Abstract
Low resolution Raman spectroscopy (LRRS) offers a convenient way to monitor many different polymerization processes and reactor environments. LRRS can be used as an additional tool for process control to determine the conversion inside the reactor in real time without disruption to the reaction. Critical to polymerization monitoring, the efficiency of LRRS eliminates the lag between taking samples and calculating conversion. For each system, the phenyl ring of styrene or polystyrene provides an internal reference, which can be used to eliminate fluctuations in laser intensity. This paper demonstrates that the LRRS system can monitor seeded emulsion homopolymerizations in batch and semi‐batch as well as second stage emulsion polymerizations with some acceptable level of confidence.