Topics in Current Chemistry (2018) 376:44
1 3
kinetics as well as finding new polymerization systems for preparation of special
polymers [34, 183–185].
As demonstrated in this review, the throughput of polymer products in a single microreactor for most polymerization processes is usually limited to dozens
of grams per day or even less. Such a throughput is typically far from the requirement of industrial application. Scale-up studies of continuous-flow processing with
microreactors are often encountered and relevant strategies such as the numberingup strategy have been established [11, 35]. The vast majority of these studies, however, were not involved in polymerization processes. One exceptional example is the
construction of a numbered-up microreactor containing eight parallel microchannels
for the production of poly(methyl methacrylate), with the productivity of PMMA
reaching 4 kg for 6 days running [107]. In fact, the realization of excellent flow
distribution for parallel microchannels/microreactors is crucial for the numberingup strategy. This is rather difficult, since small differences of pressure drop in each
microchannel result in a non-uniform flow distribution, especially for polymerization processes during which physical properties of fluids vary significantly. Interestingly, capillaries or tubular reactors with inner diameters of several millimeters are
frequently applied for polymerization processes while maintaining good polymerization performance, and can provide much higher throughput compared to microreactors with the characteristic dimension of hundreds of micrometers. Hence, it is
expected that the application of the dimension enlarging strategy to some extent in
combination with the numbering-up strategy would be a strong method to increase
the productivity of polymer products using microreactor technology.
Acknowledgements Y. S. would like to acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science
Foundation of China (no. 21676164) and the Recruitment Program for Young Professionals initiated by
Government of China. We also thank Mr. Wenhua Xu for his help in collecting some relevant references.
References
1. Li X, Mastan E, Wang W-J, Li B-G, Zhu S (2016) React. Chem. Eng. 1:23
2. Junkers T (2017) J. Flow. Chem. 7:106
3. Alcock B, Peijs T (2013) Adv. Polym. Sci. 251:1
4. Ebewele RO (2000) Polymer science and technology. CRC, Boca Raton
5. Goto A, Fukuda T (2004) Prog. Polym. Sci. 29:329
6. O’Shaughnessy B, Yu J (1994) Phys. Rev. Lett. 73:1723
7. Cabral JT, Hudson SD, Harrison C, Douglas JF (2004) Langmuir 20:10020
8. Junkers T, Wenn B (2016) React. Chem. Eng. 1:60
9. Chen M, Zhong M, Johnson JA (2016) Chem. Rev. 116:10167
10. Odian GG (2004) Principles of polymerization. Wiley, New York
11. Gemoets HP, Su Y, Shang M, Hessel V, Luque R, Noël T (2016) Chem. Soc. Rev. 45:83
12. Wang K, Luo G (2017) Chem. Eng. Sci. 169:18
13. Li G, Shang M, Song Y, Su Y (2018) AIChE J. 64:1106
14. Jensen KF (1999) AIChE J. 45:2051
15. Jähnisch K, Hessel V, Löwe H, Baerns M (2004) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 43:406
16. Kirschning A, Solodenko W, Mennecke K (2006) Chem. Eur. J. 12:5972
17. Mason BP, Price KE, Steinbacher JL, Bogdan AR, McQuade DT (2007) Chem. Rev. 107:2300
18. Wiles C, Watts P (2008) Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2008:1655
19. Frost CG, Mutton L (2010) Green Chem. 12:1687
186
Reprinted from the journal
1 3
kinetics as well as finding new polymerization systems for preparation of special
polymers [34, 183–185].
As demonstrated in this review, the throughput of polymer products in a single microreactor for most polymerization processes is usually limited to dozens
of grams per day or even less. Such a throughput is typically far from the requirement of industrial application. Scale-up studies of continuous-flow processing with
microreactors are often encountered and relevant strategies such as the numberingup strategy have been established [11, 35]. The vast majority of these studies, however, were not involved in polymerization processes. One exceptional example is the
construction of a numbered-up microreactor containing eight parallel microchannels
for the production of poly(methyl methacrylate), with the productivity of PMMA
reaching 4 kg for 6 days running [107]. In fact, the realization of excellent flow
distribution for parallel microchannels/microreactors is crucial for the numberingup strategy. This is rather difficult, since small differences of pressure drop in each
microchannel result in a non-uniform flow distribution, especially for polymerization processes during which physical properties of fluids vary significantly. Interestingly, capillaries or tubular reactors with inner diameters of several millimeters are
frequently applied for polymerization processes while maintaining good polymerization performance, and can provide much higher throughput compared to microreactors with the characteristic dimension of hundreds of micrometers. Hence, it is
expected that the application of the dimension enlarging strategy to some extent in
combination with the numbering-up strategy would be a strong method to increase
the productivity of polymer products using microreactor technology.
Acknowledgements Y. S. would like to acknowledge financial support from the National Natural Science
Foundation of China (no. 21676164) and the Recruitment Program for Young Professionals initiated by
Government of China. We also thank Mr. Wenhua Xu for his help in collecting some relevant references.
References
1. Li X, Mastan E, Wang W-J, Li B-G, Zhu S (2016) React. Chem. Eng. 1:23
2. Junkers T (2017) J. Flow. Chem. 7:106
3. Alcock B, Peijs T (2013) Adv. Polym. Sci. 251:1
4. Ebewele RO (2000) Polymer science and technology. CRC, Boca Raton
5. Goto A, Fukuda T (2004) Prog. Polym. Sci. 29:329
6. O’Shaughnessy B, Yu J (1994) Phys. Rev. Lett. 73:1723
7. Cabral JT, Hudson SD, Harrison C, Douglas JF (2004) Langmuir 20:10020
8. Junkers T, Wenn B (2016) React. Chem. Eng. 1:60
9. Chen M, Zhong M, Johnson JA (2016) Chem. Rev. 116:10167
10. Odian GG (2004) Principles of polymerization. Wiley, New York
11. Gemoets HP, Su Y, Shang M, Hessel V, Luque R, Noël T (2016) Chem. Soc. Rev. 45:83
12. Wang K, Luo G (2017) Chem. Eng. Sci. 169:18
13. Li G, Shang M, Song Y, Su Y (2018) AIChE J. 64:1106
14. Jensen KF (1999) AIChE J. 45:2051
15. Jähnisch K, Hessel V, Löwe H, Baerns M (2004) Angew. Chem. Int. Ed. 43:406
16. Kirschning A, Solodenko W, Mennecke K (2006) Chem. Eur. J. 12:5972
17. Mason BP, Price KE, Steinbacher JL, Bogdan AR, McQuade DT (2007) Chem. Rev. 107:2300
18. Wiles C, Watts P (2008) Eur. J. Org. Chem. 2008:1655
19. Frost CG, Mutton L (2010) Green Chem. 12:1687
186
Reprinted from the journal