Polymer Bulletin

, Volume 71, Issue 10, pp 2487–2506 | Cite as

A combinatorial approach to evaluation of monomer conversion and particle size distribution in vinyl chloride emulsion polymerization

  • Amir Saeid Pakdel
  • Mohammad Reza Saeb
  • Hossein Abedini
  • Hossein Ali Khonakdar
  • Regine Boldt
Original Paper
First Online:
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:

Abstract

This work is targeted to study emulsion polymerization of vinyl chloride monomer (VCM) using experimental and mathematical methods. To fulfill this goal, a computer code was developed on the basis of zero–one population balance by which the effects of initiator and emulsifier concentration on the evolution of VCM conversion were investigated in the course of polymerization. The model was also trained to capture the coagulation of the particles. This enabled to adopt a reliable way of evaluating the particle size distribution (PSD). In particular, the rates of homogeneous and micellar nucleation mechanisms were simulated and reasonably predicted alterations in the PSD and the number of polymer particles under the influence of aforementioned parameters. The results from modeling were satisfactorily consistent with the experimental outputs and obviously visualized the impact of initiator and surfactant concentration on the PSD of the prepared PVC latexes.

Keywords

Emulsion polymerization Vinyl chloride monomer Simulation Monomer conversion Particle size distribution 
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Notes

Acknowledgments

H. A. Khonakdar thanks Alexander von Humboldt Foundation for financial support. Also, M.R. Saeb greatly thanks Leibniz-Institute of Polymer Research, Germany, for the molecular weight measurements and SEM images.

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Copyright information

© Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2014

Authors and Affiliations

  • Amir Saeid Pakdel
    • 1
  • Mohammad Reza Saeb
    • 1
  • Hossein Abedini
    • 2
  • Hossein Ali Khonakdar
    • 2
    • 3
  • Regine Boldt
    • 3
  1. 1.Department of Resin and AdditivesInstitute for Color Science and TechnologyTehranIran
  2. 2.Iran Polymer and Petrochemical InstituteTehranIran
  3. 3.Leibniz-Institute of Polymer Research DresdenDresdenGermany

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