An experimental analysis of the bulk polymerization of styrene initiated by azobisisobutyronitrile was carried out in a tubular reactor. The experiments performed in a 2.362‐cm I.D., 6‐meter long jacketed reactor showed that: (1) it was feasible for a tubular reactor to produce acceptable quality polystyrene for industrial purposes; (2) the quality of the polymer product was reproducible at any time; (3) it was technically feasible for the tubular reactor to replace the stirred‐batch kettles as the preliminary stage in the polystyrene manufacturing process, and (4) radial temperature gradients were not a problem for reactor operation.

= normalized Gaussian function to curve fit the leading half of the chromatogram of the polymer standards = instrumental spreading correction parameter, counts-2 = instrumental spreading correction parameter obtained from the leading half of the chromatogram, counts-2 = calibration molecular weight at a particular elution volume = cup averaged molecular weight, or molecular weight -M (h) = corrected chromatogram molecular weight M ( co ) = chromatogram molecular weight T U l = wall temperature of the tubular reactor, O K U = elution volume from the chromatograph, counts UP = elution volume at the peak of the polystyrene X = cup averaged conversion standard, counts -Subscripts n = number average W

uses truncated Taylor expansions of 1@Xo 108 ( X Ixo) JomBEEK 5620 Harbord Drive -= 2axy + 3x2 -3xy + -x 3 -= x We where fl = ( -After the transconclusions. The error appears in the and the Procedure in question be and flow are clearly symmetrical withThe validity of these results may be of (16), i.e. + = 0.(28).