The Laboratory of Polymer Reaction Engineering (LPRE) at the Chemical Process Engineering Research Institute (CPERI) (associated also with Aristotle University of Thessaloniki), for more than 20 years is active in the development of models for the simulation of a wide range of polymerization processes. Models of varying degree of complexity for most of the polymerization systems (homo / copolymerization / multicomponent polymerization in bulk / solution / suspension / emulsion / catalytic systems and different reactor configurations) are available. The models have been developed in various programming languages and modeling environments such as FORTRAN, gPROMS, MATLAB, C/C++ and Pascal/Delphi.
Benefits expected from CAPE6OPEN
These models have been successfully used in the simulation (either off-line or on-line) of polymerization reactors of different scales (laboratory, pilot-plant and industrial). The models have been integrated also into user-friendly software packages, that facilitate the production engineer to use them correctly and efficiently. Their range of use includes the prediction in real time of the molecular properties, the estimation of control moves of key process variables as well as the prediction of the operational and product characteristics of alternative design options. Use of CAPE-OPEN will increase usage of all these models.
Progress on this project was reported in 2010 by CPERI in a paper published in Macromolecular Reaction Engineering.