Purified Polyphenylene Ether Using Hydrated Acidic Clay Adsorbent
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current methods for purifying poly(phenylene ether)s fail to effectively reduce residual organic acid and amine impurities, limiting the purity and performance of the material for various applications.
Innovation Solution
A process involving the use of a hydrated acidic clay adsorbent to contact a liquid feed solution containing poly(phenylene ether), organic acid impurities, and amine impurities, which reduces the weight average molecular weight and concentration of impurities by at least 40% while maintaining the molecular weight of the poly(phenylene ether within 1% of the initial value.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If standard extraction techniques are used to remove catalyst metal, then the metal is removed from the polymer solution, but organic acid and amine impurities remain at unacceptable levels
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a basic aqueous solution to extract and remove organic acid and amine impurities from the poly(phenylene ether) solution. The basic solution reacts with the acidic and basic impurities, forming water-soluble salts that can be separated from the polymer solution, thereby purifying the polymer while maintaining its molecular weight and properties
Solution Approach 2:
The patent changes the pH parameter of the solution by adding a basic aqueous solution. This pH change causes the organic acid and amine impurities to transform into their ionic forms, which are water-soluble and can be removed from the organic polymer solution, achieving effective purification
2Reliability
If multiple purification steps are used to reduce impurities, then purity increases, but process complexity and time increase
Solution Approach 1:
The patent combines multiple purification functions into a single basic aqueous solution treatment step. This single step simultaneously removes organic acid impurities through neutralization, removes amine impurities through salt formation, and maintains polymer stability, replacing what would traditionally require multiple separate purification operations
Solution Approach 2:
The basic aqueous solution serves multiple purification functions simultaneously: it neutralizes organic acids, reacts with amine impurities to form water-soluble salts, and maintains the polymer in solution. This multi-functional approach simplifies the overall purification process while achieving comprehensive impurity removal
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 process achieves a poly(phenylene ether) composition with significantly reduced organic acid and amine impurities, resulting in higher purity materials suitable for diverse applications, including printed circuit boards and food-contacting articles, with improved properties such as yellowness index and dielectric constant.
Implementation Method 1
contacting a liquid feed solution comprising a poly(phenylene ether), an organic acid impurity, and an amine impurity with a hydrated acidic clay adsorbent
Data Source
AI summary
Purification of a poly(phenylene ether) includes contacting a liquid feed solution with a hydrated acidic clay adsorbent under conditions effective to provide a liquid effluent solution. The liquid feed solution includes a poly(phenylene ether), an organic acid impurity, and an amine impurity. The weight average molecular weight of the poly(phenylene ether) of the liquid effluent solution is within 1 percent of the weight average molecular weight of the poly(phenylene ether) of the feed solution, and the concentration of the amine impurity and the organic acid impurity of the liquid effluent solution is reduced by at least 40 percent relative to the concentration of the each impurity in the feed solution. Compositions and articles comprising a purified poly(phenylene ether) are also described.