Scale-Up Studies on Styrene−Butyl Methacrylate Copolymerization Reaction

The scale-up of the radical-initiated copolymerization of styrene with butyl methacrylate is studied here. The reaction is scaled up from 3 to 100 L scale, The problems encountered during the scale-up are agglomeration, foaming, and material loss. The techniques employed to overcome these problems are discussed in detail. Kinetic studies indicate that the reaction exhibits autoacceleration behaviour, with induction time varying with reactor size. The effects of initiator concentration and reactor size on the molecular weight and melt flow index of the final sample are also studied.