Fundamental Studies of Polymerization Processes

摘要-射线-9531207目前，美国在各种聚合反应器中每年生产超过700亿磅的合成聚合物。这些反应堆产品的最终用途范围从合成布到汽车结构部件和光盘，再到乳胶漆。据估计，这些材料在美国的总销售额超过1000亿美元/年。此外，合成聚合物提供了超过60亿美元/年的进出口顺差。在这项研究中，PI计划利用均相和非均相催化聚合反应器的详细模型来分析和解释观察到的分子量分布、共聚物组成、链支化、规整性等实验测量结果，以及显示连续反应器中复杂动态现象的结果。将对实验结果和模型预测进行密切比较，以便调整和验证现有模型以及正在开发的模型。从这些模型中，PI期望预测出现不良聚合物性能和不稳定动态行为的反应堆设计参数的范围，并在实验室中对这些预测进行实验验证。从结果中，他将为所需的聚合物性能、高生产率和安全的动态操作得出合适的工艺操作条件。在对新的反应堆设计进行实验测试后，这些设计似乎产生了可接受的动态行为和理想的聚合物性能，将测试适用于处理任何剩余动态问题的反馈控制策略。作为这一努力的一部分，几种新的在线聚合物表征设备的开发和测试正在进行中。通过这些研究工作，PI希望能够设计和控制能够生产更均匀和更高质量的聚合物产品的反应器。

Abstract - Ray - 9531207 More than 70 billion lbs/year of synthetic polymers are currently produced in the U.S. in a wide variety of polymerization reactors. The ultimate use of the products from these reactors ranges from synthetic clothing through automotive structural components and optical disks to latex paints. It is estimated that the total sales of these materials in the U.S. amount to more than 100 billion dollars/year. In addition, synthetic polymers provide a positive export/import balance of more than 6 billion dollars/year. In this research, the PI plans to make use of detailed models for both homogeneous and heterogeneous catalytic polymerization reactors to analyze and explain observed experimental measurements of molecular weight distribution, copolymer composition, chain branching, tacticity, etc. as well as those results showing complex dynamic phenomena in continuous reactors. Close comparison of experimental results and model predictions will be made in order to tune and validate existing models as well as those now under development. From these models, the PI expects to predict the range of reactor design parameters for which undesirable polymer properties and unstable dynamic behavior arise and experimentally test these predictions in the laboratory. From the results, he will derive suitable process operating conditions for the desired polymer properties, high productivity, and safe dynamic operation. After experimentally testing the new reactor designs which appear to yield acceptable dynamic behavior and desirable polymer properties, feedback control strategies suitable for dealing with any remaining dynamic problems will be tested. As part of this effort, the development and testing of several new on-line polymer characterization devices is under way. Through these research efforts, the PI expects to be able to design and control reactors capable of producing a more uniform and higher quality polymer product.