Method of producing thermoplastic fluoropolymers using alkyl sulfonate surfactants
AssigneeArkema Inc.
InventorsRoice Wille, Mehdi Durali, Lotfi Hedhli, Ramin Amin-Sanayei, John Schmidhauser
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Nonfluorinated surfactants selected from C7-C20 linear 1-alkanesulfonates,-2-sulfonates, and-1,2-disulfonates are particularly effective for stabilizing emulsions in preparing non-elastomeric fluoropolymers containing at least 71 wt % vinylidene fluoride and having at least a 2% crystalline polyvinylidene fluoride content. Processes for making such fluoropolymers using these surfactants, particularly in combination with one or both of a nonionic polymerization initiator and the use of mechanical coagulation to isolate the product, are also provided, as are fluoropolymers made thereby.
Claims24
A method of making a fluoropolymer, the method comprising:
- (a) contacting an aqueous mixture comprising a surfactant and a radical initiator with a monomer feed comprising one or more fluoromonomers;
- (b) providing sufficient heat and agitation to effect a polymerization of said one or more fluoromonomers, thereby forming a fluoropolymer dispersion;
- and
- (c) isolating the fluoropolymer from the dispersion;
- wherein the surfactant comprises an alkanesulfonate selected from C7-C20 linear 1-alkanesulfonates, C7-C20 linear 2-alkanesulfonates, C7-C20 linear 1,2-alkanedisulfonates, and mixtures thereof;
- and wherein the fluoropolymer is nonelastomeric, comprises at least 71 wt % vinylidene fluoride, and has at least a 2% crystalline polyvinylidene fluoride content.
A method of making a fluoropolymer, the method comprising:
- (a) contacting an aqueous mixture comprising a surfactant and a radical initiator with a monomer feed comprising one or more fluoromonomers;
- (b) providing sufficient heat and agitation to effect a polymerization of said one or more fluoromonomers, thereby forming a fluoropolymer dispersion;
- and
- (c) isolating the fluoropolymer from the dispersion;
- wherein the surfactant comprises an alkanesulfonate selected from linear 1-octanesulfonates, linear 2-octanesulfonates, linear 1,2-octanedisulfonates, linear 1-decanesulfonates, linear 2-decanesulfonates, linear 1,2-decanedisulfonates, linear 1-dodecanesulfonates, linear 2-dodecanesulfonates, linear 1,2-dodecanedisulfonates, and combinations thereof;
- and wherein the fluoropolymer is nonelastomeric, comprises at least 71 wt % vinylidene fluoride, and has at least a 2% crystalline polyvinylidene fluoride content.
A fluoropolymer made by a method comprising:
- (a) contacting an aqueous mixture comprising a surfactant and a radical initiator with a monomer feed comprising one or more fluoromonomers;
- (b) providing sufficient heat and agitation to effect a polymerization of said one or more fluoromonomers, thereby forming a fluoropolymer dispersion;
- and
- (c) isolating the fluoropolymer from the dispersion;
- wherein the surfactant comprises an alkanesulfonate selected from C7-C20 linear 1-alkanesulfonates, C7-C20 linear 2-alkanesulfonates, C7-C20 linear 1,2-alkanedisulfonates, and mixtures thereof;
- and wherein the fluoropolymer is nonelastomeric, comprises at least 71 wt % vinylidene fluoride, and has at least a 2% crystalline polyvinylidene fluoride content.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.