Molecular weight inert gases

The gas-retention qualities of the sealants have become of increased importance with the need to conserve energy. It has been found that higher molecular weight inert gases such as argon reduces heat convection and radiation within the unit, while heavy gases such as sulfur hexafluoride can reduce sound transmission. 

Mm = mean molecular weight of gas, Ib/lb mol Fbm = mean partial pressure of inert gas in the gas phase, atm... 

In order for a soHd to bum it must be volatilized, because combustion is almost exclusively a gas-phase phenomenon. In the case of a polymer, this means that decomposition must occur. The decomposition begins in the soHd phase and may continue in the Hquid (melt) and gas phases. Decomposition produces low molecular weight chemical compounds that eventually enter the gas phase. Heat from combustion causes further decomposition and volatilization and, therefore, further combustion. Thus the burning of a soHd is like a chain reaction. For a compound to function as a flame retardant it must intermpt this cycle in some way. There are several mechanistic descriptions by which flame retardants modify flammabiUty. Each flame retardant actually functions by a combination of mechanisms. For example, metal hydroxides such as Al(OH)2 decompose endothermically (thermal quenching) to give water (inert gas dilution). In addition, in cases where up to 60 wt % of Al(OH)2 may be used, such as in polyolefins, the physical dilution effect cannot be ignored. 

In plasma chromatography, molecular ions of the heavy organic material to be analy2ed are produced in an ionizer and pass by means of a shutter electrode into a drift region. The velocity of drift through an inert gas at approximately 101 kPa (1 atm) under the influence of an appHed electric field depends on the molecular weight of the sample. The various sonic species are separated and collected every few milliseconds on an electrode. The technique has been employed for studying upper atmosphere ion molecule reactions and for chemical analysis (100). 

Polymer Production. Three processes are used to produce nylon-6,6. Two of these start with nylon-6,6 salt, a combination of adipic acid and hexamethylenediamine in water they are the batch or autoclave process and the continuous polymerisation process. The third, the soHd-phase polymerisation process, starts with low molecular weight pellets usually made via the autoclave process, and continues to build the molecular weight of the polymer in a heated inert gas, the temperature of which never reaches the melting point of the polymer. 

Fatty Acid Process. When free fatty acids are used instead of oil as the starting component, the alcoholysis step is avoided. AH of the ingredients can therefore be charged into the reactor to start a batch. The reactants are heated together, under agitation and an inert gas blanket, until the desired endpoint is reached. Alkyds prepared by the fatty acid process have narrower molecular weight distribution and give films with better dynamic mechanical properties (34). 

Polyethylene displays good heat resistance in the absence of oxygen in vacuum or in an inert gas atmosphere, up to the temperature of 290°C. Higher temperature brings about the molecular-chain scission followed by a drop in the molecular-weight average. At temperatures in excess of 360°C the formation of volatile decomposition products can be observed. The main components are as follows ethane, propane, -butane, n-pentane, propylene, butenes and pentenes [7]. 

M, = average molecular weight of vapor, dimensionless Po = partial pressure of vapor at the condensate film, °F Po = partial pressure of vapor in gas body, atm L = temperature of condensate film, °F tg = temperature of dry gas (inerts), °F L = temperature of water, °F = latent heat of vaporization, Btu/lb... 

Gas, cells, 464, 477, 511 characteristic equation, 131, 239 constant, 133, 134 density, 133 entropy, 149 equilibrium, 324, 353, 355, 497 free energy, 151 ideal, 135, 139, 145 inert, 326 kinetic theory 515 mixtures, 263, 325 molecular weight, 157 potential, 151 temperature, 140 velocity of sound in, 146 Generalised co-ordinates, 107 Gibbs s adsorption formula, 436 criteria of equilibrium and stability, 93, 101 dissociation formula, 340, 499 Helmholtz equation, 456, 460, 476 Kono-walow rule, 384, 416 model, 240 paradox, 274 phase rule, 169, 388 theorem, 220. Graetz vapour-pressure equation, 191... 

Consider the gas-phase decomposition A B -b C in an isothermal tubular reactor. The tube i.d. is 1 in. There is no packing. The pressure drop is 1 psi with the outlet at atmospheric pressure. The gas flow rate is O.OSSCF/s. The molecular weights of B and C are 48 and 52, respectively. The entering gas contains 50% A and 50% inerts by volume. The operating temperature is 700°C. The cracking reaction is first order with a rate constant of 0.93 s . How long is the tube and what... 

The gas phase reaction, A = 2B, is done at 400 K in a tubular reactor 6 cm in diameter. The feed contains 50 mol% each of A and inerts, of molecular weights 40 and 20 respectively. The total feed rate is 400 kg/hr, inlet... 

The gas phase reaction, A => 2B, is conducted at 600 R in a tubular flow reactor of diameter 0.2 ft. The feed contains 50 mol% A of molecular weight 40 and the balance inert of molecdular weight 20. Charge rate is 9000 lb/hr, inlet pressure is 5 atm, specific rate is 6000/hr and viscosity is 0.05 lb/ft-hr. Obtain the relation between conversion, pressure drop and volume of the reactor. 

SSP can be carried out batchwise or continuously, either in vacuo or supported by an inert gas flow. Another variation of SSP is the so-called suspension process in the swollen state, which allows for the production of extremely high-molecular-weight polyesters [3], This technology is more of academic interest than for commercial application since it requires complete removal of the high-boiling suspending oils. 

Solid-state polycondensation (SSP) is thus a technique applied to thermoplastic polyesters to raise their molecular weight or IV. During solid-state polycondensation, the polymer is heated above the glass transition temperature and below the melt temperature of the polymer either under an inert gas or under vacuum. Increasing the intrinsic viscosity requires a residence time of up to 12 h under vacuum or under inert gas, at temperatures from 180 to 240 °C. 

High-molecular-weight polyesters cannot be made by polymerization in the molten state alone - instead, post-polymerization (or polycondensation) is performed in the solid state as chips (usually under vacuum or inert gas) at temperatures somewhat less than the melting point. The solid-state polycondensation of polyesters is covered in detail in Chapters 4 and 5. 

In 1977 De Santis et al. (J5) as well as Heidemann et al. ( ) calculated the gas-phase fugacities in the systems HjO-air and H2O-N2-CO2 by equation of state in these calculations the liquid phase was not included. One of the authors (7J showed in 1978 that aqueous systems with some inert gases and alkanes as well as H2S and C02 could be represented by an equation of state if the molecular weight of water was artificially increased. An extension of this method applied to alcohols was found to be only partially successful. Gmehling et al. (8) treated polar fluids such as alcohols, ketones and water as monomer-dimer mixtures using Donohue s equation of state (9) various systems including water-methanol and water-ethanol were succussfully represented. 

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