Abstract: Devices and methods for characterization and control of biopolymers and synthetic polymers during manufacturing. The device may include a body defining a fluid flow path. The body may be configured to receive a process flow liquid such that the process flow liquid may flow through an interior portion of the body. The body may also include a plurality of detectors inserted into said body, each of the plurality of detectors configured to monitor one or more process characteristics.

Abstract: Devices and methods for determining the cumulative distribution of a polymer property in a reactor without physical separation of reaction subcomponents. The device includes a means of measuring an instantaneous property of the polymers being produced in a reaction vessel a plurality of times during a polymerization reaction as well as a means of determining the corresponding change in polymer concentration in the reaction vessel between measurements of the instantaneous polymer property. The device also includes a means of computing a statistical distribution appropriate to the polymer characteristic and applying the statistical distribution to a recently measured instantaneous value of the polymer property so as to have an instantaneous distribution of the polymer property and a means of adding together the instantaneous distributions of the polymer property in order to obtain the cumulative distribution of the polymer property in the reactor.

Abstract: Devices and methods for determining the cumulative distribution of a polymer property in a reactor without physical separation of reaction subcomponents. The device includes a means of measuring an instantaneous property of the polymers being produced in a reaction vessel a plurality of times during a polymerization reaction as well as a means of determining the corresponding change in polymer concentration in the reaction vessel between measurements of the instantaneous polymer property. The device also includes a means of computing a statistical distribution appropriate to the polymer characteristic and applying the statistical distribution to a recently measured instantaneous value of the polymer property so as to have an instantaneous distribution of the polymer property and a means of adding together the instantaneous distributions of the polymer property in order to obtain the cumulative distribution of the polymer property in the reactor.

Abstract: Devices and methods for determining the cumulative distribution of a polymer property in a reactor without physical separation of reaction subcomponents. The device includes a means of measuring an instantaneous property of the polymers being produced in a reaction vessel a plurality of times during a polymerization reaction as well as a means of determining the corresponding change in polymer concentration in the reaction vessel between measurements of the instantaneous polymer property The device also includes a means of computing a statistical distribution appropriate to the polymer characteristic and applying the statistical distribution to a recently measured instantaneous value of the polymer property so as to have an instantaneous distribution of the polymer property and a means of adding together the instantaneous distributions of the polymer property in order to obtain the cumulative distribution of the polymer property in the reactor.

Abstract: Manual and automatic methods and devices using a ACOMP system for active control of polymerization reaction processes. An ideal desired trajectory of one or more reaction and polymer characteristics can be established to produce a desired final polymer product with specified characteristics from a polymerization reaction process. A current reaction trajectory of a polymerization reaction process can be driven to an ideal or desired reaction trajectory. In a manual embodiment an operator can use ACOMP data to adjust process variables in order to drive the current reaction trajectory toward the ideal or desired reaction trajectory. In an automated mode a control program can use ACOMP data to make adjustments to process variables to drive the polymerization reaction process toward the desired trajectory as closely as possible either empirically or by solving the governing equations for the polymerization reaction process.

Abstract: Devices and methods for characterization and control of biopolymers and synthetic polymers during manufacturing. The device may include a body defining a fluid flow path. The body may be configured to receive a process flow liquid such that the process flow liquid may flow through an interior portion of the body. The body may also include a plurality of detectors inserted into said body, each of the plurality of detectors configured to monitor one or more process characteristics.

Abstract: Devices and methods for controlling the properties of chemical species during time-dependent processes. A device includes a reactor for containing one or more chemical species of a time-dependent process, an extraction pump for automatically and continuously extracting an amount of the one or more chemical species from the reactor, one or more detectors for measuring property changes of the one or more extracted chemical species and generating a continuous stream of data related to the one or more property changes to the one or more chemical species during a time interval, and a process controller configured to fit the continuous stream of data to a mathematical function to predict one or more properties of the one or more chemical species at a future time point and make one or more process decisions based on the prediction of one or more properties at the future time point.

Abstract: Devices and methods for actively controlling the production of multistage and multimodal polymers. The device may include a reaction vessel configured to contain a polymer solution and generate polymer reactions in at least two stages as well as one or more detectors configured to monitor at least one reaction characteristic of the polymer solution contained in the reaction vessel. The device may further include a controller coupled with the reaction vessel and the one or more detectors, the controller configured to actively control the development of a predetermined reaction characteristic by modifying at least one process control variable based on the at least one reaction characteristic monitored by the detector.

