Continuous Atom Transfer Radical Polymerization in a Tubular Reactor

The use of a tubular reactor for conducting living radical polymerizations by atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) was investigated. Solution polymerization experiments were performed with styrene and butyl acrylate to elucidate the influence of a continuous reaction process on conversion, molecular weight, and polydispersity compared to batch polymerization experiments. The continuous polymerizations were well controlled. Initial conversion was found to be slightly higher in the tubular reactor than in a batch polymerization run at similar conditions, while number average molecular weight and polydispersity are comparable between the continuous and batch processes. Residence time distribution studies showed the reactor exhibits nearly plug flow behavior. magnified image