Theory-based improvements of continuous polymer fractionation demonstrated for poly(carbonate)

For the first time, a quantitative theoretical analysis (liquid/liquid phase equilibria treated by means of the continuous thermodynamics) of the operating characteristics of continuous polymer fractionation (CPF) was performed. The results of these calculations were compared with data published for CPF of polyethylene. It turned out that the efficiency of the conventional CPF corresponds to approximately two theoretical plates only. For this reason, several improvements, suggested by theoretical considerations, were realized experimentally, for which purpose the system dichloromethane/diethylene glycol/bisphenol-A polycarbonate was chosen. The pulsating sieve-bottom column was replaced by …