INTERFACIAL METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MANUFACTURE OF POLYCARBONATE

摘要

The characteristics of polycarbonates manufactured using an interfacial process are improved monitoring the value of at least one characteristic of the reactant streams or the polycarbonate product stream, and varying the amount of end cap reagent introduced into the reactor in response to the monitored value. This process produces a polycarbonate product stream comprising polycarbonate of substantially constant molecular weight. For example, the monitored value may be the molecular weight of the polycarbonate in the polycarbonate product stream. The monitored value may also be the amount of intrinsic end cap reagent present in the bisphenol reactant stream. Both the molecular weight of the product and the intrinsic end cap level may be monitored. The method is suitably implemented in an apparatus in which the control of the end cap level is controlled by a microprocessor or computer which receives an input reflecting the monitored value and transmits a signal to a valve controller associated with the end cap reagent reactant stream to increase or decrease the amount of end cap reagent being introduced into the reactor.