Transient and steady-state behavior of wiped-film reactors for reversible condensation polymerization

An improved model is used to investigate the transient and steady-state behavior of the wiped-film reactors. An efficient numerical scheme is developed that decouples heavily coupled conservation equations. A simple forward marching is involved. The transients provide a valuable piece of information regarding the optimal reactor size for the maximum possible degree of polymerization that cannot be obtained from steady-state consideration. The reactor can be designed in such a way that the deleterious effects of degradation reactions are minimized. The model together with the efficient numerical scheme should provide a sound basis for designing and analyzing the wiped-film reactors.