The KoPPonA 2.0 consortium project, funded under the ENPRO 2.0 initiative (funding code 03EN2004M), continued the work of its predecessor KoPPonA 1.0 by extending a concept for energy‑efficient, accelerated, simultaneous product and process development to a broader range of polymerisation routes. The original concept had demonstrated that continuous, scalable reactors equipped with modular mixers and heat exchangers could combine product optimisation and process design in a single development step, thereby shortening time‑to‑market and enabling a batch‑to‑continuous conversion. KoPPonA 2.0 focused on the remaining technical hurdle of gel‑particle and deposit formation that often blocks continuous reactors.

The project was organised into two complementary parts. In the first, practical part, continuous processes for several specialty polymers were designed, kinetic models were derived—including side‑reaction pathways that can lead to gel formation—and the processes were demonstrated at a pilot‑scale plant in Leverkusen. The kinetic data were validated experimentally, and the models were used to predict operating windows that minimise gel formation. In the second, more academic part, the team investigated how fouling depends on chemistry, formulation, reactor type, geometry and operating parameters. A key objective was to develop a general, quantitative understanding of fouling dynamics and to create predictive models that allow the identification of operating regimes that remain free of deposits. To this end, the consortium evaluated and adapted several sensing technologies. Spectroscopic methods, ultrasound sensors, and acoustic measurements were tested for their ability to detect and quantify deposits in real time. The ultrasound‑based sensor, jointly developed by KROHNE and RUB‑EST, emerged as the most promising approach, while a fouling‑monitoring sensor from Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik did not meet the required performance criteria.

Milestones were largely met on schedule. Milestones MS1.1–MS1.3 and MS2 were achieved within the planned time frame. Milestone MS3, which involved kinetic validation, was completed slightly later than initially planned, but the data were successfully integrated into the process models. Milestone MS4, focused on simulation and optimisation of reactor internals, faced delays due to the extended duration of the simulation work, leaving limited time for the subsequent design of optimised apparatus. Milestone 5, which would have involved retrofitting the Leverkusen pilot plant with autonomous measurement technology, could not be realised because suitable autonomous sensors were not yet available; the plant was therefore used only for test runs.

The consortium comprised the University of Hamburg’s Institute for Technical and Macromolecular Chemistry, the industrial partner Covestro Deutschland AG, the chemical company Wacker Chemie AG, and sensor manufacturers KROHNE, RUB‑EST and Ehrfeld Mikrotechnik. The project ran until 30 September 2022, with the final report submitted on 15 March 2023. Through its combined experimental, modelling and sensor‑development efforts, KoPPonA 2.0 advanced the understanding of fouling in continuous polymerisation reactors and laid the groundwork for deploying robust, real‑time monitoring in industrial settings, thereby supporting the ENPRO initiative’s goal of efficient, scalable polymer production.