Spying on Plastic Production
Wednesday, January 6, 2010 - 07:14
in Physics & Chemistry
(PhysOrg.com) -- Real-time monitoring of high-density polyethylene (HDPE) production is now possible. In an article in the journal Macromolecular Reaction Engineering, Professor Rolf Mülhaupt and his student Rainer Xalter of Albert-Ludwigs University in Freiburg, Germany, describe how they use a combination of laser reflectance measurements and video monitoring to follow the polymerization of ethylene in slurries in standard commercial-scale reactors. They watch the slurries as the plastics grow under different conditions, and are able to use the results to explain variations in efficiency and product range.