Journal of Chemical Engineering & Process Technology
Open Access
ISSN: 2157-7048
+44-77-2385-9429
ISSN: 2157-7048
+44-77-2385-9429
Mohammad Reza Abbasi, Mohamed Azlan Hussain and Ahmad Shamiri
University of Malaya, Malaysia
UCSI University, Malaysia
Posters & Accepted Abstracts: J Chem Eng Process Technol
Polyolefins (PO) are utilized in numerous applications nowadays. Gas phase fluidized bed reactors (FBR) using heterogeneous Ziegler�Natta catalysts has remained the main process for olefin polymerization. Capability to carry different chemical reactions, good particle mixing and high rate of heat and mass transfer are among the advantages of the FBRs. Although using fluidized bed reactors in gas-phase olefin polymerization have been around for few decades in history, the multifaceted interaction between reaction kinetics, hydrodynamics, and heat and mass transfer is not yet fully understood and still remains a challenge. Therefore, to optimally design and operate such reactors, it is vital to comprehend the fundamental phenomena that take place in gas-phase fluidized-bed reactors. In this study, a dynamic model for ethylene copolymerization in an industrial fluidized-bed reactor is developed to describe its behavior and calculate the properties of polyethylene. The presented model considers particle entrainment and polymerization reaction in two phases. The combination of two-site kinetic and hydrodynamic models, provide a comprehensive model for the gas phase fluidized-bed polyethylene production reactor. The governing moment and hydrodynamic differential equations were solved simultaneously and the results were compared with literature, as well as industrial data. The dynamic model showed realistic results for predicting polydispersity index (PDI), molecular weight distribution (MWD) and more accurate results for reactor temperature and polymer production rate.
Email: mrabbasi.ms@gmail.com