Continuous Addition Polymerization

Abstract

Free- and controlled radical polymerizations have become standard reactions in the research laboratory to prepare a large variety of homo- and copolymers. Hence, the synthetic polymer chemist is frequently asked to supply a colleague or a project partner with 10 - 20 g of some (co)polymer. The usual mode of action is the "batch polymerization": Solvent, initiator and monomers are mixed and heat under an inert atmosphere until (almost) full conversion of the monomer has been achieved. Sometimes the researcher is not aware the fact, that this simple procedure is ineffective when used to prepared larger quantities of homopolymers and it will produce a messy product in many copolymerization reactions.