Polymer, Vol.39, No.13, 2789-2793, 1998
Molecular weight distribution and controllability in living polymerization with chain-transfer agents
The same molecular weight distribution is always attained for both dead and living polymers when the living polymerization is carried out in a continuously stirred tank reactor, which cannot be achieved in a batch reactor. The average molecular weight and the yield are completely controllable to any desired values. However, the polydispersity index is determined by the average molecular weight only, its value increasing with increasing average molecular weight. The index ranges from unity to 2.