Ethylene mass flow meter

Ethylene mass-flow meter is an important part in the design of a polymerization reactor. The meter provides instant feedback on the polymerization rate and is connected to a strip chart recorder. In addition, the meter may be used to develop a process model for a particular reactor design. 

A process model may be determined experimentally by using an ethylene mass flow meter as part of the reactor design and gas chromatography equipment to analyze the vapor-phase content under a variety of polymerization conditions. 

The ethylene polymerization was carried out using a 12 OZ glass reactor equipped with a two blade impeller under a constant ethylene pressure of 20 psi. A predetermined amount of solvent (n-heptane), monomer, MAO and embedded catalyst were charged in series into the reactor. Polymerization was carried out at 70"C with agitation speed of 800 rpm. The polymer obtained was washed with excess amount of methanol containing hydrochloric acid solution and dried in vacuo for 24 hrs. The polymerization rate was determined from the amount of consumed ethylene, measured using a mass flow meter. DSC analyses (Dupont V4.0B) was carried out at a rate of 10 C /min, and the results were obtained in the second scan. 

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