# US 10,119,005 B1 · Method for recovering, regenerating and repairing polymer

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- Number: US 10,119,005 B1
- Document ID: US10119005B1
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B1
- Application number: 15/883,795
- Filed: 2018-01-30
- Granted: 2018-11-06
- Earliest claimed: 2017-06-06
- Assignees: Southwest University of Science and Technology
- Applicants: Southwest University of Science and Technology
- Inventors: Guanjun Chang; Li Yang; Zhongyuan Lu; Junxiao Yang
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10119005B1

## CPC

- C08J 11/16: by treatment with inorganic material (C08J11/14 takes precedence)
- C08G 73/0672: {with only one nitrogen atom in the ring}
- C08J 7/12: Chemical modification
- C08J 7/123: {Treatment by wave energy or particle radiation (C08J7/18 takes precedence)}
- C08J 7/14: with acids, their salts or anhydrides
- C08L 61/34: Condensation polymers of aldehydes or ketones with monomers covered by at least two of the groups C08L61/04, C08L61/18 and C08L61/20
- C08J 2361/34: Condensation polymers of aldehydes or ketones with monomers covered by at least two of the groups C08J2361/04, C08J2361/18, and C08J2361/20
- C08J 2371/10: from phenols
- Y02W 30/62: Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT

## Abstract

A method for recovering, regenerating and repairing polymer. The method includes immersing a polymer in an acid solution so that hydrogen ions of the acid solution replace metal cations of the polymer to obtain an acid-treated polymer, and to realize the recovery of the polymers. Subsequently, the acid-treated polymer is immersed in an alkaline solution to obtain a base-treated polymer to realize the regeneration of the polymers. The polymer is composed of disulfonate-difluorobenzophenone, hydroxyindole and difluorobenzophenone as monomers, and sulfonate groups of the disulfonate-difluorobenzophenone have metal cations. The method replaces the metal cations with hydrogen ions to realize the recovery of the polymers and reduce environmental pollutions. The regeneration of polymers is realized by replacing the hydrogen ions with the metal cation, and resource recycling. Through the process of local repair, the service life of the product of polymers can be prolonged.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A method of recovering a polymer comprising the steps of:
obtaining an acid-treated polymer by immersing a polymer in an acid solution; and
replacing metal cations of the polymer with hydrogen ions of the acid solution, wherein the polymer has a structural formula as shown below:
wherein ⊕ represents a metal cation, m is in the range of 1˜100, and n is in the range of 200˜400.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is composed of disulfonate-difluorobenzophenone, hydroxyindole and difluorobenzophenone as monomers, and the sulfonate groups of the disulfonate-difluorobenzophenone have metal cations.

### Claim 3

A method of regenerating a polymer, comprising the steps of:
immersing a polymer in an acid solution, so that hydrogen ions of the acid solution replace metal cations of the polymer to obtain an acid-treated polymer; and
immersing the acid-treated polymer in an alkaline solution to obtain a base-treated polymer, wherein the polymer has a structural formula as shown below:
wherein ⊕ represents a metal cation, m is in the range of 1˜100, and n is in the range of 200˜400.

### Claim 4 (depends on 3)

The method of claim 3, wherein the polymer is composed of disulfonate-difluorobenzophenone, hydroxyindole and difluorobenzophenone as monomers, and the sulfonate groups of the disulfonate-difluorobenzophenone have metal cations.

### Claim 5

A method of repairing a polymer, comprising the steps of: immersing damaged parts of a polymer in an acid solution; replacing metal cations of damaged parts of the polymer with hydrogen ions in the acid solution; dissolving the damaged parts of the polymer in an organic solvent, healing the damaged parts of the polymer after organic solvent evaporation; and repairing the damaged parts of the polymer by soaking in an alkaline solution, wherein the polymer has a structural formula as shown below:
wherein ⊕ represents a metal cation, m is in the range of 1˜100, n is in the range of 200˜400.

### Claim 6 (depends on 5)

The method of claim 5, wherein the polymer is composed of disulfonate-difluorobenzophenone, hydroxyindole and difluorobenzophenone as monomers, and the sulfonate groups of the disulfonate-difluorobenzophenone have metal cations.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The method of recovering a polymer according to claim 1, wherein the metal cations are alkaline metal cations.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The method of recovering a polymer according to claim 7, wherein the alkali metal cations are one or more selected from the group consisting of K+, Na+ and Li+.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The method of recovering a polymer according to claim 1, wherein the polymer shows cross-linking structures, and the cross-linking structures are achieved by the interaction between metal cations and x-face of indole groups.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The method of recovering a polymer according to claim 1, wherein the acid solution does not oxidize nor corrode the polymer during the process of immersing the polymer.

### Claim 11 (depends on 3)

The method of regenerating a polymer according to claim 3, wherein the metal cations are alkali metal cations.

### Claim 12 (depends on 11)

The method of regenerating a polymer according to claim 11, wherein the alkali metal cations are one or more selected from the group consisting of K+, Na+ and Li+.

### Claim 13 (depends on 3)

The method of regenerating a polymer according to claim 3, wherein the polymer shows cross-linking structures, and the cross-linking structures are achieved by the interaction between metal cations and x-face of indole groups.

### Claim 14 (depends on 3)

The method of regenerating a polymer according to claim 3, wherein the acid solution does not oxidize nor corrode the polymer during the process of immersing the polymer.

### Claim 15 (depends on 3)

The method of regenerating a polymer according to claim 3, wherein the alkali solution includes one or more compound selected from sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, rubidium hydroxide and cesium hydroxide.

### Claim 16 (depends on 5)

The method of repairing a polymer according to claim 5, wherein the metal cations are alkaline metal cations.

### Claim 17 (depends on 16)

The method of repairing a polymer according to claim 16, wherein the alkali metal cations are one or more selected from the group consisting of K+, Na+ and Li+.

### Claim 18 (depends on 5)

The method of repairing a polymer according to claim 5, wherein the polymer shows crosslinking structures, and the cross-linking structures may be achieved by the interaction between metal cations and x-face of indole groups.

### Claim 19 (depends on 5)

The method of repairing a polymer according to claim 5, wherein the alkaline solution includes one or more selected from sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, lithium hydroxide, rubidium hydroxide, and cesium hydroxide.

### Claim 20 (depends on 5)

The method of repairing a polymer according to claim 5, wherein the organic solvent includes one or more selected from dimethylacetamide, dimethylformamide, N-methyl-2-pyrrolidone, Tetrahydrofuran and chloroform.