The Suspension Copolymerisation of Isobutylene with Isoprene in a Tubular Turbulent Reactor: The Kinetics of the Chemical Process and the Mass and Heat Transfer

Abstract

The macrokinetics of the synthesis of butyl rubber (cationic copolymerisation of isobutylene with isoprene over an AlC₃ catalyst in a CH₃Cl medium, initial synthesis temperature 173 K) in a circular-type tubular turbulent reactor was calculated. It was established that, with decrease in the size of the reaction region (cylinder diameter reduced from 0.2 to 0.1 m) and in the flow rate of the reaction suspension (reduced from 10 to 1 m/s), there is a reduction in the number-average molecular weight (from 91 700 to 1360) and in the weight-average molecular weight (from 257 000 to 134 000) of the synthesised butyl rubber and an increase in its polydispersity (from 2.8 to 110).