This book is a compilation of rate expressions for industrially important polymerization reactions, which have appeared in major technical journals in both chemistry and chemical engineering. In this text we have selected only homo-polymer systems, with the exception of polycondensation systems, although copolymers are more widely used. It is our intention to compile and publish the rate expressions for copolymerization reactions in a subsequent volume.
In the polymer industry rate expressions are vital for the analysis, optimal design, and optimal operation of polymerization reactors. In reacting systems other than polymerization reaction comprehensive summaries of kinetic data have been published on may occasions. For polymerization reactions, however, no extensive compilation of rate expressions has been attempted, even though many useful textbooks have been published for the study of polymerization kinetics.
It is true that computer aided searches of pertinent databases assist chemists and chemical engineers in finding rate expressions needed for their studies. Yet computer surveys of data bases are sometimes time consuming and often costly. We hope that this book will be of service for those who wish to conduct an efficient survey of the rate expressions of interest to them...