Polymer Precipitation from Aqueous Suspensions Without Contamination
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing methods for separating polymers from mixtures, particularly aqueous solvents, are inefficient, time-consuming, and can lead to chemical changes or contamination of other constituents, with high-pressure processes being energy-intensive and unsafe.
Innovation Solution
A method involving the use of a precipitation agent, such as an acid, to form a second suspension by disrupting the bond between polymers and aqueous solvents, utilizing intermolecular and intramolecular interactions to achieve rapid polymer precipitation without affecting other constituents.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Productivity
If conventional separation agents are used to extract polymer from mixture, then polymer separation is achieved, but other constituents undergo undesirable chemical reactions and polymer retrieval is inefficient
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a specific extraction agent that acts as an intermediary to selectively bind with the polymer without reacting with other constituents. The agent is designed to have high affinity for the polymer through specific functional groups, enabling separation while maintaining the integrity of other mixture components.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent modifies the chemical parameters of the extraction agent to optimize selectivity. By adjusting molecular weight, functional group composition, and solvent compatibility parameters, the agent achieves high polymer binding affinity while remaining inert toward other constituents, resolving the contradiction between separation efficiency and chemical stability.
2Productivity
If aqueous polymer is used for superior dispersion and stability, then functional performance is enhanced, but separation from aqueous solvent becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The extraction agent serves as a mediator that bridges the polymer and the separation process. It selectively binds to the aqueous polymer forming a complex that can be easily separated from the aqueous solvent, thus maintaining the polymer's functional performance while simplifying the separation process.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent utilizes phase transition principles where the extraction agent-polymer complex transitions from an aqueous phase to an organic phase or precipitates as a solid. This phase transition enables efficient separation of the polymer from the aqueous solvent without compromising the polymer's dispersion and stability properties.
3Manufacturing precision
If high-pressure process is used for polymer separation, then separation completeness is improved, but energy consumption increases and safety concerns arise
Solution Approach 1:
The patent replaces the mechanical high-pressure separation system with a chemical separation mechanism. The extraction agent chemically binds to the polymer, enabling separation at ambient or mild conditions. This substitution eliminates the need for high-pressure equipment, reducing energy consumption and safety risks while achieving complete separation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the separation mechanism from mechanical (pressure-driven) to chemical (affinity-driven). By optimizing the extraction agent's binding parameters, the process achieves high separation completeness under mild conditions, eliminating the trade-off between separation completeness and energy consumption.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method enables efficient, rapid, and complete separation of polymers from aqueous solvents, minimizing contamination and downstream processing, suitable for recycling processes like battery electrode recycling.
Implementation Method 1
Method for polymer precipitation
Implementation Method 2
utilizing intermolecular and intramolecular interactions to achieve rapid polymer precipitation
Implementation Method 3
utilizing intermolecular and intramolecular interactions to achieve rapid polymer precipitation
Data Source
AI summary
Disclosed is a method for precipitating a polymer by adding a precipitation agent into a first suspension to form a second suspension; wherein the first suspension comprises a polymer and an aqueous solvent; and wherein the polymer comprises a copolymer comprising a structural unit derived from an acid group-containing monomer and a structural unit derived from a hydrophobic group-containing monomer. The method for precipitation of a polymer disclosed herein is developed to initiate the bond disruption and/or breakage between the polymer and the aqueous solvent within the second suspension. This is accompanied with the structural transformation of the polymer driven by the intermolecular and intramolecular interactions of the polymer chains which brings about the precipitation of the polymer. The method circumvents both complex separation process and contamination of the polymer, enables excellent materials recovery and allows the precipitation of the polymer to be achieved within a short time frame. An application of the method for precipitating a polymeric binder in a battery electrode is disclosed herein.