Method for removing small amounts of high boiling point organic compound from aqueous polymerization products

Abstract

A process for achieving a significant reduction in the volatile organic compound content (VOC) of an aqueous polymerization system includes the steps of contacting the aqueous polymerization system with an organic solvent and allowing said organic solvent to be absorbed into polymer particles of said aqueous polymerization system, contacting said aqueous polymerization system and organic solvent with a gas or vapor at temperature and pressure conditions which cause mass transfer of the volatile organic compounds from said latex into said gas or vapor phase, and separating said gas or vapor from said aqueous polymerization system. The solvent is generally absorbed into the polymer particles of the latex and serves as a stripping aid, especially with respect to higher molecular weight compounds which tend to remain trapped in the polymer particles during conventional stripping processes. An important advantage of the invention is that it facilitates significantly enhanced VOC reduction using conventional stripping apparatus with only relatively minor modifications thereto. The improved stripping performance of the invention is achieved without any significant deleterious effect on colloidal stability, average polymer particle size, solids content or other important latex properties.

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