Multi-phase polymerization process
AssigneeThe University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
InventorsJoseph M. DeSimone, Timothy Romack
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Abstract
The present invention provides a multi-phase polymerization process for making a water insoluble polymer. The process includes (1) providing a mixture comprising carbon dioxide and an aqueous phase, and containing a monomer and a polymerization initiator, and (2) polymerizing the monomer in the reaction mixture. The monomer may be a hydrocarbon or a fluorinated monomer. The polymerization initiator may be soluble in the aqueous phase, soluble in carbon dioxide, or insoluble in both the aqueous phase and carbon dioxide, such that the initiator forms a separate phase. The present invention also provides multi-phase polymerization reaction mixtures useful in the process of making water insoluble polymers.
Claims22
A multi-phase mixture useful for carrying out the multi-phase polymerization of a monomer, said reaction mixture comprising:
- a carbon dioxide phase and a separate aqueous phase;
- a monomer solubilized in carbon dioxide;
- and
- a polymerization initiator.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.