MELT GRAFTING OF GLYCIDYL METHACRYLATE ONTO POLYETHYLENE - AN EXPERIMENTAL AND MATHEMATICAL-MODELING STUDY

The melt grafting of Glycidyl Methacrylate (GMA) onto Polyethylene in the presence of free radical initiators was conducted in a co-rotating twin screw extruder. Reaction kinetic parameters for the overall graf ting and homopolymerization reactions were estimated in a batch melt m ixer. Residence time distribution (RTD) in the extruder was determined and mean residence time and Peclet number (Pe) were estimated for dif ferent sets of reaction conditions. A twin screw simulation program wa s used to predict the flow characteristics along the length of the ext ruder: A modular reactor model consisting of plug flow and ''axial dis persion'' reactor cells was constructed and with the kinetic and trans port information and the actual melt temperatures, the overall GMA con version was predicted In most cases the predicted conversion agreed we ll with experimentally determined values.