Methods of making cellulose ester microbeads with a solvent containing water
AssigneeEastman Chemical Company
InventorsRobert David Pace, Timothy R. Pitts, Glenn Lewis Shoaf, Garry Kenneth Weakley, Kenny Randolph Parker
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Methods of making cellulose ester (CE) microbeads are provided. The CE microbeads are produced by forming initial CE microparticles suspended in a liquid phase, and converting the microparticles to hardened CE microbeads. The produced microbeads are biodegradable, and have enhanced solidity, sphericity, and smoothness.
Claims21
A method of making cellulose ester (CE) microbeads, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a CE dope comprising at least one mixed CE dissolved in a solvent, wherein the solvent comprises water;
- (b) providing an aqueous mixture comprising water;
- (c) combining at least a portion of the CE dope and at least a portion of the aqueous mixture to produce an initial emulsion comprising a dispersed phase and a continuous phase, wherein the dispersed phase comprises at least a portion of the at least one mixed CE and at least a portion of the solvent, wherein the continuous phase comprises at least a portion of the aqueous mixture;
- and
- (d) converting at least a portion of the dispersed phase into hardened CE microbeads comprising the at least one mixed CE.
A method of making cellulose ester (CE) microbeads, the method comprising:
- (a) providing a CE dope comprising a CE dissolved in a solvent, wherein the solvent comprises at least three components;
- (b) combining at least a portion of the CE dope and an aqueous mixture to produce a dispersion comprising a dispersed phase and a continuous phase, wherein the dispersed phase comprises at least a portion of the CE and at least a portion of the solvent, wherein the continuous phase comprises at least a portion of the aqueous mixture;
- and
- (c) combining at least a portion of the dispersed phase with an extractant to remove at least a portion of the solvent from the dispersed phase to produce hardened CE microbeads.
A method of making cellulose ester (CE) microbeads, the method comprising:
- (a) dissolving a CE in a solvent to form a CE dope;
- (b) combining at least a portion of the CE dope and an aqueous mixture to produce an initial emulsion;
- (c) converting at least a portion of the initial emulsion into a dispersion comprising a solid phase and a liquid phase, wherein the solid phase comprises hardened CE microbeads and the liquid phase comprises at least a portion of the solvent and at least a portion of the aqueous mixture;
- and
- (d) recovering a solvent-enriched stream from the liquid phase, wherein the solvent-enriched stream comprises an azeotrope of water and at least one other solvent component,
- wherein the solvent used in the dissolving of step (a) comprises the azeotrope.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.