Development of Commercial Continuous Emulsion Polymerization Processes

3 DEVELOPMENT OF COMMERCIAL CONTINUOUS EMULSION POLYMERIZATION PROCESSES 

It is not straightforward to successfully manufacture a particular latex product, which is generally developed in a laboratory batch or semibatch reactor, in a commercial continuous emulsion polymerization system (e.g., a continuous stirred tank reactor). This is simply because the characteristics of continuous stirred tank reactors are dramatically different from those of batch and semibatch reactors. As a consequence, the particle nucleation process and kinetics experienced in batch or semibatch emulsion polymerization systems cannot be directly applied to continuous systems consisting of stirred tank reactors. 

Poehlein [81] identified major problems encountered with the development of continuous emulsion polymerization processes. It was shown that the development of commercial continuous emulsion polymerization processes involves the consideration of many factors associated with process design and product quality. These factors include the effects of inhibitor, polymerization rate, particle size distribution, copolymer composition, addition strategy of feed streams, unsteady-state operation, and reactor design on continuous emulsion polymerization processes. The author then used a two-continuous stirred tank reactor series to elucidate key continuous emulsion polymerization mechanisms and generate the knowledge necessary for the development of commercial continuous processes. 

It was concluded that failure to address the above-mentioned problems and other significant factors that may appear for speciflc latex products means failure to develop an economically viable continuous emulsion polymerization process. A comprehensive understanding of the different characteristics between the batch or semibatch and continuous emulsion polymerization processes and how these differences affect product properties and reactor performance is a must for successful process development. 

in Encyclopedia of Surface and Colloid Science, A. Hubbard (Ed.), Marcel Dekker, New York, 2002, pp. 4220 241. 

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