B.Eng.

Chemical Engineering Examination

CHE 581: Polymer Engineering

Session: 2015/2016 Semester: First Duration: 2 hours Date: 5/02/2016

Instructions: Answer ANY TWO questions from SECTION A and ANY TWO from SECTION B (4
Questions in all)

SECTION A

Question 1 [25 marks]

From the data given below for the emulsion polymerization of styrene in water at 60 oC:
(a) Calculate the rate of polymerization.
(b) Show that the number average degree of polymerization 𝑋̅𝑛 is 3.52 × 103
(c) Estimate the number of polymer chains in each

Data:
kp = 1761 mol-1 s-1
ri = 5 × 1012 radicals cc-1 s-1
N = 1013 particles cc-1
[M] = 10 𝑀
Latex particle size = 0.10𝜇m
Particle density = 1.2 g/cc

Question 2 [25 marks]

(a) Explain the following observation: The use of internal cooling coils or an external circulating
loop and exchanger is generally not an appropriate means of providing supplemental heat-
transfer area in suspension polymerization.
(b) Calculate the time required for 10% polymerization of pure styrene at 60oC with benzoyl
peroxide as the initiator in a batch reactor. Assume that the initiator concentration remains
constant.
Data:
𝑓 = 1,
k 2p ⁄k t = 0.95 × 10−3 l⁄mol-s
[I] = 4.0 × 10−3 mol/l
k d = 1.92 × 10−6 s-1

Question 3 [25 marks]

The production of high-pressure low-density polyethylene is carried out in tubular reactors of
typical dimensions 2.5 cm diameter and 1 km long at 250oC and 2500 atm. The conversion per
pass is 30% and the flow rate is 40,000 kg/h. assume that the polymerization reaction is first
order in ethylene concentration, estimate the value of the polymerization rate constant.