h

(mass)
Energy balance
Process reactor 1 Propane Prepoylmerization
Heat released = -4.5 x 10^5 kJ/h; Heat
absorbed = -4.5 x 10^5 kJ/h; Adiabatic
Heat Balance reactor with no heat loss or gain

2.reactor 2/The energy balance for the given process shows that the
heat released by the two reactions is -4.03 x 10^6 kJ/h + -3.54 kJ/h = -
4.03 x 10^6 kJ/h + -0.00354 kJ/h = -4.03 x 10^6 kJ/h. This heat is
absorbed by the products in the form of a temperature increase.

3. reactor 3/Heat absorbed = (5.04 kg/h x 0.9 kJ/kg-K x 20 K) +

(359.82 kg/h x 28.84 kJ/kg-K x 20 K) = 20,760 kJ/h
THANK YOU