Recycling free-flow methods

The method of feeding wet polymer to FD is very important. Granular products are relatively free flowing when wet polymers are fed with devices such as screw and rotary star feeders sticky polymers may be best handled with a table feeder. Lumpy or pasty polymer must be broken np or mixed with dry product recycle to produce a more uniform and free-flowing feedstock. 

Gradientless differential reactors allow evaluation of kinetic data practically free of distortion by heat/temperature effects. Depending on the flow, a distinction is made between reactors with outer and inner circulation (recycle reactor, continuous stirred tank reactor. Figure 4.11.1). Evaluation of kinetic measurements by means of the differential method is straightforward as the algebraic balance equation for a stirred tank reactor can be applied (prerequisite high recycle ratio R). In practice it is found that recycle ratios of more than 10 are sufficient to achieve practically ideal... 

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