Kinetic model‐based experimental design of the polymerization conditions in suspension copolymerization of styrene/divinylbenzene

The use of a mechanistic model‐based experimental design technique to determine the polymerization conditions and polymer properties in suspension copolymerization of styrene and divinylbenzene is reported. The technique consists of using a mathematical model to design the polymerization conditions of a copolymer with characteristics specified beforehand. The properties (conversion, gel content, molecular weight averages, and copolymer composition) of the copolymer synthesized using this approach agree very well with the calculated properties for the pregelation period, but accurate prediction of properties during the postgelation period is still uncertain. It is demonstrated that the use of mechanistic modeling for experimental design purposes can be more adequate (when the model is sound, yet simple to solve) than other design techniques (e.g., factorial designs). © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. J Polym Sci A: Polym Chem 36: 2081–2094, 1998