Conversion-controlled apparatus for polymerization of monomeric materials in liquid media

Abstract

Abstract Improved apparatus for polymerizing liquid monomeric materials in liquid reaction media include a reaction vessel communicating with one or more liquid and/or vapor supply vessels and a pressure-sensing flow-control means associated with the reaction vessel which operates to control the supply of one or more liquids from the supply vessel or vessels to the reaction vessel in response to shrinkage of the charge therein attending conversion of liquid monomer to solid polymers as polymerization proceeds thereby maintaining the reaction vessel in an essentially completely-filled condition. A sensing device or devices such as a pressure- or weight-sensitive transducer associated with one or more of the supply vessels senses the weight or volume of liquid thus delivered to the reaction and is employed to initiate the addition from a supply to the reaction vessel of a liquid or gaseous short stop material yielding automatic and accurate termination of the polymerization reaction at a predetermined degree of conversion. Where two or more liquid supply vessels are thus employed, a proportioning device operated by the pressure-sensing flow-control means can be employed to effect a division of the total liquid delivered to the reaction vessel in any predetermined proportion between two or more different liquids such as between liquid monomers and aqueous medium or between two liquid monomers thus effecting control of the composition of the medium in the vessel as polymerization proceeds.

Inventors

• 👤 Witt E De

Bibliographic Details