Continuous emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate. II Operation in a single Couette-Taylor vortex flow reactor using sodium lauryl sulfate as emulsifier

Continuous emulsion polymerizations of vinyl acetate were conducted at 50 degreesC in a single continuous Couette-Taylor vortex flow reactor (CCTVFR) using sodium lauryl sulfate as emulsifier and potassium persulfate as initiator. The polymerization can be carried out very smoothly and stably, but the steady-state monomer conversion attained in a CCTVFR is not as high as that in a plug flow reactor (PFR), but only slightly higher than that in a continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR), even if the Taylor number is adjusted to an optimum value. Also, the effects of operating variables, such as the emulsifier, initiator, and monomer concentrations in the feed and the mean residence time on the kinetic behaviors were almost the same as those observed in a CSTR. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.