Solvent Transfer for Organic Polymers via Liquid-Liquid Extraction
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for transferring organic polymers from one solvent to another are energy-intensive and can cause thermal degradation, especially when the polymer has a low glass transition temperature, leading to inefficient and costly processes with potential contamination issues.
Innovation Solution
A process involving forming droplets of the polymer solution in a first solvent, thermally stripping the solvent to form particles, immersing them in a nonsolvent liquid to create a slurry, and then dissolving the polymer in a second solvent, allowing for efficient solvent transfer with minimal thermal degradation and contamination prevention.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Loss of energy
If the starting solution is dispersed into hot water to volatilize the first solvent and form polymer particles, then the solvent transfer can be performed, but high energy costs are incurred and the polymer may be degraded during stripping and drying
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter of the polymer by maintaining it in solution form throughout the solvent transfer process rather than converting to particles. This is achieved by adding the second solvent directly to the first solvent solution and performing liquid-liquid extraction, thereby avoiding the high-energy stripping and drying steps that cause degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent uses a nonsolvent liquid as an intermediary medium to facilitate the solvent transfer. The nonsolvent liquid allows the polymer to remain in solution while enabling the first solvent to be replaced by the second solvent through liquid-liquid extraction, avoiding direct thermal processing of the polymer.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the starting solution is dispersed into hot water to form polymer particles, then the solvent transfer can be performed, but the process is not useful when the polymer has a low glass transition temperature due to agglomeration and adhesion
Solution Approach 1:
The patent changes the physical state parameter by maintaining the polymer in solution form rather than converting to particles. This approach works for polymers with low glass transition temperatures because the polymer remains dissolved and does not form soft, sticky particles that would agglomerate and adhere to equipment during processing.
3Loss of energy
If distillation is used to selectively volatilize the first solvent, then the solvent transfer can be performed, but large amounts of energy are required and the volatilized solvent is contaminated with the second solvent
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a nonsolvent liquid as an intermediary medium that enables solvent transfer through liquid-liquid extraction rather than distillation. This intermediary allows the first solvent to be replaced by the second solvent without direct thermal contact, avoiding both high energy consumption and solvent cross-contamination.
Solution Approach 2:
The patent replaces the thermal-mechanical distillation system with a liquid-liquid extraction system. Instead of using heat to volatilize and separate solvents, the process uses immiscible liquid phases and mass transfer to achieve solvent replacement, eliminating the energy-intensive heating and condensation steps.
4Productivity
If an intermediate solvent is used for two-step transfer, then the solvent transfer can be performed, but the process is even more energy-intensive and finding a suitable intermediate solvent is difficult
Solution Approach 1:
The patent eliminates the intermediate solvent step by directly transferring the polymer from the first solvent to the second solvent through liquid-liquid extraction. This single-step approach removes the need for finding and using an intermediate solvent, reducing both process complexity and energy intensity while maintaining transfer efficiency.
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
This method reduces energy costs and thermal degradation, enabling a cost-effective and efficient solvent transfer process while preventing cross-contamination between solvents, particularly suitable for polymers with low glass transition temperatures.
Implementation Method 1
thermally stripping the first solvent from the droplets to form particles of the organic polymer
Implementation Method 2
dissolving the organic polymer in the second solvent to form a second solution
Data Source
AI summary
An organic polymer is transferred from one solvent to another. In a first step, a solution of the polymer in a first solvent is divided into droplets, dispersed into a liquid phase such as water bath, and the first solvent is removed from the droplets to produce a slurry in the liquid phase. Then, the second solvent is contacted with the slurry to dissolve the organic polymer and produce a second solution. The second solution is removed from the liquid phase. The process is especially suitable for transferring a butadiene polymer from a hydrocarbon solvent into a halogenated solvent for bromination.