Tuesday, November 6, 2007 - 2:40 PM
78g

Use of Vrentas-Duda Free Volume Theory to Predict Co-Monomer Diffusion in Polyethylene

Laura L. Chutny, NOVA Chemicals Research & Technology Corporation, 2928 - 16 St. NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7K7, Canada and Eric Cheluget, Nova Chemicals Research and Technology Corporation, 2928 16th Street NE, Calgary, AB T2E 7K7, Canada.

The production of Linear Low Density Polyethylene (LLDPE) involves polymerizing ethylene and other alpha-olefins in an inert solvent. Once the polymer is produced it is crystallized and pelletized. The newly formed pellets contain an unacceptable amount of solvent and residual co-monomer. This low molecular weight material must be removed in a further stage of de-volatilization. Design of equipment for performing this requires knowledge of the solubility and diffusion properties of low molecular weight solutes in semi-crystalline polyethylene. In this study the diffusion rates of 1-octene co-monomer and other low molecular weight substances in polyethylene pellets are predicted using the Vrentas-Duda free volume theory and compared with experimental data.