Dynamic Simulation of Industrial Poly(vinyl chloride) Batch Suspension Polymerization Reactors

In the present study a comprehensive mathematical model is developed to simulate the dynamic behavior of industrial poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) batch suspension polymerization reactors. More specifically, the model predicts the monomer concentration in the gas, aqueous, and polymer phases, the overall monomer conversion, the polymerization rate and polymer chain structural characteristics (e.g., number- and weight-average molecular weights, long-chain branching, short-chain branching, and number of terminal double bonds), the reactor temperature and pressure, and the jacket inlet and outlet temperatures over the whole polymerization cycle. An experimental reactor is employed to verify the theoretical model predictions. It is shown that experimental results on the time evolution of reactor temperature and pressure, the jacket inlet and outlet temperature, and the final conversion and molecular weight averages are in very good agreement with model predictions. The predictive capabilities of the model are also demonstrated through the simulation of experimental data recently reported in the literature. Finally some results on the optimization of the PVC production are presented.