Porous Water-Soluble Polymer via High-Boiling Solvent Evaporation
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Solution Overview
Problem
Conventional methods for producing porous materials of water-soluble polymers are not simple and convenient enough, requiring complex steps like cooling and solvent substitution.
Innovation Solution
A method involving dissolving a water-soluble polymer in a mixed solvent with a solvent having a higher boiling point than water, followed by evaporation to form voids and create a porous structure, eliminating the need for cooling and solvent substitution.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Ease of manufacture
If conventional methods using cooling and solvent substitution are employed, then porous material can be produced, but the production process becomes complex and inconvenient
Solution Approach 1:
The invention extracts and eliminates the complex cooling and solvent substitution steps from the conventional production process. By using a porogenic solvent that forms voids during simple evaporation, the method removes unnecessary process steps while maintaining porous structure formation, thereby simplifying the overall manufacturing process.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention changes the key parameter of solvent selection to a porogenic solvent with specific properties (boiling point between 50-200°C and solubility parameter 10-25 (J/cm³)¹/²). This parameter change enables the solvent to automatically form voids during evaporation, eliminating the need for complex cooling and solvent substitution steps while maintaining porous structure formation.
2Ease of manufacture
If simple evaporation method is used, then production process is simplified, but void formation and porous structure control must be achieved
Solution Approach 1:
The invention precisely controls the porous structure by changing the solvent parameters to a porogenic solvent with specific boiling point (50-200°C) and solubility parameter (10-25 (J/cm³)¹/²). These parameter changes ensure that the solvent forms voids of controlled size and distribution during evaporation, achieving both process simplification and manufacturing precision.
Solution Approach 2:
The invention uses a porogenic solvent that inherently forms porous structures through controlled evaporation. The solvent's specific physical properties enable it to create voids with desired characteristics, allowing precise control of the porous structure while maintaining a simple production process without complex cooling or solvent substitution steps.
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 allows for the easy production of porous materials with controlled porosity and structure, suitable for various applications, by simplifying the production process and eliminating the need for complex steps.
Implementation Method 1
a step of evaporating and thereby removing the mixed solvent from the solution. Voids are formed, in the step of evaporating and thereby removing the mixed solvent, by the solvent having a higher boiling point than that of water
Data Source
AI summary
The disclosure provides a very simple and convenient method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer. The herein disclosed method for producing a porous material of a water-soluble polymer includes a step of preparing a solution in which a water-soluble polymer is dissolved in a mixed solvent of water mixed with a solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water, and a step of evaporating and thereby removing the mixed solvent from the solution. The solubility of the water-soluble polymer in the solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water is lower than the solubility of the water-soluble polymer in water. Voids are formed, in the step of evaporating and thereby removing the mixed solvent, by the solvent having a boiling point higher than that of water.