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Modeling of Continuous Dispersion Copolymerization of Styrene and Acrylonitrile in a Polyol Medium
Author(s) -
Pla F.,
Fonteix C.,
Van der Wal H.
Publication year - 2010
Publication title -
chemical engineering and technology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.403
H-Index - 81
eISSN - 1521-4125
pISSN - 0930-7516
DOI - 10.1002/ceat.201000249
Subject(s) - copolymer , acrylonitrile , styrene , monomer , dispersion (optics) , materials science , polymer chemistry , polyol , thermodynamics , chemical engineering , chemistry , polymer , composite material , polyurethane , physics , optics , engineering
Acrylonitrile and styrene radical copolymerization in a dispersed medium has been investigated. Experiments were carried out in a continuous stirred‐tank reactor in the presence of a stabilizing agent elaborated in situ during polymerization. The continuous phase was a polyol. The numerous elementary chemical mechanisms concerning the copolymerization as well as synthesis and grafting of the stabilizing agent together with several physical phenomena clearly show the complexity of the process. Using justified assumptions and a simplified kinetic scheme, a tendency model of the process was developed, using mass balances and thermodynamics. Its unknown parameters were identified by use of an evolutionary algorithm and experimental data resulting from an adapted experimental strategy. This model was then validated and allowed to forecast, with an acceptable order of magnitude, the number and weight average molecular weights, monomers and transfer agent conversions, amounts of solids, copolymer composition, amounts of grafted copolymer, and average particle diameters versus the operating conditions.