scholarly journals Modeling and simulation of free radical polymerization of styrene under semibatch reactor conditions

2003 ◽  
Vol 1 (1) ◽  
pp. 69-90 ◽  
Author(s):  
Silvia Curteanu

AbstractThe first part of this approach is concerned with the elaboration of a radical polymerization model of styrenne, based on a kinetic diagram that includes chemical and thermal initiation, propagation, termination by recombination and chain transfer to the monomer. Furthermore, volume contraction during polymerization is considered, as well as the gel and glass effects. The mathematical formalism that describes the model in terms of moments is explored in detail. The model was then used to predict the changes in monomer conversion and molecular weight after intermediate addition of initiator and monomer. The results of this operation are dependent on the conditions of the reaction mass, quantity, and moment of substance addition. Therefore, the simulations were performed at different times with respect to the gel effect; before, during and after this phenomenon, and also with respect to different temperatures and initiators. Increasing the initiator concentration before the gel effect leads to an earlier appearance of the phenomenon and to a decrease in molecular weight. The ratio $$\bar M_w /\bar M_n $$ reveals a polydispersity index smaller for the intermediate addition of initiator. No significant changes take place during or after the gel effect. If along with the initiator, unreacted monomver (used to dissolve the initiator) enters the reactor, a small dip in conversion is observed. The general conclusion of this paper reveals the intermediate addition of initiator as a method to control polymer properties and to prevent the “dead-end” polymerization of styrene.

Polymers ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 12 (1) ◽  
pp. 80
Author(s):  
Zuxin Zhang ◽  
Daihui Zhang ◽  
Gaowei Fu ◽  
Chunpeng Wang ◽  
Fuxiang Chu ◽  
...  

As a chain transfer agent, 2,4-diphenyl-4-methyl-1-pentene (αMSD) was first introduced in the emulsion binary copolymerization of methyl methacrylate (MMA) and butyl acrylate (BA) based on an irreversible addition–fragmentation chain transfer (AFCT) mechanism. The effects of αMSD on molecular weight and its distribution, the degree of polymerization, polymerization rate, monomer conversion, particle size, and tensile properties of the formed latexes were systematically investigated. Its potential chain transfer mechanism was also explored according to the 1H NMR analysis. The results showed that the increase in the content of αMSD could lead to a decline in molecular weight, its distribution, and the degree of polymerization. The mass percentage of MMA in the synthesized polymers was also improved as the amounts of αMSD increased. The chain transfer coefficients of αMSD for MMA and BA were 0.62 and 0.47, respectively. The regulation mechanism of αMSD in the emulsion polymerization of acrylates was found to be consistent with Yasummasa’s theory. Additionally, monomer conversion decreased greatly to 47.3% when the concentration of αMSD was higher than 1 wt% due to the extremely low polymerization rate. Moreover, the polymerization rate was also decreased probably due to the desorption and lower reactivity of the regenerative radicals from αMSD. Finally, the tensile properties of the resulting polyacrylate films were significantly affected due to the presence of αMSD.


e-Polymers ◽  
2008 ◽  
Vol 8 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jie Xu ◽  
Wei Shang ◽  
Jian Zhu ◽  
Zhenping Cheng ◽  
Nianchen Zhou ◽  
...  

AbstractA novel bis-functional reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) agent bearing triphenylamine (TPA) and bis(indolyl)methane (BIM) groups, {4-[bis(1-carbodithioic acid benzyl ester-indol-3-yl)methyl]phenyl}diphenylamine (BCIMPDPA), was synthesized and successfully used as the RAFT agent to mediate the polymerization of styrene (St). The polymerization results showed that reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer (RAFT) polymerization of St could be well controlled. The kinetic plot showed it was of first order and the numberaverage molecular weight (Mn(GPC)) of the polymer measured by GPC increased linearly with monomer conversion, simultaneously, the molecular weight distribution of the polymer was also relatively narrow. In addition, the existence of the TPA and BIM groups in the middle of polymer chain was confirmed by chain extension reaction and 1H NMR spectrum. The optical properties of the functionalized polystyrene (PS) in chloroform solution were also investigated. Furthermore, the redox process of the RAFT agent and the functionalized PS were studied by cyclic voltammetry method.


