Mixing in High-Pressure Polymerization Reactors: A Combined Experimental and Modeling Approach

Abstract

Mixing in low-density polyethylene (LDPE) reactors is crucial regarding process safety as well as process efficiency. The extreme process conditions of pressures up to 3000 bar make it difficult to get an insight into LDPE reactors. This problem is tackled by a combined experimental and modeling approach. A poly(methylmethacrylate) duplicate of a laboratory high-pressure reactor is set up to measure residence times and visualize flow lines. Experimental results are then compared to a computational fluid dynamics model.