Automatic, simultaneous control of polymer composition and molecular weight during free radical copolymer synthesis
Automatic, simultaneous control of polymer composition and molecular weight during free radical copolymer synthesis Highlights • First time fully automatic control of composition in free radical copolymerization. • First time simultaneous fully automatic control of composition and molecular weight in free radical copolymerization. • Combined composition and molecular weight controller uses only three directly measurable parameters and requires no detailed kinetic models. • Various composition and molecular weight trajectories are used to illustrate power of the new capability. Abstract Fully automatic, simultaneous control of polymer composition and molecular weight trajectories during free radical copolymer synthesis was achieved by coupling the continuous ACOMP data stream into a feedback controller which operated pumps for reactor feed of comonomers. The controller operates without recourse to a detailed kinetic model or re...