| This reactor was built inside a special high pressure room resembling a bank vault. Super critical fluids are an area of interest in polymer synthesis so the high pressure research areas were built as a first step in the construction of USM's Department of Polymers and High Performance materials. The system was fully operable from the outside using a Camile (Dow) process controller linked to a PC. We also set video monitoring inside the chamber, all electronic components were either explosion proof or were kept in nitrogen containment. The reactor was built on a grant from Dow Chemical Company. It was used to create a novel copolymer of ethylene and malaeic anhydride. This copolymer functioned as a super absorber and chelating agent. |
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| Lochhead Research Group High Pressure Reactor |
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| Overhead assembly holds sample cylinders for injection of initiator and quenching agent. |
| Reactor is 2 1/2 inch thick stainless steel. The head assembly is secured to the reactor body using 8 enormous hex bolts. |
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| A magnetic drive impeller allowed agitation of reactants without comprimising pressure sealing. There were three process ports, two sensing ports (pressure transducer not visible) and in/out ports for the cooling coil. Considering wall thickness, temperature control was quite good even with respectably exothermic reactions. Everything used in the physical outfitting and the ordinary electrical components were off the shelf from Swagelock and Omega. Once on-line, the reactor was fairly simple to use. The only cumbersome part of the process was taking apart and putting back together the head assembly between reactions. In all, this was an interesting and challenging project. |