Correlation of polymer particle size with droplet size in suspension polymerisation of methylmethacrylate in a batch oscillatory-baffled reactor

We report our pioneering experimental investigation of polymer particle siz e and size distribution in suspension polymerisation of methylmethacrylate (MMA) in a batch 50 mm diameter stainless-steel jacketed oscillatory-baffle d reactor. In such a reactor, fluid mixing is achieved by eddies that are g enerated when fluid passes through a set of equally spaced stationary orifi ce baffles. Those periodically formed vortices can be controlled by a combi nation of operational and geometrical parameters, such as oscillation frequ ency, oscillation amplitude, baffle diameter and baffle spacing. Based on a confidential and scaled-down formulation of a proprietary dental-grade MMA resin supplied by the Bonar Polymers, polymerisation reactions were perfor med under a controlled environment and the effects of the operational condi tions on transient droplet size, final polymer particle size and their size distributions are studied. The mean particle size of polymer, d(upsilon, 0 .5), is compared with the Sauter mean size of droplet, d(32), obtained with no reaction taking place and a correlation between d(32) and d(upsilon, 0. 5) is established, which predicts the final particle sizes of polymer being made in such a reactor with a high degree of accuracy. In addition, a comp arison of polymer particle size distribution, molecular weight distribution and residual initiator content is also carried out between our reactor and the traditional stirred-tank reactor. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All r ights reserved.