Rate of Equation for Polymerization

This book is a compilation of rate expressions for industrially important polymerization reactions which have appeared in major technical journals in both chemistry and chemical engineering. In this text we have selected only homo- polymer systems with the exception of polycondensation systems although co- polymers are more widely used. It is our intention to compile and publish the rate expressions for copolymerization reactions in a subsequent volume. In the polymer industry rate expressions are vital for the analysis optimal design and optimal operation of polymerization reactors. In reacting systems other than polymerization reaction comprehensive summaries of kinetic data have been published on may occasions. For polymerization reactions however no extensive compilation of rate expressions has been attempted even though many useful textbooks have been published for the study of polymerization kinetics. It is true that computer aided searches of pertinent databases assist chemists and chemical engineers in finding rate expressions needed for their studies. Yet computer surveys of data bases are sometimes time consuming and often costly. We hope that this book will be of service for those who wish to conduct an efficient survey of the rate expressions of interest to them. The contents of the book can be used in a variety of ways. For example chemists and chemical engineers can estimate polymerization rates for desired polymerization conditions by using the rate expressions assembled here. comparison of the rates thus estimated against rates determined for a newly developed initiator or catalyst furnishes a useful evaluation of the initiator or catalyst. For the development of polymerization rate models, we recommend that investigators modified models on the basis of their own data. In the area of polymerization reactions, it is generally recognized that rate expressions are totally different if the polymerization occurs in the region where diffusion process of reactants and/or products are rate- determining. On some occasions needless to say rate expressions reported in the past can be used without modifying the form of the rate equations. However, the rate parameters contained in the equations must be reevaluated by using the experimental data gathered by the investigators themselves. The use of uniform units might be convenient for users of this book.

No attempts were made to have such uniformity in order to avoid errors that we might introduce during the process of converting the units. It should be noted that many important journals issued in Russia in Eastern Europe and in the People’s Republic of China were excluded in our search for rate expressions. This is mainly because some difficulties were experienced in obtaining both the original and the English versions of these journals. However, the authors sincerely hope that the publication of this book will encourage other interested persons to collect rate expressions published in the geographical regions mentioned above. Perhaps in this way, some collaborative efforts will result in a substantially more complete collection of rate expressions for polymerization reactions.