Method for continuous curing of hipe into hipe foams

A method of continuously curing a HIPE into a HIPE foam, the method comprising the steps of:

• A) continuously providing a HIPE, said HIPE comprising:
• 1) an oil phase comprising:
• a) from about 85 to about 99% by weight of a monomer component capable of forming a copolymer having a Tg value of below about 90° C. or lower, the monomer component comprising:
• i) from about 5 to about 80% by weight of a substantially water-insoluble, monofunctional monomer capable of forming a polymer having a Tg of about 35° C. or less;
• ii) from about 0 to about 70% by weight of a substantially water-insoluble, monofunctional comonomer capable of imparting other desired properties to the foam;
• iii) about 5 to about 80% by weight of at least one substantially water-insoluble, polyfunctional crosslinking agent;
• and
• b) from about 1 to about 20% by weight of an emulsifier component which is soluble in the oil phase and which is suitable for forming a stable water-in-oil emulsion;
• and
• 2) a water phase comprising an aqueous solution containing:
• (a) from about 0.2 to about 40% by weight of a water-soluble electrolyte;
• and (b) an effective amount of a polymerization initiator;
• wherein the emulsion has a volume to weight ratio of water phase to oil phase in the range of from about 8:1 to about 140:1;
• B) transferring said HIPE into a curing chamber, wherein said curing chamber is provided with means to maintain said HIPE at a curing temperature, suitable for polymerizing and crosslinking said monomer, comonomer, and crosslinking agent;
• C) maintaining said HIPE in said curing chamber for a residence time sufficient for at least partial curing of said HIPE into a nascent HIPE foam;
• D) characterized in that said nascent HIPE foam is continuously withdrawn from said curing chamber;
• and
• E) further processing said nascent HIPE foam into a cured HIPE foam.