MODEL DISCRIMINATION VIA DESIGNED EXPERIMENTS - DISCRIMINATION BETWEEN THE TERMINAL AND PENULTIMATE MODELS BASED ON RATE DATA

Simulations have been used to study the application of model discrimin ation methods to the problem of discriminating between the terminal an d penultimate copolymerization models on the basis of composition and rate data. Both models are reviewed and the three model discrimination methods chosen for study are explained. Composition data have been us ed in conjunction with rate data due to the high correlation between e stimated parameters based solely on rate data. This correlation has be en discussed. The simulation programs are then explained including the generation of simulated data. Data are presented to show that the sim ulation programs can duplicate the experimental observations of other researchers. The results show that both the modified Buzzi-Ferraris me thod and the exact entropy method are able to correctly discriminate b etween the models in greater than 95% of the simulations. Differences between the three model discrimination methods are discussed along wit h differences between the three copolymer measurements that have been studied.