Prof. Ashwini Sood is a Professor in the Department of Chemical Engineering, School of Chemical Technology at Harcourt Butler Technical University (HBTU), Kanpur, India, with over 29 years of academic and research experience. He holds a B.Tech. from IIT Kanpur (1988), an M.S. from Lehigh University, USA (1991), and a Ph.D. from U.P. Technical University, Lucknow (2006). His expertise lies in chemical reaction engineering, emulsion and miniemulsion polymerization processes, rheology of dispersions, and multiphase systems, with strong industrial applications in paints, adhesives, and sustainable chemical processes. He has authored around 40 research publications, contributed to conferences, served as a reviewer for international journals, and guided numerous postgraduate and doctoral students. Prof. Sood has received several national and international awards and recognitions, including lifetime achievement and best paper awards, and is actively involved in academic leadership, editorial work, and professional societies such as the Indian Institute of Chemical Engineers and the Institution of Engineers (India).

A Mathematical Model for Green Emulsion Polymerization of Methyl Methacrylate in Batch and Semi-Batch Reactors Abstract Emulsion polymerization is a green and sustainable process, as it employs water as the reaction medium, enables high monomer conversion at low viscosity, provides efficient heat removal, and minimizes the use of organic solvents, thereby reducing environmental impact and energy consumption. Owing to lower process temperatures, enhanced heat transfer, and the elimination or significant reduction of volatile organic compounds, emulsion polymerization also contributes to reduced process-related carbon dioxide emissions, supporting pathways toward net-zero carbon manufacturing when coupled with renewable energy sources and solvent-free downstream processing. In this work, a mathematical model is developed to simulate the isothermal, well-mixed batch and semi-batch emulsion polymerization of methyl methacrylate using a monodisperse particle size approximation. For batch operation, the model predicts the temporal evolution of monomer conversion, rate of polymerization, total particle surface area, and volume-average particle diameter at different initiator concentrations. Model predictions for the total number of particles are compared with experimental data reported in the literature, demonstrating continuous nucleation behavior. For unseeded semi-batch operation, the effects of monomer feed rate on monomer conversion and particle number are investigated. Good agreement between model predictions and experimental observations is obtained, particularly under monomer-starved operating conditions. Bottom of FormKeywords:Emulsion polymerization; Methyl methacrylate; Mathematical modeling; Batch and semi-batch reactors; Green and sustainable processes