Desenvolvimento de processo contínuo de copolimerização em emulsão em reator tubular. / Development of a continuous emulsion copolymerization process in a tubular reactor.

AUTOR(ES)
DATA DE PUBLICAÇÃO

2008

RESUMO

Industrial emulsion polymerization processes are usually performed in batch or semi-batch stirred tanks, or in continuous stirred tank reactors (CSTR). Continuous reactors have the advantage of being smaller and providing a better product quality control by the reduction of the batch-to-batch variations. In addition, periodical self-sustained oscillations in monomer conversion and in particle size that are usually observed in CSTR can be minimized in tubular reactors presenting good radial mixing. Such conditions can be achieved in tubular reactors by using adequate static mixing devices combined with pulsed (oscillatory) flow. The aim of this work is to report the development of a continuous emulsion copolymerization of vinyl acetate and butyl acrylate performed in a pulsed sieve plate column (PSPC). In order to improve its operational flexibility, the column is composed of five sections, each one presenting independent lateral feed and temperature controls. Depending on the monomer feeding strategy, a composition drift can be noticed during the emulsion copolymerization process of vinyl acetate and butyl acrylate, due to the large differences in reactivity ratios and aqueous phase solubility between these monomers. In this case, the PSPC provides different operational feeding possibilities which allow controlling the copolymer composition by feeding the more reactive monomer along the column. For this reason, in this study the effect of the number of lateral feed streams on the polymer properties was evaluated. Different numbers of lateral monomer feed streams were employed in the experimental runs. Differences in the uniformity of the copolymer composition can be noticed along the reactor depending on the number of lateral feed streams applied in each test. In order to allow temperature variations, during each reaction only the inlet temperature of the cooling jackets was fixed. A developed mathematical model based on the axially dispersed plug-flow model was used to simulate the reactions. In the present study the energy balance was included in the mathematical model so that the influence of different temperature profiles could be taken into account. The effect of lateral monomer feed streams over the copolymer properties could be predicted with sufficient accuracy by model simulations which were also validated by the experimental results. Based on mathematical simulations, an optimal feeding profile could be calculated and experimentally applied in the PSPC allowing the production of a more homogeneous copolymer. The results also permitted the validation of the mathematical model as a reliable tool in the prediction of experimental runs. Furthermore, the advantages of the PSPC could be verified by its adequate performance as a tubular reactor for continuous emulsion copolymerization processes. Finally, the results indicate the possibility of further improvements in other polymer properties by employing different temperature and feeding profiles of other reagents along the column.

ASSUNTO(S)

vinyl acetate polimerização polymerization butyl acrylate acrilato de butila continuous reactor acetato de vinila reator contínuo

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