Modeling Condensed Mode Cooling for Ethylene Polymerization: Part II. Impact of Induced Condensing Agents on Ethylene Polymerization in an FBR Operating in Super-Dry Mode

The Sanchez-Lacombe equation of state (SL EoS) was used to estimate the concentration of ethylene and different induced condensing agents (ICAs) in polyethylene, and the effects of adding an ICA on parameters such as reactor temperature, production rate, and particle size were discussed. A simple continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR)-like reactor model was validated from production data, and the results reveal that serious errors will be found in the prediction of the reactor temperature and production rate if the interaction between ethylene and ICA is not taken into account. It is also shown that adding an ICA can lead to increased production rates at the cost of decreased catalyst mileage.