ACOMP approach

Nonetheless, the ACOMP approach presented in Reference [52] provides a new means of assessing and further developing models of polyelectrolyte properties and should have numerous practical applications for optimizing product quality and process efficiency. 

Formalism for Combined Reaction and Semibatch Flow The following summarizes the ACOMP approach presented in [38]. Expressions were derived for the concentration of monomer and polymer in the reactor, while reactions are occurring, when N solutes in solution are allowed to flow into the reactor, each at their own rate, which need not be constant, such that solute s has caused a change in reactor volume at time t of AVft), where Qft) is the instantaneous flow rate of liquid from a reservoir containing component s into the reactor. In the following, q is a constant withdrawal rate from the reactor q (ernes ) that feeds the ACOMP extraction/dilution/conditioning front end. 

Advantages of ACOMP include its versatility as a generalized approach, its ability to make fundamental measurements without recourse to empirical models and calibration, its capacity for providing a data-rich stream of complementary information from multiple independent detectors, yielding multifaceted characteristics of polymerization reactions, and its use of the front end to extract, dilute, and condition a sample stream that allows sensitive detectors to provide reliable data without exposing them to harsh reactor or sample conditions. Disadvantages include the mechanical complexity of the front end, the delay time between a continuous fluid element s extraction from the reactor and downstream measurement by the detector train, and a small but continuous waste stream. ACOMP is more invasive than probes that can be placed at an outside reactor window, but are no more invasive than in situ probes, in that in either case access to the reactor contents is required. 

The agreement among data computed by various approaches proves the feasibility of ACOMP as a powerful tool to follow reaction kinetics and to offer various options in determining chain transfer parameters. It is hoped that the method will be applicable to a wider range of polymerization reactions. 

A straightforward approach was used in Reference [20] to compute reactivity ratios for two methacrylate-based comonomers and to compare the values obtained with the existing literature. Thus, since the comonomer conversion kinetics is known from ACOMP, the Mayo-Lewis copolymer equation ... 

Novel approaches in the online monitoring of the synthesis of the amphiphilic copolymers by Automatic continuous online monitoring of polymerization were recently reported by Alb et al. [23]. The ACOMP monitoring platform was used to follow in real time the synthesis of 2-(dimelhylamino)ethyl acrylate (DMAEA)/styrene (sty) copolymers by RAFT. 

A novel approach consisting in coupling together non-chromatographic ACOMP and discrete chromatographic... 

Direct comparison of kinetic and molecular weight from the continuous nonchromatographic and SEC approaches showed that addition of multidetector SEC enhances data gathering power of ACOMP by bringing valuable complementary information. 

The precise knowledge of reaction kinetics furnished by ACOMP allows predictive control of reactions, via calculable flow rates of reagents into the reactor, to yield desired molecular weight and composition trends, with subsequent online verification of the actual reaction trajectory. In this sense, the predictive approach is a prelude to full feedback control of the reactor, where the predicted trajectory can serve as an Ansatz, and deviations from the desired trajectory can then be corrected by small changes to the feed pumps and other variables. 

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