Premium
On the molecular weight distribution polydispersity of continuous living‐radical polymerization
Author(s) -
Joseph Schork F.,
Smulders Wilfred
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
journal of applied polymer science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.575
H-Index - 166
eISSN - 1097-4628
pISSN - 0021-8995
DOI - 10.1002/app.20031
Subject(s) - dispersity , radical polymerization , polymerization , molar mass distribution , living polymerization , polymer , polymer chemistry , living free radical polymerization , materials science , copolymer , reversible addition−fragmentation chain transfer polymerization , chemistry , chemical engineering , composite material , engineering
Batch living‐radical polymerization techniques were used to produce polymers with molecular weight distributions approaching the narrowness of truly living (ionic) systems. Continuous reactors may offer some advantages for living polymerization in copolymer morphology, but continuous polymerization with any level of backmixing will broaden the molecular weight distribution. This study used simple moment techniques to demonstrate that idealized living‐radical polymerization in a single stirred tank reactor will have a polydispersity of 2. This is also the theoretical minimum polydispersity for a truly living polymerization. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 92: 539–542, 2004