Polymerization in perfectly mixed flow reactors

One of the most important areas in which the concepts discussed in the previous section can be applied is the selection and design of polymerization reactors. The properties of polymers depend on their molecular weight distribution (MWD), and the design should account for this. The subject is a vast one, therefore only the basic concepts will be briefly discussed here. Several excellent reviews, covering various aspects of the area from a chemical reaction engineering viewpoint, in particular mathematical modelling, exist Shinnar and Katz [1972], Keane [1972], Gerrens [1976], Laurence and Chiovetta [1983], Ray [1972], Min and Ray [1974], Tirrell et al. [1987], and Kiparissides [1996]. 

Performing polymerization reactions in perfectly mixed flow reactors leads to quite different results from those obtained in batch or plug flow reactors, as discussed in 1951 already by Denbigh [1951]. The key point concerns the relative lifetimes of the active propagating polymer species. If this is long relative to the mean holding time of the fluid in the reactor, the rules in Section 

Chain length distribution by weight when the lifetime of the propagating macroradical is long compared to the mean holding time in the reactor. After Denbigh [1951], from Levenspiel [1962]. 

MOLECULAR WEIGHT DISTRIBUTIONS RESULTING FROM POLYREACTIONS PREDICTED BY VARIOUS REACTOR MODELS  

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Polymerization in Perfectly Mixed Flow Reactors Stability of Operation and Transient Behavior... 

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