Case Study: In process monitoring of Nylon polymerisation
Supported by DTI Foresight project with DuPont providing industrial facilities.
Background and objectives:
- Study dynamic behaviour during nylon polymerisation.
- Aggressive environment:
- 250°C
- 20 bar pressure
- Reactive chemicals - Control product quality.
- Improve energy efficiency by reducing the time for polymerisation.
- Image a multi-phase flow with physical and chemical process varying in time.
Results
- Resistance and capacitance measurements were taken.
- The sequence on the left shows capacitance images near the end of the polymerisation process where pressure is reduced whilst temperature is maintained at approx 250°C.
- Change from "red" to "blue" indicative of reducing water content.
- Process complete after 2 hours
