AbstractA polymer is characterized by the average degree of polymerization and the molecular weight distribution. Approximate optimization of temperature control, or catalyst feed rate control, or both are performed to attain not only the desired average degree of polymerization but also the desired molecular weight distribution. This near‐optimal policy, which is a function of time only for a batch polymerization reactor, is first expressed by a polynomial, and the coefficients of the polynomial are estimated by a pattern search technique. This coefficient's estimation method coupled with a nonlinear search technique was found to be suitable for solving this type of our optimization problem involving complex chemical kinetic
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