Development and Modeling of a Continuous Dispersion Copolymerization Process in the Presence of a Stabilizing Agent Elaborated in situ |
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Authors: | Fernand Pla Christian Fonteix Sandrine Hoppe Cornelius Schrauwen Hanno Van der Wal Freddy Van Damme |
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Institution: | 1. Laboratoire des Sciences du Génie Chimique/CNRS/Nancy université, 1 rue Grandville, BP 451, F-54001 Nancy Cedex, France;2. Dow Benelux N.V. P.O. Box 48 4530 AA Terneuzen, Herbert H. Dowweg 5, 4542 NM Hoek, The Netherlands |
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Abstract: | Summary: This work deals with the development of a process for the radical copolymerization of acrylonitrile and styrene in a dispersed medium. This process was carried out in a continuous stirred tank reactor, in the presence of a stabilizing agent produced in situ during the polymerization. The continuous phase is a polyol. Besides all elementary chemical mechanisms related to the copolymerization and to the synthesis and grafting of the stabilizing agent, this process involves several complex physical phenomena. A tendency model of the whole process was developed, using the corresponding mass balances and thermodynamics. Its unknown parameters were identified by use of an evolutionary algorithm and experimental data resulting from an adapted experimental strategy. This model was then validated and allowed to predict monomers and transfer agent conversions, amounts of solids and average molar masses, versus the operating conditions. |
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Keywords: | copolymer polyol dispersion polymerization evolutionary algorithm modeling |
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