Important mesoscale phenomena in gas phase fluidized bed ethylene polymerization

Abstract Gas phase fluidized bed processes have been widely applied to polyethylene production. In these processes, the flow, mass transfer, and reaction rate on the microscale and macroscale are strongly coupled because of the multiphase and multiscale nature of the fluidization system. Understanding mesoscale phenomena is therefore essential to the quantitative translation of the knowledge obtained from the microscale to the macroscale. This paper reviews the development of ethylene polymerization gas phase processes while focussing on studies regarding mesoscale phenomena. These include experimental characterizations, mathematical modelling and control strategies. Trends and future developments in this field are also discussed.