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Dynamics of a CSTR for styrene polymerization initiated by a binary initiator system
Author(s) -
Kim KeeJeong,
Choi KyuYong,
Alexander James C.
Publication year - 1990
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.760300505
Subject(s) - continuous stirred tank reactor , materials science , styrene , polymerization , steady state (chemistry) , bifurcation , thermodynamics , residence time (fluid dynamics) , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , chemistry , polymer , physics , copolymer , nonlinear system , composite material , geotechnical engineering , quantum mechanics , engineering
Abstract The steady state and dynamic behavior of a continuous stirred tank reactor has been analyzed for free radical solution polymerization of styrene initiated by a mixture of two initiators having different thermal stabilities. From the steady state analysis of the reactor model with a mean residence time as a bifurcation parameter, four unique regions of steady state solutions are identified in an operating parameter space for a given initiator feed composition. A variety of complex bifurcation behavior such as multiple steady states, Hopf bifurcation and limit cycles have been observed and their stability characteristics have been analyzed. The effects of feed initiator composition and the concentration of the initiator in the feed stream on the reactor dynamics are also presented.