Equilibrium sorption of ethylene in polyethylene: Experimental study and PC-SAFT simulations

摘要: Abstract Ethylene sorption in polyethylene (PE) influences the reaction rate polymerization reactors and subsequent degassing of residual monomer. The knowledge ethylene solubilities is therefore important for process design optimization. We used a gravimetric apparatus based on magnetic suspension balance to measure 13 PE samples at temperatures from 60 150 °C. were nascent reactor powders with densities 902 967 kg m −3 weight average molecular weights 98 253 kg mol −1 . experimental data compared literature entire set was correlated using PC-SAFT equation state. To evaluate solubilities, we swelling corrections considered temperature dependent crystallinities. As result, decreased increasing PE crystallinity. Furthermore, observed independent binary interaction parameter k PE,ethylene These phenomena are expected theory, but only rarely complex such as semi-crystalline polymers. also propose correlations , which enable predict crystallinity temperature.