Abstract
In this paper a population balance based mathematical model is presented for describing suspension polymerization of vinyl chloride. The properties of the polymer product and the behaviour of the stirred batch polymerization reactor are investigated by simulation. Two-phase kinetics model of free radical polymerization is used, and heat balance is also included into the model. Beside the coalescence and breakage phenomena, are taken interchanges of species and heat between the droplets induced by collisions into account forming a complex threescale system. The motion of droplets in the physical space of the polymerization reactor, the breakage, coalescence and coalescence/ redispersion processes are simulated by using a coupled continuous time – Monte Carlo method.
Highlights
Suspension polymerization is widely used for commercial manufacture of many important polymers including poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), poly(methyl methacrylate), expandable polystyrene, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers and a variety of ion exchange resins.Suspension polymerization is usually carried out in batch tank reactors
PVC is produced by powder polymerization since PVC is insoluble in the vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) it immediately precipitates out formatting a separate phase
+Mb n (υ,c,T,t) where the rates of change of the population density function because of the deterministic continuous processes are on the left hand side while the terms on the right hand side represent the random collision-induced processes such as collision induced mass and heat exchange between the droplets, termed coalescence/redispersion, droplets coalescence and breakage. These terms were detailed and analysed by Lakatos [15], we present the solution of the population balance equation (1) here using a Monte Carlo method coupled with the continuous time treatment of deterministic processes
Summary
Suspension polymerization is widely used for commercial manufacture of many important polymers including poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), poly(methyl methacrylate), expandable polystyrene, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers and a variety of ion exchange resins.Suspension polymerization is usually carried out in batch tank reactors. Suspension polymerization is widely used for commercial manufacture of many important polymers including poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC), poly(methyl methacrylate), expandable polystyrene, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymers and a variety of ion exchange resins. One or more water-insoluble monomers containing oil-soluble initiator(s) are dispersed in a continuous liquid phase by a combination of strong stirring and the use of small amounts of suspending agents (stabilizers). The stabilizers hinder first the coalescence of the monomer droplets, and later stabilize the polymer beads whose tendency to agglomerate may become critical when the polymerization has advanced to the point where the polymer beads become sticky [1]. PVC is produced by powder polymerization since PVC is insoluble in the vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) it immediately precipitates out formatting a separate phase. In suspension polymerization of VCM the free radical polymerization reactions take place in the monomer droplets because the initiator is dissolved in those
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Free) 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call
