ON-LINE MONITORING, OPTIMIZATION AND CONTROL OF POLYMER PROCESSES Integrated multivariable process control can have a significant strategic impact on polymer plant operability and economics. Polymer production facilities face increasing pressures for production cost reductions and more stringent quality requirements. The term "polymer quality" encompasses a set of structural characteristics of the final polymer product such as the molecular weight distribution (MWD), copolymer composition distribution (CCD), de- gree of branching distribution (DBD), particle size distribution (PSD), etc. These molecular and morphological properties determine to a great extent the end-use properties of the pol- ymers. The main goals in operating a polymer reactor (high yield, better product quality and safe operation) are very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve without efficient and re- liable polymer characterisation techniques. Although the weakest link in polymer reactor control schemes is undoubtedly the on-line instrumentation, lack of understanding of the process dynamics, the highly sensitive and nonlinear behaviour of polymer reactors and the lack of well structured control strategies all contribute to the limited number of successful applications of advanced process control to polymer industry. Appropriate process control technology and optimisation provide leverage points for cost reductions and improvements in product uniformity by enabling processes to be operated closer to economic, plant and safety (both human and environmental) constraints. Intelligent manufacturing relates to the harmonious integration of advanced sensors, statistical approaches and advanced process control. Specifically, in the present seminar the following topics will be addressed: Development of comprehensive unified mathematical models for prediction of molecular and morphological properties in multicomponent batch, semi-batch and continuous polym- erization reactors in terms of process operating conditions. Development of improved or/and new on-line analytical sensors for monitoring of impor- tant polymer properties such as molecular weight distribution, copolymer composition dis- tribution, particle size distribution, solution viscosity. Application of generic nonlinear modelling methodologies for development of nonlinear software sensors. Development of optimal "open loop" and "closed loop" reactor policies to produce a poly- mer of desired quality (i.e., particle size distribution, molecular weight distribution, copol- ymer composition, etc.). CURRICULUM VITAE Name: Costas Kiparissides Present Position: Professor Address: Department of Chemical Engineering and Chemical Process Engineering Research Institute Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, P.O. Box 472 540 06 Thessaloniki, Greece Telephone: (31) 99-6211/ 99-6212 (office) ; (31) 442-932 (home) Fax: (31) 99-6198/ 980160 E-mail: CYPRESS@ALEXANDROS.CPERI.FORTH.GR Personal: Age: 49 years old Height: 1.80 m Weight: 85 kg Marital Status: married, with 2 children Citizenship: Greek Health: Excellent EDUCATION: Diploma in Chemical Engineering, 1966-1971 - National Technical University of Athens, Greece. Thesis title: "Acoustical Phenomena in a Liquid-Fuel Combustion Chamber", pp. 120 (1971) ; Supervisor: Dr J. Koumoutsos M.Eng. in Chemical Engineering, 1974-1975 - McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada Thesis title: "Application of Finite Elements to Heat Conduction, Fluid Flow and the Calendering of Thermoplastics", pp. 203 (1975) ; Supervisor: Dr J. Vlachopoulos Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering, 1975-1978 - McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Thesis title: "Modelling and Experimental Studies of a Continuous Emulsion Polymerization Reactor", pp. 295 (1978) ; Supervisors: Dr A.E. Hamielec and Dr J.F. MacGregor AWARDS: 1. Academic years 1966/67, 1967/68, 1968/69 Holder of a Scholarship awarded by the Greek Ministry of Labour 2. Academic year 1969/70 Holder of a Scholarship of the National Institute of Scholarships. 3. 1971 Texaco Award for best Diploma Thesis. 4. Academic years 1974/78 Teaching Assistantship, McMaster University, Canada. 5. Academic years 1979/80, 1980/81 Recipient of a salary supplement award, University of Alberta, Canada. 6. Academic year 1988/89 Recipient of the "Golden Apple Award", for best teacher, Queen's University, Cana- da. EMPLOYMENT HISTORY: 1. Kraftwerk Wehrden, Volklingen, Germany, Summer 1970. 2. Greek Armed Forces, 1971-1973, Second Lieutenant. 3. Teaching Assistant, Department of Chemical Engineering, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada, 1974-1977. 4. Assistant Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alberta, Al- berta, Canada, September 1978 - June 1980. 5. Associate Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Alberta, Alberta, Canada, July 1980 - July 1983. 6. Visiting Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, Queen's University, King- ston, Ontario, Canada, August 1987 - June 1989. 7. Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Thessaloniki, July 1981 - Now. 8. Visiting Professor, Department of Chemical Engineering University, University of Newcastle, U.K., 1994-1997 PROFESSIONAL MEMBERSHIP: American Institute for Chemical Engineers (USA) Hellenic Association of Engineers Advisory Board of Chem. Proc. Engin. Res. Institute, Thessaloniki, Greece Reviewer for Scientific Journals: AIChE, J. Appl. Polym. Sci., Chem. Eng. Sci., etc. Reviewer of BRITE/EURAM Research Proposals (EC) Reviewer of NSF grant applications (USA) RESEARCH & EXPERTISE: My main research activities fall into the following general areas: Polymer reaction engi- neering; mathematical modelling of polymer reactors; computer control of polymerization reactors; software and hardware sensor developments for the on line monitoring of polymer quality; modelling, monitoring and diagnosis of polymer reactors by statistical process con- trol (SPC) and statistical quality control (SQC) methods; synthetic polymer hydrogels: structure function relationships; production of porous and nonporous polymer microparti- cles; development of novel confinement methods and controlled release studies; diffusion studies through polymer membranes and films. OTHER EXPERTISE: I have acted as a consultant to: Composites Development International Ltd, Canada; Sta- toil, Norway; EXXON, Belgium (currently); SOLVAY, Belgium, (currently); BOREA- LIS, Norway (currently); MITSUBISHI, Japan.