Bulk Polymerization in Tubular Reactors III. Modelling Fouling Behaviour

ABSTRACTMathematical modelling of the fluid dynamics and polymerization kinetics in a tubular reactor has been conducted. The configuration modelled was a pilot scale reactor oriented vertically with the feed flowing downward. We have previously demonstrated that, because of gravitational effects, reactors with differing spatial orientations or flow directions cannot be considered mathematically equivalent. The configuration modelled is least prone to fouling (accumulation of polymer on the reactor walls). Results from the modelling study showed the assumption of the traditional no-slip boundary condition at the tube wall yields a model incapable of predicting experimentally observed behaviour. In particular the model cannot predict the onset of reactor fouling, nor observed conversions and molecular weight distributions. However, introduction of an empirical expression for wall slip yields a model capable of predicting the behaviour observed experimentally.