Control of Polymerization Reactors

The demand for polymers and polymer latexes having special properties and improved performance has led to a rapid increase in industrial and academic interest in advanced computer modelling and control of polymer reactors. This paper presents a survey of recent literature on the optimization and control of specific polymer and latex properties, including: particle size distributions, copolymer composition, molecular weights and branching frequencies. Mathematical models and on-line sensors which are of central importance to these methods are also reviewed.