CONTROL OF EMULSION POLYMERIZATION REACTORS

The interest in emulsion polymerization is strong because it offers th e possibility of producing products with special properties not easily produced by other types of polymerization processes. Because the main reaction medium is water, not an organic solvent, its importance is s teadily increasing with efforts to design environmentally benign proce sses. The control of emulsion polymerization is a challenging problem due to major limitations encountered in its modeling and on-line monit oring. Although emulsion polymerization has been studied and used for several decades, progress has been slow. Industrial practice relies he avily on experience white several controversial issues are stilt being studied. The literature related to this issue is vast and sometimes c ontradictory, and most deals with experimental investigation of specif ic emulsion polymerization systems to improve the process understandin g and develop a process model. However, universally accepted conclusio ns are scarce. This article reviews the major issues related to contro l of emulsion polymerization. The latest contributions in process unde rstanding, mathematical modeling, sensor technology, and process contr ol techniques for emulsion polymerization are discussed. Emphasis is o n contributions, which are important in resolving the control of emuls ion polymerization processes.