POLYMER DEVOLATILIZATION - STATE-OF-THE-ART

The current state of the art on polymer devolatilization is reviewed. After a brief description of existing processes, two aspects of the pr oblem are taken into consideration: modeling and optimization of actua l processes, and physicochemical data needed for analysis. It is shown that, while many of the available models concentrate on the fluid mec hanics involved and on mass transfer, heat transfer may well be the ra te determining phenomenon. Values of the relevant physicochemical para meters may range over several orders of magnitude within any given pro cess, and the availability of reliable data over the ranges of interes t is in general significantly less good than would be needed for relia ble analysis.