Mass transfer effects in polycondensation reactors wherein functional groups are not equally reactive

Abstract

Three simplified models of polycondensation reactors are considered in which the condensation product is continuously removed by application of vacuum. Reversible polycondensation reactions of monomers violating the equal reactivity hypothesis have been simulated in these reactors. The effect of various rate and reactor design variables on the molecular weight distribution (MWD) and its moments is studed. It is observed that when the reverse reactions are rapid, the results are fairly sensitive to the level of vacuum applied and to the mass transfer resistance; whereas when the forward reactions predominate, results lie very close to earlier plots for the corresponding irreversible polymerizations. These reactor variables then have relatively small influence on the MWD. Splitting of the MWD curves for odd and even values on n is observed under certain conditions, the effects being more pronounced in the presence of mass transfer than in its absence.