Agitation and Heat Transfer in Suspensions

The use of baffles limits nonuniformity in the turbulence and restricts vortex formation. Vortices are undesirable because the centrifugal effect favors drop congregation and may promote unwanted drop coalescence. That can lead to polymer deposition either on the agitator or the reactor walls (depending on the relative density of the aqueous and nonaqueous phases). When vertical baffles are dose to the walls their width (B) is often given by 

With suspension polymerization, reactor fouling is sometimes a problem. In such cases, it can be helpful to have a small gap between the outer baffle edge and the reactor wall. That may reduce accumulation of coagulated solids at the wall-baffle junction. 

It is commonly assumed that, in suspension polymerization, heat transfer between polymerizing drops and the continuous phase is rapid and both phases have the same temperature. However, Lazrak and Ricard [115] showed that, with methyl methacrylate polymerization, the internal temperature of drops could be 

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