Polymer/particle association

In suspension processes the fate of the continuous liquid phase and the associated control of the stabilisation and destabilisation of the system are the most important considerations. Many polymers occur in latex form, i.e. as polymer particles of diameter of the order of 1 p.m suspended in a liquid, usually aqueous, medium. Such latices are widely used to produce latex foams, elastic thread, dipped latex rubber goods, emulsion paints and paper additives. In the manufacture and use of such products it is important that premature destabilisation of the latex does not occur but that such destabilisation occurs in a controlled and appropriate manner at the relevant stage in processing. Such control of stability is based on the general precepts of colloid science. As with products from solvent processes diffusion distances for the liquid phase must be kept short furthermore, care has to be taken that the drying rates are not such that a skin of very low permeability is formed whilst there remains undesirable liquid in the mass of the polymer. For most applications it is desirable that destabilisation leads to a coherent film (or spongy mass in the case of foams) of polymers. To achieve this the of the latex compound should not be above ambient temperature so that at such temperatures intermolecular diffusion of the polymer molecules can occur. 

Polymerizations conducted in nonaqueous media in which the polymer is insoluble also display the characteristics of emulsion polymerization. When either vinyl acetate or methyl methacrylate is polymerized in a poor solvent for the polymer, for example, the rate accelerates as the polymerization progresses. This acceleration, which has been called the gel effect,probably is associated with the precipitation of minute droplets of polymer highly swollen with monomer. These droplets may provide polymerization loci in which a single chain radical may be isolated from all others. A similar heterophase polymerization is observed even in the polymerization of the pure monomer in those cases in which the polymer is insoluble in its own monomer. Vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, acrylonitrile, and methacryloni-trile polymerize with precipitation of the polymer in a finely divided dispersion as rapidly as it is formed. The reaction rate increases as these polymer particles are generated. In the case of vinyl chloride ... 

Associated with the class of polymer particles n(t,i)dx in the polymer reactor is a physical property p(t,x) (e.g. diameter or area of particles of class (t,x), etc.). Then, a total property Pit) (e.g. total particle diameter in the reactor at time t) can be obtained by summing (integrating) p(t,x) over all classes of particles in the reactor vessel, viz ... 

Polymer complexes associated with two or more complementary polymers are widely used in potential applications in the form of particles, hydrogels, films, and membranes. In particular, a polyion complex (PIC) can be easily formed when oppositely charged polyelectrolytes are mixed in aqueous solution and interact via... 

All the described properties of such a s-fraction of poly(NVCl-co-NVIAz) synthesized at the temperature above the PST of the reacting system allowed us to draw the conclusion that the chains of this type had the comonomer sequence, which at the temperatures above the conformation transition facilitated the formation of polymer particles, where H-blocks are in the interior shielded by the P-blocks against additional intermolecular association. Such a behaviour of this copolymer in aqueous media is close to that of oligomeric proteins similar to casein [46] possessing a rather hydrophobic core surrounded by the polar segments. 

The existence of a threshold yield stress which must be exceeded for flow to occur has been indicated in earlier discussion to be a common characteristic of highly filled polymer melts, associated with interaction between the filler particles. 

In such a case, the condition that the polymer is formed by a mixed association of monomer units would be reflected in the numerical value of the association equilibrium constant. The value for unlike association differs from that for like association by a factor pp since the Keq is referred to Ma moles of monomer for like particle association and to Ma/p moles of each monomer for unlike particle association, while the measurements are referred to systems both containing Ma moles of monomer. Alternately it can be shown that this factor arises from a statistical entropy contribution. 

One of the drawbacks associated especially with slurry and solution CSTR processes is the necessity of removing the solvent or diluent in a post-production step. In a gas phase reactor the polymerisation takes place in a fluidised bed of polymer particles. Inert gas or gas mixture is used for fluidisation. The gas flow is circulated through the polymer bed and a heat-ex-changer in order to remove the polymerisation heat. Gaseous ethylene and comonomer are fed into the fluidisation gas line of the reactor, and a supported catalyst is added directly to the fluidised bed (Fig. 7). Polymerisation occurs at a pressure of about 20-25 bar and a temperature of about 75-110 °C. The polymer is recovered as a solid powder which is, however, usually pelletised. Due to the limited cooling capacity of the fluidising gas, reactor... 

SLS tends to be less associated with emulsion polymer particles than does a polyethoxylated octylphenol. 

The ability of some components of nucleic acids, especially those with an adenine base, to form complex with 8-cyclodextrin, can also be readily used for chromatographic separations of various nucleotides and nucleosides (59). A substantial problem associated with application of cyclodextrin polymer gels, is that the accessibility of the cyclodextrin cavities on the surface and within the interior of the polymer particle is rather different. The rate of entrapment and release of solutes from the streaming liquid is obviously a diffusion controlled process. Consequently, a longer time is needed to reach an equilibrium within the particle than on its surface. The accessibility of the cyclodextrin rings will be more uniform, if the cyclodextrin is immobilized on the surface of non-complexing polymer particles (polyacrylamide, agarose (60,61) cellulose (62), and silica (63)). Therefore, a better separation (however lower capacity) is expected. 

Surfactants are employed in emulsion polymerizations to facilitate emulsification and impart electrostatic and steric stabilization to the polymer particles. Sicric stabilization was described earlier in connection with nonaqueous dispersion polymerization the same mechanism applies in aqueous emulsion systems. Electrostatic stabilizers are usually anionic surfactants, i.e., salts of organic acids, which provide colloidal stability by electrostatic repulsion of charges on the particle surfaces and their associated double layers. (Cationic surfactants are not commonly used in emulsion polymerizations.)... 

Continuons emulsion polymerization is one of the few chemical processes in which major design considerations require the use of dynamic or unsteady-state models of the process. This need arises because of important problems associated with sustained oscillations or limit cycles in conversion, particle number and size, and molecular weight. These oscillations can occur in almost all commercial continuous emulsion polymerization processes such as styrene (Brooks et cl., 1978), styrene-butadiene and vinyl acetate (Greene et cl., 1976 Kiparissides et cl., 1980a), methyl methacrylate, and chloropene. In addition to the undesirable variations in the polymer and particle properties that will occur, these oscillations can lead to emulsifier concentrations too low to cover adequately the polymer particles, with the result that excessive agglomeration and fouling can occur. Furthermore, excursions to high conversions in polymer like vinyl acetate... 

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