Determination of Optimal Reaction Temperature and Hydrogen Amount for Propylene Polymerization by a Mathematical Model

Abstract

Regarding the complexity of Ziegler-Natta catalyst kinetics in polypropylene polymerization, so far, there is no adequate model to determine the best process conditions for predicting average molecular weight and dispersity as the most crucial final product properties index. Consequently, a validated model has been developed which describes the relationship between the kinetic model and the existing gap using the polymer moment balance approach. It was concluded that increasing reaction temperature and hydrogen amount are useful and improve the final product indices to a certain limit, but afterwards they have harmful effects on the indices.

Keywords

• mathematical modelling
• propylene polymerization
• optimization
• population balance
• average molecular weight
• dispersity