MODELING OF GLASS-TRANSITION AND MOLECULAR-WEIGHT DISTRIBUTION IN EMULSION AND SUSPENSION COPOLYMERIZATION

Modelling of emulsion copolymerisation is now more and more used for both mechanistic investigations and process control. Many specific characteristics of monomers, as well as polymerisation in heterogeneous medium can be quite accurately taken into account (temperature, pH, gel effect, crosslinking, inhibition, e.g.). However, a major problem is the extensive number of required parameters. But, depending on the main informations sought ( kinetics, microstructure or properties), the number of parameters actually required can be decreased considerably by providing the computer either on-line or even off-line with global information on conversion and particle size, from reliable sensors. In addtion to kinetics, many distributions characterising the copolymers can be derived, which in turn lead to the accurate simulation and control of end-use properties such as glass transition or molecular weight distribution, as shown in this work.