Abstract: Devices and methods for controlling the properties of chemical species during time-dependent processes. A device includes a reactor for containing one or more chemical species of a time-dependent process, an extraction pump for automatically and continuously extracting an amount of the one or more chemical species from the reactor, one or more detectors for measuring property changes of the one or more extracted chemical species and generating a continuous stream of data related to the one or more property changes to the one or more chemical species during a time interval, and a process controller configured to fit the continuous stream of data to a mathematical function to predict one or more properties of the one or more chemical species at a future time point and make one or more process decisions based on the prediction of one or more properties at the future time point.

Abstract: Devices and methods for determining the cumulative distribution of a polymer property in a reactor without physical separation of reaction subcomponents. The device includes a means of measuring an instantaneous property of the polymers being produced in a reaction vessel a plurality of times during a polymerization reaction as well as a means of determining the corresponding change in polymer concentration in the reaction vessel between measurements of the instantaneous polymer property The device also includes a means of computing a statistical distribution appropriate to the polymer characteristic and applying the statistical distribution to a recently measured instantaneous value of the polymer property so as to have an instantaneous distribution of the polymer property and a means of adding together the instantaneous distributions of the polymer property in order to obtain the cumulative distribution of the polymer property in the reactor.

Abstract: Devices and methods for rapidly and incrementally or continuously, measuring rheological properties of polymers under different shear rates. The device includes a pump configured to accept a continuous stream of sample solution during an interval of time, an injector configured to inject a flow of the sample solution through two or more viscometers, and a computing and processing device configured to monitor and measure rheological properties of the solution under at least two shear rates simultaneously in the two or more viscometers.

Abstract: Devices and methods for controlling the properties of chemical species during time-dependent processes. A device includes a reactor for containing one or more chemical species of a time-dependent process, an extraction pump for automatically and continuously extracting an amount of the one or more chemical species from the reactor, one or more detectors for measuring property changes of the one or more extracted chemical species and generating a continuous stream of data related to the one or more property changes to the one or more chemical species during a time interval, and a process controller configured to fit the continuous stream of data to a mathematical function to predict one or more properties of the one or more chemical species at a future time point and make one or more process decisions based on the prediction of one or more properties at the future time point.

Abstract: Devices and methods for controlling the properties of chemical species during time-dependent processes. A device includes a reactor for containing one or more chemical species of a time-dependent process, an extraction pump for automatically and continuously extracting an amount of the one or more chemical species from the reactor, one or more detectors for measuring property changes of the one or more extracted chemical species and generating a continuous stream of data related to the one or more property changes to the one or more chemical species during a time interval, and a process controller configured to fit the continuous stream of data to a mathematical function to predict one or more properties of the one or more chemical species at a future time point and make one or more process decisions based on the prediction of one or more properties at the future time point.

Abstract: Manual and automatic methods and devices using a ACOMP system for active control of polymerization reaction processes. An ideal desired trajectory of one or more reaction and polymer characteristics can be established to produce a desired fmal polymer product with specified characteristics from a polymerization reaction process. A current reaction trajectory of a polymerization reaction process can be driven to an ideal or desired reaction trajectory. In a manual embodiment an operator can use ACOMP data to adjust process variables in order to drive the current reaction trajectory toward the ideal or desired reaction trajectory. In an automated mode a control program can use ACOMP data to make adjustments to process variables to drive the polymerization reaction process toward the desired trajectory as closely as possible either empirically or by solving the governing equations for the polymerization reaction process.

Abstract: Simultaneous Multiple Sample Light Scattering systems and methods can be used for polymer stability testing and for applying stressors to polymer or colloid solutions including heat stress, ultrasound, freeze/thaw cycles, shear stress and exposure to different substances and surfaces, among others, that create a polymer stress response used to characterize the polymer solution and stability.

Abstract: Simultaneous Multiple Sample Light Scattering systems and methods can be used to for polymer stability testing and for applying stressors to polymer or colloid solutions including heat stress, ultrasound, freeze/thaw cycles, shear stress and exposure to different substances and surfaces. among others, that create a polymer stress response used to characterize the polymer solution and stability.