Emulsion Polymerisation Pilot Plant

Emulsion Polymerisation Pilot Plant (PVC)

A pilot plant designed and built and commissioned by Strata Technology to enable the client to undertake technical support and process development using a small scale pilot plant which mimics commercial PVC production reactors.

Applications

  • Replicating commercial PVC processes at small scale for the batch synthesis of Polyvinyl chloride (PVC)

  • Investigating the effect of variable reactor geometries.

Key features

  • Variable reactor geometry at a constant volume

  • Fully automated PLC / PC control

  • Zero emissions of toxic materials and flammable gases to the environment

  • Flexible process feed charging to facilitate studies of additive performance

  • Stainless Steel orbitally welded pipework.

Design

The Emulsion Polymerisation Pilot Plant incorporates a dual interchangeable 10 litre reactor system matching the two current technologies - a short squat reactor and a tall thin one.

Any VOCs produced during the VCM stripping process are destroyed by oxidisation in a separate external thermox unit.

The pilot plant has a dedicated PC based automation and control system that interfaces with VOC detection systems for added safety.

Housed within a ventilated unit , the plant only requires one operator.

Performance

  • Operating temperature range up to 90 °C

  • Temperature controlled reactor accurate to better than +/- 1 °C

  • Operating pressure to 18 barg

  • Zero emissions of toxic and flammable gases

  • Calorimetry data analysis performed to ensure system integrity in the event of thermal runaway.