Modeling and Control of Continuous Industrial Polymerization Reactors

Abstract

In this paper we will primarily deal with the analysis and control of continuous flow polymerization reactors although much of the methodology will be relevant to other continuous processes and some batch processes as well. Consider the situation depicted in Figure 1 where there is a single or a sequence of flow reactors and one is interested in maintaining good control over polymer properties such as viscosity, MWD, copolymer composition, particle size distribution, polymer end group composition (dye sites), etc.. This can he done by adjusting the set points of primary controllers for one or more adjustable input variables such as initiator flow, catalyst flow, monomer feed ratios and reactor temperature or pressure. It is this secondary level of control over the polymer properties with which we shall be concerned here rather than the primary level of control over the individual manipulated variable themselves; that is, over the reactor temperature