On-Line Monitoring of MWD in a Batch Polymerization Reactor by Size Exclusion Chromatography

A novel highly automated SEC system has been developed for online measurement of MWD in a batch solution polymerization reactor. The system includes a liquid exclusion chromatograph, an automatic sampling system, a programmable microprocessor based sequence timer and a process computer. Two main real-time computer programs have been developed to supervise the automatic collection (SEC-Data Acquisition Program) and interprepation (SEC-Data Interprepation Program) of SEC data. Experimental results show that the new system can provide reliable on-line measurements of number average and weight average molecular weights of a sample during the course of polymerization.