Reverse-Phase Polymerisation Filtration
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Solution Overview
Problem
The existing reverse-phase suspension polymerization processes face challenges in efficiently cleaning non-aqueous liquids used in the production of water-soluble or water swellable polymer beads, leading to reduced stability and quality of polymer products due to impurities, which are difficult to remove using conventional methods like evaporation and centrifugation.
Innovation Solution
A process involving cross-flow filtration is introduced to clean the non-aqueous liquid by removing particles, ensuring it is suitable for reuse in polymerization, thereby maintaining the quality and consistency of polymer beads.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If conventional cleaning methods (evaporation and centrifugation) are used to remove impurities from non-aqueous liquid, then the cleaning process is simple to operate, but the impurity removal efficiency is insufficient leading to reduced polymer product quality
Solution Approach 1:
The patent introduces a filtration system with filter elements as an intermediary component between the non-aqueous liquid and the polymerization process. The filter elements physically trap and remove fine polymer particles and other impurities from the non-aqueous liquid, providing effective purification without requiring complex evaporation or centrifugation procedures. This intermediary filtration mechanism resolves the contradiction by delivering high-quality liquid purification while maintaining operational simplicity.
2Productivity
If the non-aqueous liquid is reused without adequate cleaning, then the production efficiency is maintained, but the stability and quality of polymer beads deteriorate due to impurity accumulation
Solution Approach 1:
The patent implements preliminary filtration of the non-aqueous liquid before it is reused in the polymerization process. The filtration system removes fine polymer particles and impurities in advance, preventing their accumulation that would otherwise destabilize subsequent polymerization reactions. This preliminary cleaning action enables continuous reuse of the non-aqueous liquid while maintaining consistent polymer bead quality and stability, thus resolving the contradiction between productivity and reliability.
3Reliability
If filtration is used to clean non-aqueous liquid, then impurity removal effectiveness is improved, but the device complexity increases due to additional cleaning equipment
Solution Approach 1:
The patent employs porous filter elements with specific pore size distributions to remove impurities from the non-aqueous liquid. The porous structure of the filter media provides effective physical separation of fine polymer particles and other contaminants while maintaining a relatively simple device configuration. This approach achieves high liquid purity without requiring complex multi-stage cleaning equipment, thus resolving the contradiction between reliability and device complexity.
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 approach results in higher purity non-aqueous liquids, improving the stability and quality of polymer beads by effectively removing impurities, allowing for consistent production of polymer beads with desired molecular weight and water solubility.
Implementation Method 1
The filtration step comprises passing this non-aqueous liquid from the suspension through a filtration unit. The filtration unit is a cross-flow filtration unit.
Implementation Method 2
polymerising the monomer or monomer blend to form aqueous polymer droplets
Data Source
Figure 1~2
Figure 3
AI summary
A reverse-phase suspension polymerisation process for the manufacture of polymer beads comprising forming aqueous monomer beads of an aqueous solution comprising water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend and polymerising the monomer or monomer blend to form polymer beads while suspended in a non-aqueous liquid, recovering polymer beads, and then cleaning the non-aqueous liquid in which the process comprises providing the non-aqueous liquid in a vessel (1), forming a suspension of monomer beads from the aqueous monomer or monomer blend in the non-aqueous liquid, initiating polymerisation to form polymerising beads, removing a suspension of the polymer beads in non-aqueous liquid from the vessel and recovering, water soluble or water swellable polymer beads from the suspension, in which the non-aqueous liquid contains impurities which comprise particles, and then transferring the non-aqueous liquid from the suspension to a cleaning stage, in which the cleaning stage provides a cleaned non-aqueous liquid suitable for use in a reverse-phase suspension polymerisation process, which cleaning stage comprises removing particles from the non-aqueous liquid in at least one filtration step. The invention also relates to the apparatus suitable for carrying out a reverse-phase suspension polymerisation and polymer beads obtainable by the process or employing the apparatus. The invention further relates to a cleaned non-aqueous liquid obtainable by the process.