DEVELOPMENT OF AN AUTOMATION AND INTELLIGENT CONTROL SYSTEM FOR THE POLYVINYL CHLORIDE (PVC) DRYING PROCESS

Drying of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) is a critical stage in polymer processing that significantly influences its physicochemical properties, including residual moisture, bulk density, thermal conductivity, and structural uniformity. This paper presents the development of an automation and intelligent control system for the PVC drying process aimed at optimizing process parameters, reducing energy consumption, and improving product quality. The proposed system integrates sensor-based monitoring, mathematical modeling, and machine learning algorithms to enable adaptive control based on real-time variations in physicochemical properties of the material.