High pressure free radical polymerization process with flexible control of molecular weight distribution

A high pressure polymerization process to form an ethylene-based polymer, the process comprising at least the following step:

• polymerizing a reaction mixture comprising ethylene, using a reactor configuration comprising (A) at least two reaction zones, a first reaction zone (reaction zone 1) and an i reaction zone (reaction zone i where i≥2), (B) at least two ethylene feed streams, each feed stream comprising a percentage of the total make-up ethylene fed to the polymerization process, in which a first ethylene feed stream is sent to reaction zone 1 and a second ethylene feed stream is sent to reaction zone i, and (C) a control system to control the percentage of the total make-up ethylene in the ethylene feed stream sent to reaction zone 1 and the percentage of the total make-up ethylene in the ethylene feed stream sent to reaction zone i,
• wherein the reactor configuration further comprises at least one analyzer for detecting a component of a stream of the reactor configuration or determining a property of the ethylene-based polymer produced by the high pressure polymerization process,
• wherein the analyzer and a valve of the control system are connected through a feedback loop.