Reverse-phase polymerisation process incorporating a microfluidic device

An apparatus suitable for a reverse-phase suspension polymerisation process for the manufacture of polymer beads from an aqueous solution comprising water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend, the apparatus comprising:

• a vessel comprising a monomer feed point and a polymer bead discharge point, which vessel is suitable for containing a volume of non-aqueous liquid between the monomer feed point and the polymer bead discharge point,
• at least one microfluidic device suitable for generating monomer micro-volumes, said monomer micro volumes being separated by non-aqueous liquid in at least one first microfluidic channel,
• a feeder for feeding the monomer micro-volumes through the at least one first microfluidic channel towards the at least one monomer feed point,
• a droplet feeder for enabling the monomer micro-volumes to enter into or onto the volume of nonaqueous liquid and forming aqueous monomer droplets,
• a droplet discharge line for allowing the aqueous monomer droplets to flow towards the polymer bead discharge point,
• an initiator for initiating polymerisation of the aqueous monomer droplets such that they form polymerising beads which have formed polymer beads when they reached the polymer bead discharge point,
• a suspension remover for removing a suspension of aqueous polymer beads in non-aqueous liquid at polymer bead discharge point, and
• a polymer bead recoverer for recovering water-soluble or water swellable polymer beads from the suspension,
• wherein:
• the at least one microfluidic device comprises
• at least one second microfluidic channel suitable for conveying non-aqueous liquid;
• at least one third microfluidic channel suitable for conveying the aqueous solution comprising water soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend;
• and
• at least one intersection between the at least one third microfluidic channel and the at least one second microfluidic channel;
• the at least one first microfluidic channel is in communication with the at least one intersection, and
• a micro-volume former is provided for forming the monomer micro-volumes at the at least one intersection before being fed through the at least one first microfluidic channel towards the monomer feed point.