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Solution polymerization of styrene using biodiesel as a solvent: Effect of biodiesel feedstock
Author(s) -
Salehpour Somaieh,
Dubé Marc A.,
Murphy Maya
Publication year - 2009
Publication title -
the canadian journal of chemical engineering
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.404
H-Index - 67
eISSN - 1939-019X
pISSN - 0008-4034
DOI - 10.1002/cjce.20085
Subject(s) - biodiesel , polymerization , raw material , solvent , styrene , organic chemistry , biodiesel production , soybean oil , grease , chemistry , biofuel , chemical engineering , materials science , chain transfer , wax , fatty acid methyl ester , pulp and paper industry , radical polymerization , waste management , polymer , catalysis , copolymer , food science , engineering
Increasing environmental concerns regarding solvents commonly used in solution polymerization has led to a search for alternatives, such as biodiesel (a.k.a. fatty acid methyl esters or FAME). The effect of the feedstock used in biodiesel production when FAME is used as a polymerization solvent was studied for styrene. A series of homopolymerizations was carried out at different solvent concentrations for two biodiesel feedstocks: soybean oil and 50% yellow grease–50% canola oil. Results were compared to FAME produced from canola oil. Considerable differences in the rate of polymerization were observed, while chain transfer to solvent constants had comparable values. The collected kinetic experimental data were modelled using a polymerization simulator.