STYRENE (CO)POLYMER PRODUCTION PROCESS Russian patent published in 1998 - IPC

FIELD: polymer production. SUBSTANCE: invention relates to styrene (co)polymer production, including that in presence of elastomer, by continuous bulk polymerization. Method of continuously polymerizing styrene or styrene-acrylonitrile or methacrylonitrile mixture, or elastomer dissolved in styrene or styrene-acrylonitrile mixture consists in the following. Starting solution is fed into a series of reactors. A part of polymerization mass is withdrawn from a completely filled reactor into, connected with it, cooling zone, from which cooled polymerization mass is returned into corresponding reactors. Reliable, with regard to time, removal of polymerization heat from completely filled reactor wherein styrene (co)polymer concentration is maintained at the level 20 to 45 wt % and increase in the heat-removal efficiency in emergency cases are achieved thanks to (i) performing the cooling of a part of polymerization mass in completely filled heat exchanger to a temperature by 20-50 C below the temperature maintained in corresponding reactor and (ii) dividing cooled mass into at least two streams, one of which is returned into completely filled heat exchanger and the other(s) into reactor, weight ratio of the latter to the initial feed solution stream ranging from 0.7: 1 to 5:1, whereas weight ratio of the stream returned into completely filled heat exchanger to the initial feed solution stream is (5- 10):1. EFFECT: increased reliability of process. 2 dwg