Dynamic optimization of semicontinuous emulsion copolymerization reactions: composition and molecular weight distribution

Iterative dynamic programming (IDP) is used to compute optimal monomer and chain transfer agent feed profiles to produce polymer with specified copoly mer composition and molecular weight distribution. The approach used allows the implementation of constrained optimization procedures for systems desc ribed by complex mathematical models, as those needed for proper descriptio n of emulsion copolymerization reactors, especially when the computation of the whole molecular weight distribution is desired. The proposed approach is applied to the semicontinuous methyl methacrylate (MMA)/butyl acrylate ( BuA) emulsion copolymerization in stirred tank reactors, using dodecanethio l as chain transfer agent (CTA). It is shown that this technique allows the effective computation of feed policies fur the production of copolymers wi th constant composition and well-defined molecular weight distributions. (C ) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.