On Being a Chemical Engineer and Other Useless Things. Joao Soares FCIC, P.Eng., PhD, MASc, B.Eng., BBQ

Transcription

1 On Being a Chemical Engineer and Other Useless Things Joao Soares FCIC, P.Eng., PhD, MASc, B.Eng., BBQ

2 Conclusions Come First Learn as much as you can now, because you never know what you will be doing (or even will enjoy doing) in the future.

3 Graduating igh School Class (1978)

4 What I liked to do when I was 18 and lived in Brazil Loved chemistry and doing experiments in the laboratory Didn t care much for math ated the polymer courses I had taken ated talking in public Went to the beach every weekend (every day on summer holidays) Did not speak English well

5 Fast forward to 2009 When my grad students want to hide from me, they go to the lab My main expertise is in the mathematical modelling of polymerization processes Teach ChE 102 (say no more ) The tropical beach closest to my home is in Cuba Still do not speak English well

6 ometown Santos, Sao Paulo, Brazil

7 Education B.Eng.( ): Chemical Engineering, Federal University of Bahia, Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

8 Education MASc ( ): Chemical Engineering, State University of Campinas, Campinas, Sao Paulo, Brazil Thesis: Oxidation of Ethanol to Acetaldehyde A Simulation Study

9 Engineering Jobs Pronor ( ): Junior Engineer, Basic Engineering Division COPENE ( ): R&D Engineer, Research Centre Polibrasil ( ): R&D Engineer, Process Development Division

10 Education PhD ( ): Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, amilton, Ontario, Canada Thesis: General Mathematical Modelling of Olefin Polymerization with Ziegler- Natta Catalysts Picture of amilton in Winter

11 Academic Jobs Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo Assistant Professor: January 1995 June 1999 Associate Professor: July 1999 June 2003 Professor: June 2003 present Department of Chemical Engineering, King Fahd University, Saudi Arabia Adjunct Professor: January 2005 present

12 What does a Professor do? The obvious Teaching undergrad and grad classes The less obvious Supervision of a research group composed of MASc and PhD students, post-doctoral fellows, and visiting scientists I have 7 PhD, 2 MASc, 1 PDF, and 2 VS at the moment Consulting Activities I am currently a consultant for ExxonMobil, Total Petrochemical, SABIC, LC Chem, Repsol, and Dow Chemical (patent litigation case) Editorial Positions Canadian Journal of Chemical Engineering: Currently Associate Editor, becoming Editor-in-Chief in January 2010 Wiley-VC Macromolecular Journals: Member of the Executive Advisory Board Brazilian Journal of Chemical Engineering: Associate Editor Etc.

13 What does a Professor do (cont.)? The less obvious Conference organization Ecorep: European Conference on the Reaction Engineering of Polyolefins Incorep: International Conference on the Reaction Engineering of Polyolefins ICPC: International Conference on Polyolefin Characterization Industrial short courses In-house courses: ExxonMobil, Dow, Total, Repsol, SCG, Nova, Engelhard, BASF, Equistar, Polibrasil, Petrobras PRE Course Series 1 st PRE: France, nd PRE: Brazil, rd PRE: France, th PRE: Dubai, th PRE: USA, 2010 Committees, committees, committees

14 Measuring Academic Performance Teaching (40%) Undergrad and grad course critiques Supervision of PhD, MASc, PDF and VS Research (40%) Scientific papers (139) Book chapters (11) Conference talks (128) Invited academic and industrial talks (99) Service to the department, faculty and university (20%)

15 Traveling: Conferences and Consulting x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x

16 Grad Studies and Research MASc: 4 courses + thesis (2 years) PhD: 3 course + thesis (4 years) PDF: Only research (no specific duration)

17 Research at Soares s lab Polymer reaction engineering Coordination polymerization Free-radical and living free-radical polymerization Production of polymers with controlled molecular architectures Polymer characterization Mathematical modelling of polymerization and polymer fractionation techniques Production of polymer/clay nanocomposites

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19 Inert Atmosphere Glove Box Schlenk Line for Catalyst Preparation and Supporting

20 1.0 L Autoclave SS Reactor 250 ml Autoclave SS Reactor

21 igh-temperature Triple-Detector Gel Permeation Chromatography

22 Preparative Polymer Fractionation

23 Crystaf/TREF

24 Academic Research Projects Development of parameter estimation methodologies for polymerization kinetic constants of coordination catalysts Production of polyolefin thermoplastic elastomers/compatibilizers/rheology modifiers using mixed metallocene catalysts Characterization of polyolefin random and block copolymers using TREF, Crystaf, PREP, and solution microcalorimetry Production of polyolefin/clay nanocomposites using clay-supported metallocene catalysts Synthesis of ethylene/polar comonomer copolymers using late transition metal catalysts Production of narrow-mwd polystyrene macromonomers by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) and polyethylene-g-polystyrene with metallocene catalysts New techniques for the simulation of polystyrene reactors

25 Industrial Research Projects ExxonMobil (USA) Development of mathematical models for polymers with complex structures Repsol (Spain) Development of a mathematical model for industrial DPE and LLDPE polymerization reactors SABIC (Saudi Arabia) Mathematical modeling of propylene polymerization with Ziegler-Natta catalysts in industrial reactors LG Chem (South Korea) Synthesis of ethylene/polar comonomer copolymers with supported late transition metal catalysts Total (USA) Simulation of an industrial plant for the production of impact polypropylene

26 Polyolefin Applications Packaging (films and foams) Toys (action figures and dolls) Footwear Foams (sporting goods) Automotive Wire and cable Elastomers (soft-touch grips) Profiles (gaskets and rub strips) Road construction and roofing and many more

