EP0051210B1
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EP
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Process and apparatus for preparing uniform size spheroidal polymer beads and suspension polymerization product thus obtained
Assignee: Dow Chemical Co
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Filing: 1981-10-21
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Granted: 1985-12-04
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Expires: 2001-10-21
Abstract
No abstract record available.
Inventors
- 👤 Edward Earl Timm
Bibliographic Details
Application Number
—
Jurisdiction
EP
Data Source
google_patents
Last Synchronized
2026-11-03 08:05
CPC Classifications
C; C08; C08F; C08F2/00; C08F2/32; B; B01; B01J; B01J14/00; B01J19/00; B01J19/18; B01J19/24; B01J19/241; B01J4/00; B01J4/001; B01J4/004; C08F2/12; C08F2/16; C08F2/18; C08F2/20; B01J2219/00; B01J2219/00002; B01J2219/00027; B01J2219/0004; B29; B29B; B29B9/00; B29B9/10
Claims Analysis
Total Claims: 18
Claim 1
Independent Claim
90 words
A method for preparing spheroidal polymer beads, said method characterized by forming a monomer jet of a monomer phase comprising a polymerizable monomer having laminar flow characteristics by flowing the monomer phase through an opening into a continuous phase comprising a liquid immiscible with the polymerizable monomer or monomer phase and a stabilizing amount of a suspending agent; breaking the monomer jet into droplets by vibratorily exciting the jet; and, subsequently polymerizing the monomer in suspension with agitation at conditions which do not cause significant coalescence or additional dispersion thereof.
Claim 2
Independent Claim
90 words
A method for preparing spheroidal polymer beads, said method characterized by forming a monomer jet of a monomer phase comprising a polymerizable monomer having laminar flow characteristics by flowing the monomer phase through an opening into a continuous phase comprising a liquid immiscible with the polymerizable monomer or monomer phase and a stabilizing amount of a suspending agent; breaking the monomer jet into droplets by vibratorily exciting the jet; and, subsequently polymerizing the monomer in suspension with agitation at conditions which do not cause significant coalescence or additional dispersion thereof.
Claim 3
Dependent Claim
28 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the monomer droplets have a particle size distribution such that the coefficient of variance of their particle size is less than 0.1.
Claim 4
Dependent Claim
41 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the flow characteristics of the monomer jet is defined by a Reynolds number from 20 to 2,000 and the vibratory excitation of the monomer jet is defined by a Strouhal number from 0.5 to 5.
Claim 5
Dependent Claim
69 words
The method of Claim 1 wherein the flow of the monomer jet is described by a Reynolds number from 120 to 1,200 and the vibratory excitation of the monomer jet is defined by a Strouhal number from 0.15 to 1.5, wherein said flow characteristics and conditions of vibratory excitement are such that the monomer droplets exhibit a particle size distribution with a coefficient of variance of less than 0.05.
Claim 6
Dependent Claim
38 words
The method of Claim 4 and further characterized in that the viscosity of the continuous phase is less than 5.10- 2 Pa. s at room temperature and from 0.1 to 10 times the viscosity of the monomer phase.
Claim 7
Dependent Claim
53 words
The method of Claim 4 and further characterized in that the monomer droplets possess a lower density than the continuous phase and the monomer droplets rise through the continuous phase to a polymerization reaction, said continuous phase being flowed in the direction of the flow of the monomer droplets in a cocurrent operation.
Claim 8
Dependent Claim
19 words
The method of Claim 4 and further characterized in that the polymerizable monomer is a suspension polymerizable, water-insoluble monomer.
Claim 9
Dependent Claim
26 words
The method of Claim 4 and further characterized in that a polymerizable monomer is imbibed within the spheroidal polymer beads and the imbibed monomer subsequently polymerized.
Claim 10
Independent Claim
148 words
An apparatus for preparing spheroidal polymer beads, characterized by (1) a monomer reservoir containing a monomer phase comprising a polymerizable monomer (2) a column containing a continuous phase of a suspending liquid immiscible with the polymerizable monomer or monomer phase and a stabilizing amount of a suspending agent, (3) a jet forming means in intimate contact with the monomer phase comprising the polymerizable monomer and the continuous liquid phase and having a passage connecting the monomer reservoir with the column containing the continuous phase such that the monomer phase is capable of flowing as a jet having laminar flow characteristics therethrough into the continuous phase, (4) a vibratory exciter capable of exciting the monomer jet such that the jet is broken into droplets, and (5) a means for polymerizing the monomer in suspension at conditions such that significant coalescence or additional dispersion of the droplets does not occur.
Claim 11
Independent Claim
148 words
An apparatus for preparing spheroidal polymer beads, characterized by (1) a monomer reservoir containing a monomer phase comprising a polymerizable monomer (2) a column containing a continuous phase of a suspending liquid immiscible with the polymerizable monomer or monomer phase and a stabilizing amount of a suspending agent, (3) a jet forming means in intimate contact with the monomer phase comprising the polymerizable monomer and the continuous liquid phase and having a passage connecting the monomer reservoir with the column containing the continuous phase such that the monomer phase is capable of flowing as a jet having laminar flow characteristics therethrough into the continuous phase, (4) a vibratory exciter capable of exciting the monomer jet such that the jet is broken into droplets, and (5) a means for polymerizing the monomer in suspension at conditions such that significant coalescence or additional dispersion of the droplets does not occur.
Claim 12
Dependent Claim
51 words
The apparatus of Claim 9 and further characterized in that it includes a means for introducing the suspending liquid into the column containing the continuous phase in close proximity to the jet forming means such that the monomer droplets and continuous phase flow through the column in an essentially cocurrent manner.
Claim 13
Dependent Claim
48 words
A suspension polymerization product in the form of spheroidal polymer beads which have a particle size prior to the mechanical separation thereof wherein at least 80 volume percent of the beads possess a particle diameter from 0.9 to 1.1 times the volume average particle diameter of said beads.
Claim 14
Dependent Claim
48 words
A suspension polymerization product in the form of spheroidal polymer beads which have a particle size prior to the mechanical separation thereof wherein at least 80 volume percent of the beads possess a particle diameter from 0.9 to 1.1 times the volume average particle diameter of said beads.
Claim 15
Dependent Claim
47 words
A suspension polymerization product in the form of spheroidal polymer beads which have a particle size such that at least 80 percent, by number, have a particle size between 0.95 and 1.05, inclusive, times the number average particle size of the beads comprising the 80 percent portion.
Claim 16
Dependent Claim
47 words
A suspension polymerization product in the form of spheroidal polymer beads which have a particle size such that at least 80 percent, by number, have a particle size between 0.95 and 1.05, inclusive, times the number average particle size of the beads comprising the 80 percent portion.
Claim 17
Dependent Claim
40 words
The suspension polymerization product of Claim 12 wherein at least 90 percent, by number, of the beads have a particle size between 0.97 and 1.03, inclusive, times the number average particle size of the beads comprising the 90 percent portion.
Claim 18
Dependent Claim
40 words
The suspension polymerization product of Claim 13 wherein at least 95 percent, by number, of the beads have a particle size between 0.95 to 1.05, inclusive, times the number average particle size of the beads comprising the 95 percent portion.
References Cited (Backward Citations)
No citation records indexed.
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