Continuous process of extruding and mechanically dispersing a polymeric resin in an aqueous or non-aqueous medium

A method of preparing a high internal phase ratio emulsion without phase inversion comprising the steps of:

• a) continuously merging into a disperser a continuous phase liquid stream at a flow rate of R1 and a disperse phase liquid or molten stream having a flow rate of R2;
• and
• b) mixing the merged streams in the substantial absence of an external surface active agent and at a mixing rate sufficiently constant to form the high internal phase ratio emulsion without phase inversion;
• wherein the disperse phase liquid stream contains a self-dispersing polymer or prepolymer and wherein R2:R1 is such that the mean volume average particle size of the high internal phase ratio emulsion is less than 2 μm or the polydispersity is less than 2.

A method of preparing a high internal phase ratio emulsion without phase inversion comprising the steps of:

• a) continuously merging into a disperser a continuous phase liquid stream at a flow rate of R1 and a disperse phase liquid or molten stream having a flow rate of R2;
• and
• b) mixing the merged streams in the substantial absence of an external surface active agent and at a mixing rate sufficiently constant to form the high internal phase ratio emulsion without phase inversion;
• wherein the disperse phase liquid stream contains a self-dispersing polymer or prepolymer which is an ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, a neutralized salt of an ethylene-acrylic acid copolymer, a polyester, a polyurethane, a diisocyanate-terminated polyurethane prepolymer, or a combination thereof, and wherein R2:R1 is such that the mean volume average particle size of the high internal phase ratio emulsion is less than 2 μm or the polydispersity is less than 2.