PRODUCT QUALITY-CONTROL IN SEMIBATCH REACTORS USING MIDCOURSE CORRECTION POLICIES

A practical. approach to the control of final product quality in semib atch reactors is proposed. It is based on the use of readily available on-line measurements such as temperatures plus a few off-line analyse s obtained from one or more samples taken from the reactor throughout the course of the batch run. These measurements are used either with a theoretically-based model or with simple empirical regression models to predict the final product propel-ties. If the predictions fall outs ide of a defined no-control region, then a midcourse correction is mad e to bring the product quality closer to target. The approach is illus trated for the central of molecular weight and cross-link density in t he simulated semibatch emulsion polymerization of styrene-butadiene ru bber (SBR).