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Experimental investigation of vinyl chloride polymerization at high conversion—conversion and tracer response relationships
Author(s) -
Xie T. Y.,
Hamielec A. E.,
Wood P. E.,
Woods D. R.,
Westmijze H.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.1990.070410934
Subject(s) - vinyl chloride , butane , suspension polymerization , polymerization , tracer , monomer , solubility , polyvinyl chloride , materials science , inert , chloride , inert gas , polymer chemistry , chemistry , analytical chemistry (journal) , polymer , chromatography , organic chemistry , catalysis , composite material , copolymer , physics , nuclear physics
Abstract A model for suspension polymerization which relates the conversion of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) to polymerization conditions and a tracer response measured by online gas chromatography has been developed. This model can be used to determine monomer conversion with measurements of tracer response by gas chromatograph. A series of experiments using inert mixtures of H 2 O/PVC/VCM/ n ‐butane and using suspension polymerization of VCM with n ‐butane as tracer were carried out to evaluate the model. The solubility of n ‐butane in vinyl chloride was determined in the temperature range 40–70°C. The solubility of n ‐butane in polyvinylchloride (PVC) was estimated using nonlinear regression comparing model and experimental data for both inert mixtures and for suspension polymerization. Correlations of the solubility constants of n ‐butane in VCM and PVC, respectively, were obtained from the experimental data. Under the present experimental conditions, conversions can be measured online every 7–8 min using the n ‐butane tracer method.