Macrokinetics of the cationic copolymerization of isobutylene with isoprene

Abstract

A theoretical model has been developed for the macrokinetics of cationic isobutylene–isoprene copolymerization in a stirred reactor and in a tubular turbulent reactor. The model provides means to calculate the reaction mass temperature, velocity, and turbulence kinetic energy fields. The adequacy of the model has been demonstrated using the Fisher criterion. Computational experiments have been carried out to estimate the effects of the catalyst concentration and the rotational speed of the stirrer (in the case of the synthesis conducted in a stirred reactor) and the effects of reaction mixture velocity and apparatus diameter (in the case of the synthesis conducted in a tubular turbulent reactor) on molecular weight characteristics of the resulting copolymer (butyl rubber).