Popcorn Polymer Fouling in Light Ends Units

Popcorn polymer fouling is thought to be exclusive to Butadiene plants, but in fact, there are dozens of isolated cases of popcorn polymer fouling events in Light Ends sections of Ethylene plants. Surprisingly, many of these cases have occurred in areas where butadiene concentration is less than 70%.  These observations challenge the conventional knowledge of popcorn fouling, i.e. there is a risk only in areas with bulk BD concentrations > 70%.  The fundamentals of popcorn polymer will be briefly reviewed, followed by a discussion of ~30 observations of popcorn polymer fouling in light ends units.