Online Monitoring of Polymerizations: Current Status

Abstract

Polymerizations are challenging to monitor online. Next to spectrometric information, which indicates the composition, progress, and identity of polymers, other characterization methods also need to be employed for paramount monitoring. Information on molecular weight distributions and end group patterns are often indispensable for accurate process (and product) control. An overview of existing characterization methods, which can be used for online monitoring, and eventually for automating, multistep polymerizations, is given.