INTEGRATION OF HARDWARE AND SOFTWARE IN A HIGH-PERFORMANCE LABORATORYREACTOR

The assembly of a stirred tank reactor capable of precise reaction tem perature control is described. The unit allows easy on-line determinat ion of the thermal effect and calculation of heat transfer coefficient s and heat capacities. Construction elements are standard, low cost, a nd high quality. Temperature control is achieved by a heating-cooling loop integrated to the reactor jacket and a cascade control procedure. An important feature of the equipment is the integration of the data acquisition system with the supervisory control system that allows the capability of an advanced strategy for process control and data acqui sition. The capability of the reaction system is demonstrated for the microemulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate, by the use of batch and isothermal operational modes. The course of the reaction is followed on-line by the temperature variation of the jacket. Procedures are des cribed for the calibration of the unit. The reactor developed is versa tile, is easy to configure and extend, is low cost, and can compete ad vantageously with commercial reactor units such as the Mettler RC1. (C ) 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.