Application

Chemical reactions, polymerisation and vulcanisation under vacuum

Vacuum intervenes in chemical reactions: it draws volatile products out of the reactor and so shifts the equilibrium ā€“ according to Edwards, this raises the yield. In polymerisation, residual monomer is removed; in vulcanisation and in the moulding of rubber and composites, the vacuum removes the air from the mould. Below you can see how the application works, what vacuum the manufacturers name and which of their series are intended for it ā€“ 61 models from 2 manufacturers.

Compare 61 modelsHow it works

  • 61Models
  • 6Series
  • 2Manufacturers
  • 3Industries
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Touch the points: each part of the system explains itself.

In short

Chemical reactions, polymerisation and vulcanisation: the key facts

  • EquilibriumFor reactions, Edwards names the yield gained by shifting the equilibrium: if products are drawn off under vacuum, the reaction continues towards the product.
  • Residual monomerFor bio-based polymer production (PLA), Edwards names the reaction under vacuum and the removal of residual monomer.
  • VulcanisationAtlas Copco names rubber vulcanisation and forming with LRP 700ā€“1000 VSD+ and tyre manufacturing with AWS, Busch the moulding of plastics, composites and rubber, Edwards rubber vulcanisation with scroll vacuum pumps.
  • ManufacturersEdwards names the liquid ring series LR1A, LR1C and LR1D and the EDS screw vacuum pump, Atlas Copco AWS and LRP VSD+ as well as ejector and liquid ring systems for reactors; Busch names the application without a series.
ABCDEFG
  • Air and gas (vacuum)
  • Exhaust

Operating principle

How it works: Chemical reactions, polymerisation and vulcanisation

The drawing shows the basic principle in section. The systems and pumps of the individual manufacturers differ in detail.

  1. EvacuationThe reactor or mould is evacuated. Atlas Copco names the evacuation of chemical reactors, Busch the moulding of plastics, composites and rubber under vacuum.
  2. ReactionUnder vacuum, products are drawn off: Edwards names equilibrium shifting for a higher yield and, for PLA, the removal of residual monomer. In vulcanisation, the rubber cures in the evacuated mould ā€“ Atlas Copco names LRP VSD+ for rubber vulcanisation and AWS for tyre manufacturing.
  3. CondensationVapours are condensed in the condenser and collected; the vacuum pump removes the residual gases.

Vacuum and sizing

Chemical reactions, polymerisation and vulcanisation: how much vacuum is needed

What the manufacturers say about pressure, pumping speed and sizing.

Which vacuum

The pressure follows from the reaction and the substance that is to be drawn off.

What determines the sizing

For reactions, Edwards names liquid ring pumps (LR), for polymerisation LR and the EDS screw vacuum pump; Atlas Copco names ejector and liquid ring systems for reactors and the liquid ring series LRP VSD+ and AWS for vulcanisation and tyres. What is drawn off ā€“ reaction gases, monomer, air from the mould ā€“ determines the pump.

What the manufacturers point out

Besides polymerisation, Edwards also lists fluorination and hydrogenation as applications in chemistry without describing them, and for PLA names the residual monomer that is removed from the polymer.

Technology

Chemical reactions, polymerisation and vulcanisation: the vacuum pumps the manufacturers name

Listed are the series the manufacturer itself names for this application. ā€œShow only ā€¦ā€ sets the filter of the product overview.

Busch names the application without naming a series for it.

Product overview

Chemical reactions, polymerisation and vulcanisation: all 61 models compared

Use the filters on the left to narrow the selection ā€“ by manufacturer, technology and the modelsā€™ key figures, for 50 or 60 Hz.

Atlas Copco AWS series 22 models

AWS 180Pumping speed 168 mĀ³/h 50 Hz202 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 5.5 kW 50 Hz7.5 kW 60 HzVariants 6
AWS 280Pumping speed 246 mĀ³/h 50 Hz290 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 7.5 kW 50 Hz11 kW 60 HzVariants 6
AWS 360Pumping speed 340 mĀ³/h 50 Hz412 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 11 kW 50 Hz15 kW 60 HzVariants 6
AWS 450Pumping speed 450 mĀ³/h 50 Hz535 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 15 kW 50 Hz22 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 600Pumping speed 600 mĀ³/h 50 Hz700 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 18.5 kW 50 Hz30 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 800Pumping speed 750 mĀ³/h 50 Hz888 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 22 kW 50 Hz30 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 1100Pumping speed 1,080 mĀ³/h 50 Hz1,320 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 37 kW 50 Hz45 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 1300Pumping speed 1,230 mĀ³/h 50 Hz1,452 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 37 kW 50 Hz55 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 1600Pumping speed 1,700 mĀ³/h 50 Hz2,000 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 45 kW 50 Hz75 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 2500Pumping speed 2,450 mĀ³/h 50 Hz2,780 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 75 kW 50 Hz90 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 3300Pumping speed 3,200 mĀ³/h 50 Hz3,840 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 75 kW 50 Hz110 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 3800Pumping speed 3,750 mĀ³/h 50 Hz4,520 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 90 kW 50 Hz132 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 5500Pumping speed 5,300 mĀ³/h 50 Hz5,850 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 160 kW 50 Hz185 kW 60 HzVariants 8
AWS 6500Pumping speed 6,510 mĀ³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 169 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWS 8000Pumping speed 8,100 mĀ³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 200 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWS 10000Pumping speed 9,450 mĀ³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 235 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWS 12000Pumping speed 11,652 mĀ³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 305 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWS 12500Pumping speed 11,820 mĀ³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 253 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWS 16000Pumping speed 16,380 mĀ³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 420 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWS 19000Pumping speed 18,250 mĀ³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 430 kW 50 HzVariants 8
AWS 23000Pumping speed 22,800 mĀ³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 33 mbarRated motor power 555 kW 50 HzVariants
AWS 26000Pumping speed 26,000 mĀ³/h 50 HzUltimate pressure 160 mbarRated motor power 590 kW 50 HzVariants

