MODELING OF FREE RADICAL POLYMERIZATION OF STYRENE USING A BINARY MIXTURE OF INITIATORS AND ISOTHERMAL STEPS OF TEMPERATURE

摘要

The free radical polymerization of styrene initiated with a mixture of two initiators (benzoyl peroxide and tert-butylperbenzoate), under a temperature program consisting in a series of isothermal steps was studied by simulation. In the model the chemical and thermal initiation and the gel and glass effects were considered, for different reaction conditions (various ratios of initiators and different temperature programs). The main purpose of the modeling was to reach in a short reaction time a high conversion of the monomer and low end-concentration of initiators and to obtain a polymer of low polydispersity. In this respect, some operating recommendations were proposed.