The scale-up of the radical-initiated copolymerization of
styrene
with butyl methacrylate is studied here. The reaction is
scaled
up from 3 to 100 L scale. The problems encountered
during
the scale-up are agglomeration, foaming, and material loss.
The
techniques employed to overcome these problems are
discussed
in detail. Kinetic studies indicate that the reaction
exhibits
autoacceleration behaviour, with induction time varying
with
reactor size. The effects of initiator concentration and
reactor
size on the molecular weight and melt flow index of the
final
sample are also studied.
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