Process to prepare low density porous crosslinked polymeric materials
AssigneeShell Oil Company
InventorSharon M. Beshouri
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Abstract
Stable high internal phase water-in-oil emulsions containing polymerizable vinyl monomers, crosslinking monomers and initiators, useful in preparing low density porous crosslinked polymeric foams, are obtained by using a surfactant system containing (a) one or more sorbitan fatty acid ester or saccharide fatty acid ester and (b) a glycerol monofatty acid ester. A higher water to oil ratio water-in-oil emulsions can be formed with the same formulation by using the glycerol monofatty acid ester cosurfactant.
Claims15
A process for the production of a porous crosslinked polymeric material comprising:
- (a) providing a water-in-oil emulsion comprising (i) a mixture of polymerizable monomers comprising at least one oil-soluble vinyl monomer and from about 2 to about 70 weight percent, based on the mixture, of a multifunctional unsaturated crosslinking monomer, (ii) at least 90 weight percent, based on the emulsion, of water as the internal phase (iii) an effective amount of a surfactant comprising (A) at least one sorbitan fatty acid ester or saccharide fatty acid ester and (B) a glycerol monofatty acid ester to produce the water-in-oil emulsion, and (iv) a polymerization initiator;
- and
- (b) heating the water-in-oil emulsion under conditions effective to polymerize and crosslink the polymerizable monomers, and
- (c) removing at least a portion of water from said crosslinked emulsion thereby producing a porous crosslinked polymeric material.
The process of claim I wherein the glycerol monofatty acid ester is a glycerol monofatty acid having a C.sub.8 -C.sub.30 ester group.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.