Improved Kinetic Rate Constants for Nylon 6, Nylon 6,6, and Nylon 6/6,6 Copolymer

摘要

Nylon 6 and 6,6 literature data are collected over a wide range of water concentrations and temperatures (0 <= [W](0) <= 40.8 wt%, 200 <= T <= 300 degrees C) and used to fit parameters in an updated batch reactor model. The resulting copolymerization model uses side reactions to account for the complex influence of water on kinetics and reaction equilibria. The proposed parameter estimates result in a significant improvement in the fit to the data, corresponding to a 73% reduction in the weighted-least-squares objective function compared to when the parameters of Arai et al. are used. Copolymerization simulations are conducted at industrially relevant conditions, shedding light on the complex influence of water and on the potential to include waste nylon 6 cyclic dimer in the feedstock. The model and parameter estimates will be helpful in future models of nylon 6/6,6 copolymerization in continuous reactor systems.