Automatic Continuous Online Monitoring of Polymerization Reactions

Automatic Continuous Online Monitoring of Polymerization Reactions (ACOMP) was developed at Tulane University by Prof. Reed in 1998, with the first publication appearing in 1998. Polymerization reactions are difficult to monitor in real-time, so characteristics and properties of the polymers aren't known, often times, until after the reaction is already complete. ACOMP monitors these reactions in real-time by periodically diluting small streams of polymer out of the reactor and then running the sample though widely accepted detectors such as Refractive Index, Light Scattering, and Intrinsic Viscosity to completely characterize the polymer as it is being "born." ACOMP can be used as an analytical method in R&D, as a tool for reaction optimization at the bench and pilot plant level and, eventually, for feedback control of full-scale reactors. ACOMP measures in a model-independent fashion the evolution of average molar mass and intrinsic viscosity, monomer conversion kinetics and, in the case of copolymers, also the average composition drift and distribution. ACOMP is applicable in the areas of free radical and controlled radical homo- and copolymerization, polyelectrolyte synthesis, heterogeneous phase reactions, including emulsion polymerization, adaptation to batch and continuous reactors, and modifications of polymers.

ACOMP as a Tool for Efficiency

ACOMP is envisioned as an energy saving and efficiency optimizing technology for the polymer manufacturing industry. The possibility for feedback control in polymerization reactions presents manufacturers with a tool to improve the efficiency of their process by instantly seeing the properties of the polymers as they produce them essentially creating polymers that are "Born Characterized." Different reaction parameters such as temperature, pressure, and reagent feeds can be adjusted according to what ACOMP analyzes in real-time thus maximizing the efficiency of the reaction and reducing the common problem of inconsistent product quality and wasted batches. The non-profit Tulane Center for Polymer Reaction Monitoring and Characterization (PolyRMC) at Tulane University in New Orleans, Louisiana uses this technology for its various research projects.

Other Characterization Methods

ACOMP can be used in conjunction with widely accepted Polymer characterization methods such as size exclusion chromatography and Viscometry to characterize polymers and polymerization reactions. Other commonly used methods for real-time reaction monitoring are Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and melt point index.