Process for removing fluorosurfactant from an aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion using sorbent pouches
AssigneeE.I. du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorsCharles Joseph Noelke, Clay Woodward Jones, Daniel N. Levy, Michael Gene McClusky, David William Johnson
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A process for reducing the fluorosurfactant content of an aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion by filling a container with fluoropolymer dispersion, inserting into the container a fabric pouch containing a fluorosurfactant sorbent so that the sorbent contacts the fluorosurfactant-containing aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion in the container and retains the fluorosurfactant to reduce fluorosurfactant content of said fluorosurfactant-containing aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion, and removing the fabric pouch from the container.
Claims16
A process for reducing fluorosurfactant content of a fluorosurfactant-containing aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion comprising:
- filling a container with said fluorosurfactant-containing aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion, said dispersion having a fluoropolymer solids concentration of about 15 to about 70 weight percent and defining an upper surface;
- inserting into said container a fabric pouch containing a fluorosurfactant sorbent so that said sorbent contacts said fluorosurfactant-containing aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion in said container and retains said fluorosurfactant to reduce fluorosurfactant content of said fluorosurfactant-containing aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion;
- providing means for supporting said fabric pouch in said container so that said pouch remains positioned below said upper surface of said dispersion;
- moving either said fluorosurfactant-containinq aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion or said pouch to impart movement in relation to each other during said contacting while maintaining said pouch below said upper surface of said dispersion without causing shearing damage or particle agglomeration of said fluoropolymer solids;
- and
- removing said fabric pouch from said container, wherein said process is carried out during the manufacture of the aqueous fluoropolymer dispersion as part of the dispersion concentration operation or during temporary storage prior to filling shipping containers.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.