REVERSE-PHASE POLYMERISATION PROCESS INCORPORATING A MICROFLUIDIC DEVICE

摘要

A reverse-phase suspension polymerization process for the manufacture of polymer beads comprising forming aqueous monomer beads of an aqueous solution comprising water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend, polymerizing the monomer or monomer blend to form polymer beads while suspended in a non-aqueous liquid, and recovering polymer beads, comprises providing a volume of non-aqueous liquid (2) in a vessel (1), where the volume of non-aqueous liquid extends between at least one polymer bead discharge point(3) and at least one monomer feed point (4), generating monomer micro-volumes in at least one microfluidic device (5), said monomer micro-volumes being separated by none-aqueous liquid in at least one first microfluidic channel (6), feeding the monomer micro-volumes through the at least one first microfluidic channel (6) towards the at least one monomer feed point (4) at which the monomer micro-volumes enter into or onto the volume (2) of non-aqueous liquid and form aqueous monomer droplet, allowing the aqueous monomer droplets to flow towards the polymer bead discharge point, initiating polymerization of the aqueous monomer droplets to form polymerizing beads.