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Mathematical model and experimental investigation of polycarbonate pellet drying
Author(s) -
Munjal Sarat,
Kao CheI
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.760302105
Subject(s) - pellet , pellets , materials science , polymer , polycarbonate , diffusion , particle (ecology) , mass transfer , relative humidity , particle size , composite material , chemical engineering , thermodynamics , oceanography , physics , engineering , geology
An easy to use, spreadsheet based, mathematical model for drying of strand cut polymer pellets has been developed and experimentally verified. This particle‐scale model is based on internal mass‐transfer controlled diffusion in the pellet. Examples of its usage in correlation and prediction of the effects of the drying‐gas temperature, humidity, and pellet dimensions are presented. Application of the particle‐scale model to the design of a countercurrent hopper drier is discussed. Even though examples are limited to water removal from poly(bisphenol‐A)carbonate pellets, the model is general and may be used for the removal of other non‐solvating low‐concentration molecules from polymers with isotropic morphology.