Suspension polymerization process for the preparation of polymeric material from gaseous and non-gaseous monomers
AssigneeXerox Corporation
InventorsGeorge Liebermann, William J. Dale, Nam S. Ro, Daniel M. McNeil, Stephan Drappel
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Abstract
A suspension polymerization process for the preparation of a polymeric material formed from at least two monomers, a non-gaseous monomer and a gaseous monomer. The composition of the beads or particles of the polymeric material is controlled by adding gaseous monomer to the vapor phase after polymerization of about 5% to about 90% by weight of the non-gaseous monomer or by removing a portion or substantially all of the gaseous monomer in the vapor phase before polymerization of about 70% by weight of the gaseous monomer in the aqueous suspension, or a combination thereof.
Claims25
A suspension polymerization process for the preparation of a polymeric material formed from at least two monomers, a first monomer and a gaseous second monomer, comprising:
- (a) providing a vapor phase and an aqueous suspension comprised of an aqueous phase and an organic phase comprising the first monomer, wherein the gaseous monomer is partitioned among the vapor phase, the organic phase, and the aqueous phase, and wherein the gaseous monomer in the vapor phase and the aqueous suspension at the outset of polymerization is in an amount of from 0% to 100% by weight of the total weight of the gaseous monomer employed in the polymerization process;
- (b) controlling the amount of the gaseous monomer in the aqueous suspension and the vapor phase during the polymerization process by:
- (i) adding gaseous monomer to the vapor phase after polymerization of about 5% to about 90% by weight of the first monomer, whereby during the remainder of the polymerization process the gaseous monomer solubilizes in the aqueous suspension and diffuses to the organic phase where it copolymerizes with the first monomer;
- or
- (ii) removing in an effective amount sufficient to render the resulting polymeric material nonhomogeneous at least a portion of the gaseous monomer in the vapor phase before polymerization of about 70% by weight of the gaseous monomer in the aqueous suspension and continuing the polymerization process;
- or
- (iii) a combination of steps (i) and (ii);
- and
- (c) heating the aqueous suspension to a temperature between about 50.degree. C. and about 130.degree. C.
A suspension polymerization process for the preparation of a polymeric material formed from at least two monomers, a first monomer and a gaseous monomer having at least two double bonds, comprising:
- (a) providing a vapor phase and an aqueous suspension comprised of an aqueous phase and an organic phase comprising the first monomer, wherein the gaseous monomer is partitioned among the vapor phase, the organic phase, and the aqueous phase, and wherein the gaseous monomer in the vapor phase and the aqueous suspension at the outset of the polymerization process is in an amount of from about 10% to about 90% by weight of the total weight of the gaseous monomer employed in the polymerization process;
- (b) adding additional gaseous monomer to the vapor phase after polymerization of about 20% to about 90% by weight of the first monomer, whereby during the remainder of the polymerization process the gaseous monomer solubilizes in the aqueous suspension and diffuses to the organic phase where it polymerizes with the first monomer;
- and
- (c) heating the aqueous suspension to a temperature from about 50.degree. C. to about 130.degree. C. to result in the polymeric material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.