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Mathematical modeling and analysis of an interfacial polycarbonate polymerization in a continuous multizone tubular reactor
Author(s) -
Yang Woo Jic,
Hong Moo Ho,
Choi Kyu Yong
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.24601
Subject(s) - polycarbonate , materials science , polymer , mass transfer , condensation polymer , polymerization , chemical engineering , molar mass distribution , phase (matter) , interfacial polymerization , phosgene , continuous reactor , aqueous solution , batch reactor , bisphenol a , polymer chemistry , thermodynamics , organic chemistry , composite material , chemistry , monomer , catalysis , physics , epoxy , engineering
A detailed mathematical model is presented to describe the steady state behavior of a continuous multizone tubular reactor for the synthesis of aromatic polycarbonate by interfacial polycondensation mechanism. In this process, bisphenol‐A dissolved in a dispersed aqueous phase reacts with phosgene dissolved in a continuous organic phase and hence, the reaction initiates at the interface of the two phases. A liquid‐liquid mass transfer process is incorporated into a reaction kinetic model to calculate the reaction rates and polymer molecular weight distribution. The kinetic model has also been used in developing a steady state multizone tubular reactor model for continuous production of polycarbonate. The model simulations are compared with proprietary plant data and excellent agreement has been obtained. POLYM. ENG. SCI., 58:438–446, 2018. © 2017 Society of Plastics Engineers