Reverse-phase polymerisation process

US10604611B2 · kind B2 · utility

Assignee

• BASF SE

Inventors

• John Scott Barratt · Mirfield, GB
• Aleksandra Jelicic · Mannheim, DE
• Pascal Hesse · Mannheim, DE
• Oliver Soetje · Mannheim, DE
• Robert Haschick · Mannheim, DE
• Gabriela Eugenia Fonseca Zepeda · Mannheim, DE
• Shankara Narayanan Keelapandal Ramamoorthy · Schifferstadt, DE
• Sandra JECK · Mannheim, DE
• Jelan Kuhn · Heidelberg, DE

Key dates

• Filing date: Jul 29, 2014
• Grant date: Mar 31, 2020
• Expiry date: Mar 9, 2035

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C08J2351/00
• WIPO field: Chemical engineering
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

A reverse-phase suspension polymerisation process for the manufacture of polymer beads comprising forming aqueous monomer beads of an aqueous solution comprising water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend and polymerising the monomer or monomer blend to form polymer beads while suspended in a non-aqueous liquid, recovering polymer beads, and then cleaning the non-aqueous liquid in which the process comprises providing the non-aqueous liquid in a vessel (1), forming a suspension of monomer beads from the aqueous monomer or monomer blend in the non-aqueous liquid, initiating polymerisation to form polymerising beads, removing a suspension of the polymer beads in non-aqueous liquid from the vessel and recovering, water soluble or water swellable polymer beads from the suspension, in which the non-aqueous liquid contains impurities which comprise particles, and then transferring the non-aqueous liquid from the suspension to a cleaning stage, in which the cleaning stage provides a cleaned non-aqueous liquid suitable for use in a reverse-phase suspension polymerisation process, which cleaning stage comprises removing particles from the non-aqueous liquid in at least…