Styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) production by emulsion polymerization: Dynamic modeling and intensification of the process

This paper presents the deterministic model of styrene-butadiene cold emulsion copolymerization in the cascade of up to twelve reactors and its validation by the real industrial production of SBR. Model allows the dynamic prediction of basic latex properties (number and weight-average molecular weights, conversion of monomers) as well as the key qualitative SBR characteristics (Mooney viscosity and copolymer composition) along the polymerization line in a good agreement with process data. The developed software is based on population balances of polymer chains using polymer moments and was successfully validated by plant data of two types: (i) stationary profiles of important quantities along the reactor train, and (ii) dynamic transitions between two SBR grades with different content of bound styrene. We demonstrate how the developed model can be utilized in the optimization of SBR production, e.g., for the minimization of the amount of off-spec products and for the prediction of polymerization line behavior during abrupt changes in the technological recipe. (C) 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.