Reaction engineering, polymerization

The minimum polydispersity index from a free-radical polymerization is 1.5 if termination is by combination, or 2.0 if chains ate terminated by disproportionation and/or transfer. Changes in concentrations and temperature during the reaction can lead to much greater polydispersities, however. These concepts of polymerization reaction engineering have been introduced in more detail elsewhere (6). 

Chappelear, D. C. and Simon, R. H., Polymerization reaction engineering, Advances in Chemistry, Vol. 91, Addition and Condensation Polymerization Processes, Platzer, N., Ed., 1-24 (1969). 

According to Ray,13 One of the greatest difficulties in achieving quality control of the polymer product is that the actual customer specifications may be in terms of non-molecular parameters such as tensile strength, crack resistance, temperature stability, color, clarity, adsorption capacity for plasticizer, etc. The quantitative relationship between these product-quality parameters and reactor operating conditions may be the least understood area of polymerization reaction engineering. ... 

In preparing this review of polymerization reaction engineering the author is fortunate that there have been so many books and survey articles to appear in the literature recently (cf. Table II). These, taken together, provide good detailed coverage of the essentials of the field therefore, extensive delegation of detail will be made to these surveys. Foremost... 

Table II. Some Recent Books and Survey Articles on Polymerization Reaction Engineering...

Polymerization Reaction Engineering Continuous Emulsion Polymerization... 

Because the state of the literature through 1980 is so well covered by the surveys listed in Table II, only very recent work on polymerization reaction engineering will be provided here as a supplement. This is categorized by topic in Table VIII. This large amount of literature (which is not exhaustive) over the last 18 months is indicative of the recent explosion of interest in these problems. 

To provide an illustration of some of the challenges of polymerization reaction engineering, we shall discuss here a few intriguing but practically important research problems which arise in the design of polymerization reactors. These examples reflect the author s own interest and are selected from research projects currently underway at the University of Wisconsin. 

Solid-Catalyzed Olefin Polymerization. A third area where extremely challenging polymerization reaction engineering problems arise is in transition-metal catalyzed polymerization of olefins such as ethylene, propylene and their copolymers. 

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