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From licensing and technical capabilities to modeling flexibility and integration — here are the answers to questions we’re often asked. If your topic isn’t listed here, feel free to [contact us] directly.
What kind of computer do I need to run Predici?
Predici runs on any modern Windows system and doesn’t require special hardware. Even large simulations rarely exceed 500 MB of RAM — what matters most is processor speed. Since individual simulations are not parallelized, single-core performance is key.
For the best user experience, we also recommend using a large, high-resolution screen. Many users invest heavily in software and data, but overlook the benefit of having enough visual space to interact with complex models efficiently.
Do you offer support?
Yes — we provide direct, personal support by email for the full duration of your license term (typically one year). Whether it’s a technical issue or a modeling question, we aim to respond quickly and effectively. Extended support and project-specific consulting can also be arranged by agreement.
Can Predici model copolymerization?
Yes — Predici can handle any form of copolymerization with any number of monomers. Terminal and penultimate models are fully supported, as well as more advanced or customized kinetic schemes. You can freely define reactions like propagation, transfer, or branching between species.
What kinds of copolymer systems can be modeled?
Predici is widely used for radical, living, and catalytic copolymerizations — including styrenes, acrylates, olefins, and functional monomers. Models can include solvents, inhibitors, dormant species, and inert polymers (e.g. seeds in emulsion systems). Many published examples are available on request.
Can I simulate sequence length or composition gradients?
Yes — Predici provides detailed outputs such as composition drift, gradient structure, sequence length distribution, and topology. These can be calculated during dynamic simulation or using the hybrid Monte Carlo algorithm for full molecular-level statistics.
Does Predici include a database of components?
Predici doesn’t use a large built-in component database. In polymer and kinetic modeling, most projects focus on a small number of substances — often the same few monomers, solvents, and additives used over years. For each, only a few physical properties (like molecular weight, density, heat capacity) are needed and best entered directly for accuracy.
We offer a flexible, user-defined component database that can be extended and customized — it is a template and meant to be filled by the user.
Do you provide kinetic parameters for all model steps?
No — and in practice, no one can. There is no universal database of polymerization parameters. Even in well-studied systems, values differ by process, solvent, temperature, and interpretation. That’s why parameter estimation, fitting, and validation are essential parts of model development.
We provide sample models based on published work to serve as starting points — but each project ultimately needs its own data and calibration.
How is the software installed and licensed?
Our software uses a secure hardware dongle (Thales HASP) for licensing — a widely used, stable, and proven system. Installation is straightforward: a setup routine installs the software and license driver, after which a fingerprint file is generated and sent to us. We then return the license key to activate your system.
Predici and related tools are delivered as a single executable — no DLLs, no complex installations. You can move or delete the program like on macOS. It’s clean, simple, and easy to maintain.
For network installations, the client machines also need the driver installed. In larger networks, you may need to specify the server name or IP address — but the setup remains compact and well-documented.
How accurate are the simulation results?
Predici solves the mathematical model you define — with guaranteed numerical accuracy. You set a tolerance (TOL), and the adaptive solvers automatically refine time steps and grids to ensure that the full system of equations is solved within TOL. A typical “technical” TOL like 1e‑2 already gives excellent precision, even for complex population balances.
This accuracy refers to the numerical solution of the model. Whether the results match your experimental data depends on the quality and completeness of the model itself — not on the solver. Comparison to real data is a separate step, usually done through parameter estimation.
How is the software tested?
Predici is built on mathematically rigorous solvers with explicit error control. Each simulation is solved within a user-defined tolerance (TOL), using adaptive grids and time-stepping to ensure the equations are fully resolved to that accuracy.
Beyond the math, Predici has been tested extensively by users across academia and industry. Over the years, its results have been compared to in-house implementations, alternative tools, literature data, and analytical solutions — and consistently matched or outperformed them.
A unique built-in consistency check also exists: in many systems, users can simulate in both distribution mode (solving full population balances) and moment mode (solving the summed equations). The scalar results from both modes must — and do — match within the specified tolerance. This cross-verification is a strong internal check that most simulation tools cannot offer.
Does Predici automatically enforce mass balance?
