1. ACOMP Automatic Continuous Online Monitoring of Polymerization reactions
ACOMP allows comprehensive, model-independent, on-line monitoring of monomer and comonomer conversion, average composition drift and molecular weight distribution
Monitoring is always adapted to chemistry; chemistry is never changed to suit monitoring
The quality of data obtained by each instrument is optimized
Measurements are made at the most fundamental level possible; calibration is thereby avoided
High resolution and high-quality data with model-free primary quantities allows the ACOMP results to be used for building chemical, physical and mechanistic models

2. The cross-over from decomposition controlled to diffusion controlled initiation in Free Radical Polymerization Acrylamide polymerization in water initiated with KPS at 600C
Fit Residuals
Deconvolution - The signals
recorded by ACOMP
are convolved
Bayesian-based iterative
method was implemented
Decomposition-controlled regime - Initiator decomposition is rate controlling (high monomer concentrations)
Diffusion-controlled regime - monomer initiation is rate controlling (low monomer concentrations)
independent of monomer
depends on monomer
Actually both should have effect on the reaction

3. Predictive control and verification of conversion kinetics and polymer molecular weight in semi-batch free radical homopolymerization reactions
Acrylamide polymerization in water initiated with KPS at 600C
Mass rate change of any solute in semi-batch process
Cumulative weight average molecular weight Mw(t)
Increasing Mw during the reaction
The monomer inflow to increase Mw
The polymer concentration increases according to
And the cumulative weight average molecular
weight is computed to be
Control of molecular weight in free radical
polymerization by engineering rather than
chemistry is easily transferable to industry
Average molecular weights

4. Copolymers – highly advanced materials
High composition drift reactions (VB-Am copolymerization)
Low composition drift reactions (Q9-Am copolymerization)
Predictive control of average composition and molecular weight in semi-batch free radical reactions
Polyelectrolytes and counterion condensation
The cross-over from non-condensed to counterion condensed was found within individual experiments for high
composition drift reactions and by investigating spectrum of starting compositions for low composition drift
reactions.
VB Composition Drift
Q9 Composition Drift
Molecular Weight (g/mol)
Conductivity (mS/cm)
Slopes of s vs composition
Computer programs I needed to write to solve problems:
Comonomer conversion was obtained from ACOMP data by the error minimization method
Reactivity ratios were obtained from ACOMP data by solving the Mayo-Lewis equation on a grid of parameters and matching it with the real data

5. I am an ACOMP expert (I helped develop this powerful technique)
My work on predictive control of polymerization is the first step toward a full feedback control
What I plan to do
Take ACOMP further – full feedback control and on-command polymers
Introduce reaction monitoring in industrial plants with implications for non-renewable resources, energy and chemical pollution
Establish new techniques:
Automatic Continuous Mixing (ACM) – to study equilibrium and quasi-equilibrium processes (higher sample throughput)
Simultaneous Multiple Sample Light Scattering (SMSLS) - high throughput screening in a number of contexts (long term stability of polymer and colloid solutions; monitoring of different time-dependent processes)
Collaborate with synthetic chemists to maximize their outcomes and improve their techniques
Collaborate with industry – addressing current industrial problems
Examples:- photopolymerization of bisGMA/TEGDMA copolymers for dental engineering(University of Birmingham), developing a method to identify blocked oil wells (BP), optimizing bioconjugates for drug delivery (UK Pharma and biotech), investigating arm first star formation for viscosity modifier (Lubrizol)