2016 ◽  
Vol 1819 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ramiro Infante-Martínez ◽  
Enrique Saldívar-Guerra ◽  
Odilia Pérez-Camacho ◽  
Maricela García-Zamora ◽  
Víctor Comparán-Padilla

ABSTRACTThis work shows the development of several models for chain-growth polymerizations that admit the direct calculation of the complete molecular weight distribution of the polymer. The direct and complete calculation implies that no statistical mean values are employed as in the moments method neither numerical approximations like in the minimum-squared based methods. The free radical polymerization of ethylene (LDPE) and the coordination via metallocenes polymerization of ethylene (HDPE) are taken as examples for analysis.In the free radical polymerization case, the conventional scheme for chain-growth polymerization is adopted, with steps for initiation, propagation, chain transfer to small species and the additional step of chain transfer to dead chains [1]. The kinetic parameter are obtained from the open literature. Two kind of reactors were modelled: batch and continuous stirred tank reactor. For this last case, a simulation strategy was considered in which the run started from an initial known population of dead chains. Results show that typical non-linear polymerization profiles for the molecular weight distribution are obtained. For the coordination polymerization of ethylene via metalocenes, the standard coordination model was employed [2]. A two-site catalyst was considered and kinetic parameters reported in the open literature were used. For this study an experimental program in a lab-scale reactor was undertaken in order to obtain modelling data [3]. Results show that the standard model adequately reproduces the experimental data in the kinetic and molecular attributes of the polymer.


2007 ◽  
Vol 60 (10) ◽  
pp. 754 ◽  
Author(s):  
Johan P. A. Heuts ◽  
Gregory T. Russell ◽  
Gregory B. Smith

In the present paper, we finalize some threads in our investigations into the effects of chain-length-dependent propagation (CLDP) on radical polymerization kinetics, confirming all our previous conclusions. Additionally, and more significantly, we uncover some unexpected and striking effects of chain-length-dependent chain transfer (CLDTr). It is found that the observed overall rate coefficients for propagation and termination (and therefore the rate of polymerization) are not significantly affected by whether or not chain transfer is chain-length dependent. However, this situation is different when considering the molecular weight distributions of the resulting polymers. In the case of chain-length-independent chain transfer, CLDP results in a considerable narrowing of the distribution at the low molecular weight side of the distribution in a chain-transfer controlled system. However, the inclusion of both CLDP and CLDTr yields identical results to classical kinetics – in these latter two cases, the molecular weight distribution is governed by the same chain-length-independent chain transfer constant, whereas in the case of CLDP only, it is governed by a chain-length-dependent chain transfer constant that decreases with decreasing chain length, thus enhancing the probability of propagation for short radicals. Furthermore, it is shown that the inclusion of a very slow first addition step has tremendous effects on the observed kinetics, increasing the primary radical concentration and thereby the overall termination rate coefficient dramatically. However, including possible penultimate unit effects does not significantly affect the overall picture and can be ignored for the time being. Lastly, we explore the prospects of using molecular weight distributions to probe the phenomena of CLDP and CLDTr. Again, some interesting insights follow.


2020 ◽  
Vol 11 (46) ◽  
pp. 7439-7441
Author(s):  
Yuji Imamura ◽  
Takehiro Fujita ◽  
Yu Kobayashi ◽  
Shigeru Yamago

Correction for ‘Tacticity, molecular weight, and temporal control by lanthanide triflate-catalyzed stereoselective radical polymerization of acrylamides with an organotellurium chain transfer agent’ by Yuji Imamura et al., Polym. Chem., 2020, DOI: 10.1039/d0py01280g.


2016 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 2495-2502 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kohei Koyanagi ◽  
Yoshinori Takashima ◽  
Takashi Nakamura ◽  
Hiroyasu Yamaguchi ◽  
Akira Harada

Supramolecular catalysts have received a great deal of attention because they improve the selectivity and efficiency of reactions. Catalysts with host molecules exhibit specific reaction properties and recognize substrates via host–guest interactions. Here, we examined radical polymerization reactions with a chain transfer agent (CTA) that has α-cyclodextrin (α-CD) as a host molecule (α-CD-CTA). Prior to the polymerization of N,N-dimethylacrylamide (DMA), we investigated the complex formation of α-CD with DMA. Single X-ray analysis demonstrated that α-CD includes DMA inside its cavity. When DMA was polymerized in the presence of α-CD-CTA using 2,2'-azobis[2-(2-imidazolin-2-yl)propane dihydrochloride (VA-044) as an initiator in an aqueous solution, poly(DMA) was obtained in good yield and with narrow molecular weight distribution. In contrast, the polymerization of DMA without α-CD-CTA produced more widely distributed polymers. In the presence of 1,6-hexanediol (C6 diol) which works as a competitive molecule by being included in the α-CD cavity, the reaction yield was lower than that without C6 diol.


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