Reactor designs and processes for operating such reactor designs to
minimize or eliminate fouling in homogeneous polymerization processes
(solution and supercritical). The process includes providing a reactor
with one or more feed entry ports, wherein the reactor feed components
are fed through each of the one or more feed entry ports at a linear
velocity of greater than or equal to 0.3 m/min. The one or more feed
entry ports may also be optionally extended beyond the interior reactor
wall by greater than or equal to 2% of the internal radius of the reactor
to further decrease the propensity for fouling. A stirred reactor may
also include a stirrer feed port for purging the stirrer with a stirrer
purge stream at a linear velocity of greater than or equal to 0.3 m/min
to decrease stirrer fouling.