To show how the free convection accompanied by reaction can influence the reaction conversion, styrene-acrylonitrile copolymerization is carried out in a vertical tubular reactor.
Three kinds of reactor are used, having different diameter and length.
The experimental results are discussed by a simple model which consists of four regions;by-pass flow, circulation flow, back-mixing and stagnant regions. This model is derived from impulse response test of the reactor.
The results obtained are as follows: in the case of Δρ≅0.02 [g/cm
3] and μ≅2 [c.p.], the reactor is almost occupied by the back-mixing region, in spite of the reactor size, whereas, in the case of high concentration of monomers and the reactor of large diameter, the stagnent and by-pass flow regions are appreciable.
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