Molecular weight distribution of polyethylene terephthalate in homogeneous, continuous-flow-stirred tank reactors

Kumar, Anil ; Gupta, Santosh K. ; Somu, N. (1982) Molecular weight distribution of polyethylene terephthalate in homogeneous, continuous-flow-stirred tank reactors Polymer Engineering & Science, 22 (5). pp. 314-323. ISSN 0032-3888

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Official URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/pen.760...

Related URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1002/pen.760220508

Abstract

Poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) formation in homogeneous, continuous-flow-stirred tank reactors (HCSTRs) operating at steady state has been simulated. The feed to the reactor is assumed to consist of the monomer bis-(hydroxyethyl) terephthalate and monofunctional compound (MF1) cetyl alcohol. The overall polymerization is assumed to consist of the polycondensation, reaction with monofunctional compounds, redistribution, and cyclization reactions. At a given time, the reaction mass consists of polyester molecules (Pn), polyester molecules with an ending of molecules of monofunctional compound (MFn), and cyclic polymers (Cn). A mass balance for each of these species in the reactor gives rise to a set of algebraic equations to be solved simultaneously. The MWD calculations show that the redistribution reaction plays a major role and cannot be ignored, This result is in contrast lo the observation for semi-batch reactors, for which redistribution becomes important when the cyclization reaction is included. For the same residence times of semi-batch and HCSTRs, the latter gives considerably lower-number average molecular weight, Nav, and polydispersity index, ρ. However, for the same conversions, the ρ for CSTR is higher. The concentration of the monofurctional compound, [MF1]0, in the feed and the reactor temperature both influence ρ, but the effect is small within the range studied.

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ID Code:14278
Deposited On:12 Nov 2010 08:23
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