Polyamide solid state polymerization: Evaluation of pertinent kinetic models

Nylon 6,6 resins, in the form of pellets, were solid state polymerized in the temperature range of 160–200°C in a fixed‐bed reactor under flowing nitrogen for times of 0–4 h. The kinetics of the solid state polymerization (SSP) of nylon 6,6 were examined by the evaluation of pertinent rate expressions and the selection of the most suitable one for describing the apparent overall process. The Flory‐theory‐based kinetic models were the most effective both for this study's data and for data previously published on SSP of different polyamides. Accordingly, SSP rate constants and activation energies were derived, and process parameters, such as the temperature and time, were investigated. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 97: 671–681, 2005