In-Situ Monitoring of Emulsion Polymerisations of MMA and Styrene Using Conductimetry and Calorimetry

In the present work, conductimetry is applied for on-line evaluation of anionic surfactant dynamics during emulsion polymerisation of methyl methacrylate and styrene and for on-line estimation of particle size and number. Reactor and jacket temperatures are used to perform energy balance computations on-line and to provide on-line evaluation of monomer conversion. The parameters of a previously proposed model are re-estimated in order to describe the conductivity signal during methyl methacrylate runs. Some important issues regarding the effects of the surfactant micelles over the conductivity signal are addressed. Finally, the model is inverted and combined with conversion and reactor temperature measurements, providing good predictions of the number of polymer particles in the latex, without needing of on-line measurements of particle size.