Experimental investigation of vinyl chloride polymerization at high conversion—temperature/pressure/conversion and monomer phase distribution relationships

Abstract An equilibrium model relating temperature, pressure, monomer conversion and monomer phase distribution for vinyl chloride polymerization has been developed. This model can be used to determine the monomer conversion beyond the pressure drop by measurement of reactor temperature and pressure. It can also be used to estimate monomer conversion at the pressure drop point and the distribution of monomer in all the phases over the entire extent of polymerization. A series of experiments to measure the solubility of VCM in water and PVC were carried out in the temperature range 40–70°C. Correlations of the solubility of VCM in water and the VCM–PVC interaction parameter with temperature, respectively, were obtained from the experimental data.