The kinetics of nonisothermal polymerization of styrene

The process of nonisothermal radical polymerization of styrene in an ideal well-mixed batch reactor was considered. Kinetic constants for the elementary polymerization reactions were selected on the basis of published data. By phase-plane analysis of the set of differential equations describing the nonisothermal process, sufficient conditions (initial temperature and heat removal rate) for the steady-state proceeding of the process to ensure a safe temperature regime were established. The influence of the initial temperature and heat withdrawal conditions on the conversion, the character of temperature change, and the molecular-mass distribution of the polymer during nonisothermal polymerization was studied.