Copolymerization of VDF and HFP in Supercritical Carbon Dioxide: A Robust Approach for Modeling Precipitation and Dispersion Kinetics

A kinetic model is developed for the heterogeneous free-radical copolymerization of vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene in supercritical CO 2. The model accounts for polymerization in both the dispersed (polymer-rich) phase and in the continuous (polymer-free) supercritical phase, for radical interphase transport, diffusion limitations, and chain-length-dependent termination in the polymer-rich phase. A parameter evaluation strategy is developed and detailed to estimate most of the kinetic parameters a priori while minimizing their evaluation by direct fitting. The resulting model predictions compare favorably with the experimental results of conversion and MWD at varying monomer fe…