Estimation of the reactivity ratios for the copolymerization of styrene and VeoVa-10

• Grant number: 17/11208-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: July 01, 2017
• End date: June 30, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Engineering - Chemical Engineering - Industrial Operations and Equipment for Chemical Engineering
• Principal Investigator: Reinaldo Giudici
• Grantee: Murilo Piotrowski Santos
• Host Institution: Escola Politécnica (EP). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The objective of this work was to study free radical solution copolymerization of styrene and VeoVa-10 in a batch process to obtain the reactivity ratios. The proportions of the two monomers will be varied and the conversion of the monomers, the copolymer composition and the Tg of the copolymer will be measured throughout the process. The effects of the total composition of the monomers (20 and 30% of the total solution) and the ratio between them (50/50 and 70/30) will be evaluated. With the data of the initial composition of the copolymer, conversion, and composition of the copolymer, the values of reactivity of the monomers will be estimated for the copolymerization using both the instantaneous composition model (Mayo-Lewis) and the analytically-integrated model (Meyer-Lowry). The estimation of the parameters will be done with the error-in-variables method, which is the most indicated in the case of reactivity estimation, since it considers the error in both the dependent variable and the independent variable. The expected results are the determination of the reactivity ratios across these three different models. The work is part of the research project of the group and aims to give scientific training to the student both in the experimental and computational aspects. (AU)