In this work, a simple and general method has been developed that, on the basis of an easy-to-measure quantity referred to as the ψ number, allows for ongoing detection of the displacement of the SBR operating regime from safe target conditions, without any information about the reaction kinetics. Such a feature is of particular importance because, when dealing with reaction processes in the fine-chemicals and pharmaceuticals industries, the estimation of the kinetic parameters of the reactions involved is often not practicable, because of the huge variety of productions encountered and the simultaneous occurrence of mass-transfer phenomena in heterogeneous systems. Moreover, the method in question has been confirmed to be useful for the early detection of low-reactivity or non-ignition regimes of the SBR, to prevent the dangerous accumulation phenomena resulting in a thermal loss of control of the main reaction and a further triggering of pressure-generating decomposition events. Finally, the criterion was validated by analyzing the available data from an industrial SBR in which the water emulsion polymerization of acrylic monomers was performed.
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