Continuous Pilot-Scale Tubular Reactor for Acrylic Acid Polymerization in Solution Designed Using Lab-Scale Rheo-Raman data
Correction added on 4 November 2016, after initial online publication.
A duplicate of this article was published under the DOI: 10.1002/mren.201500058. This duplicate has now been deleted and its DOI redirected to this version of the article.
Abstract
A continuous pilot-scale tubular reactor is designed for the polymerization of acrylic acid in aqueous solution. The reactor is equipped with CSE-X static mixers from Fluitec which strongly increase heat and mass transfer despite laminar flow. A mathematical model of the reactor is proposed assuming that it is a perfect plug-flow reactor and using kinetic and rheological equations previously established using a lab-scale rheo-Raman device. Calculated values of temperature and polymer concentration profile along the reactor as well as outlet average molar masses and viscosity are in good agreement with experimental results. Provided that the outlet viscosity of reaction medium does not exceed 0.5 Pa s, no reactor fouling occurred. On the contrary, fouling is detected after 6 to 8 h running with higher viscosities. This work is the first demonstration of applicability of CSE-X static mixer elements in a continuous polymerization process producing high molar mass water-soluble polymer. In addition, successful scale-up of polymerization reactor is reported up to pilot-scale as well as batch to continuous transposition, only on the basis of lab-scale rheo-Raman data. The interest of rheo-Raman device for the acquisition of primary data is established.