27 Olefin Polymerization is a Multiscale Process

28 Polyolefin Microstructure Molecular weight distribution (MWD) Chemical composition distribution (CCD) Stereochemical distribution Comonomer sequence length distribution Long chain branch distribution (LCB)

29 Polyethylene Types C C C C C C C C C C C C C C LDPE LLDPE / VLDPE DPE g/cm 3 / g/cm g/cm g/cm 3

30 Short Chain Branch (SCB) Formation Ethylene/ -Olefin Copolymerization Ti Ti Methyl SCB Ti Ethyl SCB Ti Ti Butyl SCB exyl SCB

31 Polypropylene and Stereoisomerism C 3 C 3 C 3 C 3 C 3 C 3 C C C C C C C C C C C C Designation Fisher Projection atactic isotactic syndiotactic

32 igh Impact Polypropylene Copolymer TEA Catalyst 1st Reactor Propylene Isobutane ydrogen Poly(ethylene-copropylene) rubber domains Gas Lock 2nd Reactor Propylene Isobutane ydrogen Ethylene Powder/Gas Separation Polypropylene matrix

33 Main Discoveries in Coordination Catalysts for Olefin Polymerization M. Brookhart Functional Polyolefins (Late Transition Metal Catalyst, 1990s) W. Kaminsky Precisely Controlled Microstructure (Metallocene Catalysts, 1980s) LDPE (radical initiator, 1930s) DPE, PP in low pressure, temperature (50-70 o C) (Ziegler-Natta Catalyst, 1950s) K. Ziegler G. Natta Nobel Prize (1963)

34 Multiple Site Catalysts Ziegler-Natta Catalysts Phillips Catalysts O Cr O O O O Si O O Si O O Mainly heterogenized on MgCl 2 Alkyl aluminums (ex. TEA) are used as cocatalysts Resultant polymer has broad molecular weight distribution (PDI > 2.0) Production of DPE, LLDPE and PP eterogenized on SiO 2 Activation without cocatalyst Resultant polymer has broad molecular weight distribution (PDI > 2.0) Production of DPE

35 Single-Site Catalysts Metallocenes Early Transition Metal Catalyst (Ex. Metallocene Catalysts) Cp 2 ZrCl 2 rac-et(ind) 2 ZrCl 2 ipr(flu)(cp)zrcl 2 CGC DPE ipp spp LLDPE Methyl aluminoxane or borates are used as cocatalysts Resultant polymer has homogeneous comonomer distribution and narrow molecular weight distribution (PDI = 2.0) Polymer microstructure can be controlled by catalyst design

36 Single-Site Catalysts Late Transition Metal Late Transition Metal Catalyst (Ex. Nickel Diimine Catalysts) Carbon Nitrogen N Br Ni Br N Nickel Bromine Methyl aluminoxane or borates are used as cocatalyst Copolymerization of ethylene and polar comonomers is possible due to less oxophilic active sites (Ni, Pd) Resultant polyolefin has many branches in the absence of -olefin comonomer

37 w r, F, i 1 (2i r 1)! 2i 1 2i 2 e r r 2 e r( F 2 F) 2 Linear 1 LCB 2 LCB 3 LCB 4 LCB 5 LCB 0.002, 0.25; F 0.5 JBP Soares. Polyolefins with long chain branches made with single-site coordination catalysts: A review of mathematical modeling techniques for polymer microstructure. Macromol Mater Eng 2004, 289,

38 Cross-Fractionation of a Complex Trimodal Polyethylene Copolymer logm Temp logm

39 Reactor Configurations and Types Reactor Types Gas phase Slurry Liquid bulk Solution Reactor Configurations Fluidized-bed Fast fluidized-bed Autoclave stirred-bed Loop Tubular JBP Soares, TF McKenna, CP Cheng. Coordination polymerization. In Polymer Reaction Engineering, JM Asua (Ed.), Blackwell Publishing, 2007, pp

40 New Polyolefin Types ybrid polyolefins (nanocomposites, polar) Linear and Branched Block Copolymers

41 Types of Thermoplastic Polyolefins (TPO) Branch-block copolymers Linear block copolymers Soft segment ard segment

42 Linear Block Copolymers via Chain Shuttling Catalyst 1 Catalyst 2 Chain shuttling agent (ZnEt 2 )

43 Infuse Block Olefin Copolymers

44 Polyolefin Nanocomposites Polyolefin Nanocomposite Application Improved Mechanical Properties Auto parts Improved Thermal Stability Cf.) Tortuous paths Improved Gas-barrier Properties Film

45 Nano-Fillers 0 dimensional 1 dimensional Source: Zyvex Na + Na + 2 dimensional

46 Polyethylene/Clay Nanocomposites PE Formation within Clay Galleries

47 Polyethylene/Clay Nanocomposites Particle Morphology Conventional ZN Morphology

48 ybrid polyolefin-clay nanocomposites using combination of catalysts hybrid branched polyethylene + linear polyethylene hybrid polyethylene with bimodal molecular weight distribution hybrid isotactic + atatic polypropylene

49 Copolymer of Olefins and Polar Comonomers

50 50 nm 500 nm TEM, microtomed section of sample n.6 (100 nm thickness) Ethylne/Acrylonitrile copolymer

51 Polyolefin Compatibility

52 Past, Present and Future of Polyolefins 50 s Discovery of Coordination Catalysts s Remarkable Catalyst and Process Improvements s Single Site Catalysts 2 Differentiated Commodities Specialty Polyolefins + additional polymerization mechanisms 2000 s Polyolefin ybrids

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