Research progress in the regulation and intensification of continuous-flow liquid-phase polymerization processes

<p indent="0mm">Polymerization reactions are widely used in the preparation of high-performance polymer materials. Polymerization systems are typically highly viscous and strongly exothermic, and thus polymerization kinetics is closely related to the transport properties of reactors, rendering process control rather difficult. This article first briefly introduces the basic knowledge of polymerization reaction engineering (such as classical polymerization reaction kinetics and transport properties) and the advantages of microreaction technology in polymerization reactions. Then, the application progress of microreactors in homogeneous and heterogeneous polymerization processes is systematically reviewed. Furthermore, the advantages and research overview of microreactors in combination with automation integrated systems on polymer chain structure control, polymerization process optimization, and kinetic research are analyzed. Synthesis of polymer products in microreactors and their performance advantages are summarized based on chain structures, and finally, the development direction of continuous-flow liquid-phase polymerization is discussed.