Atlas Copco LRP VSD+ series 3 models

LRP 700 VSD+Pumping speed 740 mĀ³/h 50 Hz740 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 25 mbarRated motor power 18.5 kW 50 Hz18.5 kW 60 HzVariants 10
LRP 900 VSD+Pumping speed 940 mĀ³/h 50 Hz940 mĀ³/h 60 HzUltimate pressure 25 mbarRated motor power 26 kW 50 Hz26 kW 60 HzVariants 10

Edwards EDS series 3 models

Edwards LR1A series 12 models

Edwards LR1C series 9 models

Edwards LR1D series 12 models

Model comparison

Models a manufacturer no longer carries in its current range are listed in its ā€œOutdated modelsā€ section.

Industries

Chemical reactions, polymerisation and vulcanisation: where the manufacturers name it

The manufacturers list these uses on their own pages.

Chemicals

Edwards names reactions whose yield rises when the equilibrium is shifted (LR), polymerisation (LR, EDS) as well as fluorination and hydrogenation, which the manufacturer lists without a description.

Industry page: Chemicals ā†’

Plastics and recycling

For plastics, Edwards names bio-based polymer production (PLA) with reaction and removal of residual monomer, as well as fluorination.

Industry page: Plastics and recycling ā†’

Automotive and transport

For automotive and transport, Busch names the moulding of plastics, composites and rubber including vulcanisation, without assigning a series; Atlas Copco names tyre manufacturing on the product page of the AWS series.

Industry page: Automotive and transport ā†’

Frequently asked questions

Chemical reactions, polymerisation and vulcanisation: frequently asked questions

Why do chemical reactions run under vacuum?

Edwards names the yield gained by shifting the equilibrium: if gaseous or volatile products are drawn off under vacuum, the equilibrium shifts towards the product side. For this, Edwards names the liquid ring series LR1A, LR1C and LR1D; Atlas Copco names the evacuation of chemical reactors with ejector and liquid ring systems.

How is residual monomer removed from polymers?

For bio-based polymer production (PLA), Edwards describes the reaction under vacuum and the removal of residual monomer. For polymerisation, Edwards names the LR series and the EDS screw vacuum pump.

Which vacuum pump for chemical reactors?

For reactions, Edwards names liquid ring vacuum pumps of the LR1A, LR1C and LR1D series, and for polymerisation additionally the dry EDS screw vacuum pump. For the evacuation of chemical reactors, Atlas Copco names ejector and liquid ring systems without assigning a series.

Which vacuum pump for vulcanisation?

For rubber vulcanisation and forming, Atlas Copco names the liquid ring series LRP 700ā€“1000 VSD+, and for tyre manufacturing the AWS series. Edwards names scroll vacuum pumps for rubber vulcanisation, Busch the moulding of plastics, composites and rubber ā€“ both without a series.

Oil-free or oil-lubricated for reactions and polymerisation?

The pumps named work without oil in the pump chamber: Edwards and Atlas Copco name liquid ring vacuum pumps (LR1A, LR1C, LR1D; LRP VSD+, AWS), Edwards also the dry EDS screw vacuum pump and, for vulcanisation, dry scroll vacuum pumps.

How much vacuum does polymerisation need?

Edwards describes the removal of residual monomer and the shifting of the equilibrium; the pressure required depends on the monomer and on the reaction temperature.

What is vacuum used for in tyre manufacturing?

Atlas Copco names tyre manufacturing as an application of the AWS series and rubber vulcanisation and forming for LRP 700ā€“1000 VSD+, without describing the process. Busch names the moulding of rubber and composites under vacuum. In this process, the air is drawn out of the mould before the rubber fills it.

What can be done if reaction vapours get into the vacuum pump?

A condenser upstream of the pump condenses condensable vapours, and the condensate vessel collects them. For the rest, Edwards and Atlas Copco name liquid ring pumps (LR series, LRP VSD+, AWS), and Edwards also the EDS screw vacuum pump for polymerisation.

A single pump or a central vacuum system?

A central system in a room of its own keeps noise and heat away from production and matches its output to the demand. Central vacuum systems are planned and built by Eugen Theis Vakuum, a company of the Ehrler & Beck group ā€“ more under Central Vacuum.

Does Ehrler & Beck also supply spare parts and service?

Yes. Ehrler & Beck offers original spare parts and accessories as well as maintenance and repair.

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