Steady-state modeling of ethylene polymerization

A mathematical model is developed to simulate the ethylene polymerization in continuous stirred-tank reactors. The model is based on the mass and energy balances around the reactive system. Polymer molecular properties, including molecular weight distribution, number average molecular weight, weight average molecular weight, and polydispersity index, are calculated based on the method of moment. End-use properties, such as melt index and density, are correlated with polymer molecular properties. The model is validated with actual operation date.