Control of Molecular Weight Distribution in Free Radical Addition Homopolymerization via Implicit Solution of the MWD Equations and the Uncoupling Species Output Map

This paper addresses both the problem of controlling the Molecular Weight Distribution of dead polymer product in Free Radical Addition Homopolymerization and the problem of parameter estimation and modelling of the corresponding kinetics. A derivation is presented of the moment equations for arbitrary order of moment and an implicit solution is derived for the molecular weight distribution on a per species basis via the newly-introduced Uncoupling Species Output Map. The development presented in this paper incorporates no simplifying assumptions (specifically does not invoke quasi-steady-state) and allows the model to include changing density, the gel effect, transfer to monomer and to transfer agent, and termination by disproportionation and combination.