Simulation Study of the Nitroxide Mediated Copolymerization of Styrene and Alpha-Methyl Styrene Under Different Reactor Configurations

ASTEASUAIN, MARIANO; FORTUNATTI, CECILIA; SARMORIA, CLAUDIA; BRANDOLIN, ADRIANA

Cancún

Congreso; Polymer Reaction Engineering VIII; 2012

ECI, Engineering Conferences International

We developed a mathematical model to describe the nitroxide mediated controlled radical copolymerization that takes place under batch, semi-batch or tubular reactor configurations. Tubular reactors both with and without side feeds were considered. The model may predict average copolymer properties such as average molecular weights and composition, as well as the full bivariate MWD and the sequence length distribution. Simulations were carried out in order to assess the influence of different design and operating variables on the product properties for the different reactors. It was observed that the range of attainable global compositions was largest in the case of semi-batch reactors. Alternatively, tubular reactors with side feeds allow production of material with large variations in chain composition. In addition to these differences in copolymer structure, implementation of an alpha-methyl styrene side feeding strategy was proven useful to achieve an increase in conversion, and, therefore, in molecular weights.