Methods for one-step purification of organic polymers using tangential flow filtration

• US 20070173634A1
• Filed: 01/24/2006
• Published: 07/26/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/24/2006
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sangart, Inc.
• Original Assignee: Sangart, Inc.
• Inventors: Olsson, Nils, Chapman, Keith, Wooldridge, Jerod, Winslow, Robert
• Application Number:
  US11/339,239
• Publication Number:
  US 20070173634A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 528/480
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 6/04 Fractionation
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 65/30 Post-polymerisation treatment, e.g. recovery, purification, drying

Abstract

The present invention relates generally to methods for one-step purification of organic polymers using tangential flow filtration. In one embodiment, the present invention relates to methods for size fractionation of heterogeneous organic polymers, such as poly(ethylene glycol) derivatives, using tangential flow filtration. The present invention also relates to purification of low molecular weight monofunctional organic polymer derivatives produced by procedures in which high molecular weight bifunctional poly(ethylene glycol) impurities are removed. The present invention further relates to purification of high molecular weight branched polymer products from low molecular weight starting materials.

Claims

1. A method for separating a heterogeneous mixture of at least two populations of organic polymers having at least two fold different molecular weight averages from one another comprising the steps of:

a) preparing a solution of the heterogeneous mixture; and

b) subjecting the solution to tangential flow filtration to form a retentate and a filtrate, wherein the two populations are separated from one another, with one population in the retentate and one population in the filtrate.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is a synthetic polymer.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymer is PEG which contains at least two populations of polymers.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the first population contains low molecular weight monofunctional PEGs and the second population contains high molecular weight PEG diols.

5. The method of claim 4, wherein the mono-functional PEG has one terminal group is essentially non-reactive.

6. The method of claim 5, wherein said non-reactive group is an alkoxy group.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the alkoxy group is methoxy.

8. The method of claim 4, wherein the mono-functional PEG has a hydroxyl group or an activated group.