Model of hyperbranched polymers prepared via polymerization of AB2 and core C3 monomers in a continuous-stirred tank reactor

Abstract

The formation of hyperbranched polymers (HBPs) generated by the stepwise polymerization of AB2 monomers with the addition of trifunctional core monomers in a continuous-stirred tank reactor, CSTR, was investigated by a kinetic model. The dependency of the degree of polymerization (DP), the degree of branching (DB), and conversion on the Damköhler number (Da) were calculated by a generating function method. When using the polymerization system without the core monomers, the process could be halted due to the production of larger molecules at the conversion of group A, α(A), of approximately 0.44. The addition of core monomers with high reactivity in the CSTR could retard the growth of polymers. Consequently, the reduced weight-average DP and DB could reach 1000 and 0.51, respectively, at a high α(A) of 0.91. Moreover, the amount of unreacted monomers remaining in the flow exiting the CSTR was much less than that without the addition of the core monomers.