Computational Analysis of Mixing and Scale‐Up in Emulsion Polymerization Reactors

Abstract

AbstractSummary: A hybrid multi‐zonal/computational fluid dynamics (CFD) framework is currently being developed to aid in the scale‐up of high solid content latex production and processing. Poly3D, a commercial laminar CFD code tailored to modelling the mixing of non‐Newtonian fluids, has been coupled to a population balance model via a customized interface. CFD is used to generate flow fields inside a series of reactors; this information is then transferred to a multi‐zone population balance model to assess the impact of non‐homogenous mixing on the evolution of the latex particle size distribution (PSD) when concentrated latex suspension is altered via the addition of a coagulant. The rheological properties of high solid content latexes are sensitive to changes in the PSD, so the flow field is periodically updated if significant changes in the rheological properties of the latex are detected in any of the zones. The details of the models comprising the framework are presented and the utility of the framework is demonstrated.