The present invention generally relates to systems and methods for the control of fluids and, in some cases, to systems and methods for flowing a fluid into and/or out of other fluids. As examples, fluid may be injected into a droplet contained within a fluidic channel, or a fluid may be injected into a fluidic channel to create a droplet. In some embodiments, electrodes may be used to apply an electric field to one or more fluidic channels, e.g., proximate an intersection of at least two fluidic channels. For instance, a first fluid may be urged into and/or out of a second fluid, facilitated by the electric field. The electric field, in some cases, may disrupt an interface between a first fluid and at least one other fluid. Properties such as the volume, flow rate, etc. of a first fluid being urged into and/or out of a second fluid can be controlled by controlling various properties of the fluid and/or a fluidic droplet, for example curvature of the fluidic droplet, and/or controlling the applied electric field.

Provided are a block copolymer having a narrow molecular weight distribution such that the copolymer can be used in a DSA technique, a block copolymer intermediate thereof, and methods for producing the same. A block copolymer intermediate represented by the general formula (1) or (2) is used:

##STR00001##

wherein, in the general formulae (1) and (2), each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 independently represents a polymerization initiator residue, each of R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 independently represents an aromatic group or an alkyl group, Y.sup.1 represents a polymer block of (a)an (meth)acrylic acid ester, Y.sup.2 represents a polymer block of styrene or a derivative thereof, L represents an alkylene group having 1 to 6 carbon atoms, X represents a halogen atom, and each of m and n independently represents an integer of 1 to 5.

Provided are a block copolymer having a narrow molecular weight distribution such that the copolymer can be used in a DSA technique, a block copolymer intermediate thereof, and methods for producing the same. A block copolymer intermediate represented by the general formula (1) or (2):

##STR00001##

wherein, in the formulae (1) and (2), each of R.sup.1 and R.sup.3 independently represents a polymerization initiator residue, each of R.sup.2 and R.sup.4 independently represents an aromatic group or an alkyl group, Y.sup.1 represents a polymer block of (a)an (meth)acrylic acid ester, Y.sup.2 represents a polymer block of styrene or a derivative thereof, L represents an alkylene group or a phenylene group, X represents a halogen group, and each of m and n independently represents an integer of 1 to 5.

A distributor is described for distributing a fluid flow from a smaller to a more broad fluid flow. It comprises a fluid input and a plurality of fluid outputs, and a channel structure in between the fluid input and the plurality of fluid outputs. The channel structure comprises alternatingly bifurcating channel substructures and common channel substructures wherein the substructures are arranged so that fluid exiting different channels from a bifurcating channel substructure mixes in a subsequent common channel substructure, and whereby fluid channels of the bifurcating channel substructure are arranged such that these do not contact the subsequent common channel substructure at the edges thereof.

A micro-reaction system and a method for preparing 2-methyl-4-amino-5-aminomethyl pyrimidine. A Raney nickel catalyst is modified with formalin, and the modified Raney nickel catalyst is filled into a micro-channel reactor of the micro-reaction system. A substrate solution containing 2-methyl-4-amino-5-cyanopyrimidine and a base and hydrogen are transported to the micro-mixer and the micro-channel reactor in sequence for continuous catalytic hydrogenation to obtain 2-methyl-4-amino-5-aminomethyl pyrimidine.

A full continuous flow preparation method of 2-methyl-4-amino-5-aminomethylpyrimidine. A mixed solution of cyanoacetamide, N,N-dimethylformamide and a catalyst is mixed with phosphorus oxychloride in a first micro-mixer, and then the reaction mixture undergoes continuous flow reaction in a microchannel reactor to obtain (dimethylaminomethylene) malononitrile. The reaction mixture is subjected to continuous quenching, extraction and separation, and the organic phase is concentrated, mixed with a methanol solution, and then reacted with an organic base to obtain 2-methyl-4-amino-5-cyanopyrimidine. After the mixed liquid is continuously filtered, the filter cake is dissolved in methanol, mixed with hydrogen in a second micro-mixer, and then transported to a fixed-bed reactor for hydrogenation reaction. The products are concentrated, dried and purified to obtain the desired 2-methyl-4-amino-5-aminomethylpyrimidine.

Disclosed herein relates to pharmaceutical engineering, and more particularly to a micro reaction system and a method for preparing 2-methyl-4-amino-5-cyanopyrimidine using the same. An acetamidine hydrochloride solution and an (dimethylaminomethylene)malononitrile solution are separately pumped into the micro reaction system including a micromixer and an agitating microchannel reactor in communication at the same time for a continuous condensation-cyclization reaction to obtain 2-methyl-4-amino-5-cyanopyrimidine.

A method for preparing L-carnitine using a micro-reaction system. (R)-4-halo-3-hydroxybutyrate was subjected to quaternization and hydrolysis in an aqueous trimethylamine solution in the presence of an inorganic base in a micro-channel reactor to produce the L-carnitine.

A flow reactor has a module having a process fluid passage with an interior surface, a portion of the passage including a cross section along the portion having a cross-sectional shape, and a cross-sectional area with multiple minima along the passage. The cross-sectional shape varies continually along the portion and the interior surface of the portion includes either no pairs of opposing flat parallel sides or only pairs of opposing flat parallel sides which extend for a length of no more than 4 times a distance between said opposing flat parallel sides along the portion and the portion contains a plurality of obstacles distributed along the portion.

A method for continuously processing at least two liquid feed streams is provided. A system for continuously processing at least two liquid feed streams is also provided.