Analysis of the high pressure polyethylene tubular reactor with axial mixing

A theoretical study was carried out for the analysis of the high pressure polyethylene tubular reactor with axial mixing (TRAM). In the study, the Contraction Mapping Theorem in the square‐integrable function space L2[0, 1] was first used to derive a uniqueness criterion for the existence of the steady state solution of the polyethylene TRAM. Then, an algorithm was derived which enabled us to compute the profiles of reactor temperature and concentration. Details of reactor performance were investigated in terms of the reactor operating and design variables: heat transfer coefficient, feed temperature and concentration, axial mixing, the length of reactor, and the distribution of preheating and cooling zones of the reactor. Also investigated in this study was the product quality in terms of the number‐average molecular weight and molecular weight distribution as affected by change in reactor operating conditions and by the chain transfer reactions.