No — and that’s by design. Predici solves full mass balances for each reactor and reports any deviations at each time step. This includes both numerical error and potential modeling issues, such as incorrect stoichiometry or missing species.
If a deviation appears, tightening the tolerance (TOL) usually reduces numerical error. But if the difference persists, it’s likely a problem in the model itself — and should be fixed there, not hidden by automatic correction. This approach gives you full transparency and control.
Can I run the software on a virtual machine?
Yes — our software runs reliably on virtual machines, including setups using macOS with Parallels. Just make sure the required license driver (HASP) is properly installed in the VM environment.
Can I add my own reaction rates or equations?
Yes — nearly every part of a Predici model can be extended or customized using scripts. You can define your own rate laws, equations, outputs, feed strategies, heat balances, even control loops like PID controllers. Scripts have access to all model variables and entities, making it easy to adapt or extend complex systems without modifying the core model.
Can I change or define new reaction step modules?
No — the internal reaction step modules are a core part of Predici’s structure. They define how chain lengths and molecular weight distributions are handled and are directly tied to the numerical method. Allowing user changes here would break the mathematical consistency of the simulation.
That said, Predici already includes nearly 100 reaction step patterns — a set refined over decades and suitable for almost all practical cases. Many specialized reactions can be created by combining existing modules through intermediate species. And if a truly new step is needed, we’re open to implementing it as a hard-coded extension — just contact us.
What makes Predici different from other polymer modeling tools?
Predici is built on a unique numerical core — the only fully rigorous algorithm for computing molecular weight distributions (MWDs) across arbitrary kinetic schemes. It solves full population balances without relying on simplifications like predefined distribution shapes, quasi-steady-state assumptions (QSSA), or other restricting approximations.
The software is also highly modular and scriptable, allowing users to define their own kinetics, operating conditions, and outputs with precision. This level of flexibility and numerical depth is unmatched in most process modeling environments.
What polymer properties can Predici calculate? Are they based on built-in correlations?
Predici calculates all properties that result directly from the reaction scheme and molecular structure — such as conversions, MWDs, composition drift, branching statistics, and more. It does not use built-in empirical correlations or group contribution methods.
Extended properties — like vinyl content, glass transition temperature (Tg), or functional group distributions — can be added via user-defined scripts, based on the model structure. For example, the vinyl content in a styrene-butadiene copolymer can be tracked by analyzing the sequence of propagation steps.
What kind of reaction networks are available for step-growth polymerization?
Predici doesn’t label or restrict reaction types — instead, users define the network using appropriate reaction steps. For step-growth polymerizations, you can freely build mechanisms using condensation, transamidation, chain scission, cyclization, and related steps. The model reflects your chemistry, not preset templates.
How flexible is Predici in modifying reaction networks?
Very flexible. You can add, remove, or modify reaction steps at any time — including changing kinetics, introducing new species, or defining entirely new pathways. The modular structure makes it easy to test variations without rebuilding the full model. Combined with scripting, you can adapt the network to match almost any real-world chemistry.
What reactor models are available?
Predici supports all standard reactor types: batch, semi-batch, continuous stirred-tank reactors (CSTRs), plug flow reactors (PFRs), and reactor cascades. You can combine any reaction network with any reactor setup — including multiple feeds, complex feed profiles, or custom recipes.
All simulations are dynamic by default. Predici doesn’t solve for steady-state algebraically — it reaches it naturally as the endpoint of a time-dependent simulation, preserving full system behavior along the way.
Can I model mass transfer and diffusion in polymer particles or melts?
Yes — Predici includes modules and solvers that support particle-based models, including systems described by partial differential equations (PDEs). This allows you to model diffusion and mass transfer in polymer particles, melts, or other heterogeneous phases.
These capabilities are part of the same modeling environment used for population balances (as in Parsival), so they integrate seamlessly with reaction kinetics and reactor models.
Can Predici exchange data with other software?
Yes — Predici includes a comprehensive OLE/COM interface that allows full external control over simulations and model inputs. This makes it easy to integrate Predici into larger environments, such as in-house process platforms, optimization tools, or external flowsheet solvers.
Simulation inputs (like feeds or conditions) can be set from external sources, and results — including state variables and custom outputs — can be returned for further use or monitoring.