Bibliometric and Co-Occurrence Study of Process System Engineering (PSE) Applied to the Polyvinyl Chloride (PVC)...

Area of Science:

• Chemical Engineering
• Materials Science
• Data Science

Background:

• Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a versatile, cost-effective polymer utilized across packaging, electrical insulation, and medical devices.
• Its desirable properties include resistance, incombustibility, and barrier capabilities, driving widespread industrial application.
• Optimizing PVC production processes is crucial for efficiency, sustainability, and meeting diverse market demands.

Purpose of the Study:

• To conduct a bibliometric and co-occurrence analysis of Process System Engineering (PSE) applied to PVC production.
• To identify current trends, research gaps, future directions, and challenges in PVC manufacturing.
• To map the evolution and key themes within the simulation of PVC production.

Main Methods:

• Bibliometric analysis of SCOPUS database records.
• Co-occurrence analysis using VOSviewer software.
• Topic modeling to identify research clusters and thematic progression.

Main Results:

• Literature clusters around modeling, simulation, process control, and optimization strategies for PVC production.
• Key research areas include mathematics/statistics in polymer chemistry, separation phenomena, and polymer production.
• Trends indicate the utility of Monte Carlo and numerical simulations for understanding PVC properties and behavior.

Conclusions:

• Process System Engineering (PSE) offers vital tools for enhancing PVC production through advanced techniques.
• Developing novel algorithms for continuous polymerization simulation is essential for improving accuracy and efficiency.
• Future research should focus on simulation, environmental impact (plastics/microplastics), and advanced process engineering for PVC manufacturing.