METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR PRODUCING POLYMER PARTICLES

• US 20110263730A1
• Filed: 09/28/2009
• Published: 10/27/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/16/2008
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: UBE Industries Limited
• Original Assignee: UBE Industries Limited
• Inventors: Aridomi, Tadatoshi, Ohya, Shyusei, Takahashi, Junya, Asano, Yukihiko, Shoji, Tatsuya
• Application Number:
  US13/124,221
• Publication Number:
  US 20110263730A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 521/88
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2309/00 Characterised by the use of homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2377/00 Characterised by the use of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain of polyhydrazides C08J2379/06; of polyamide-imides or polyamide acids C08J2379/08; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2379/08 Polyimides; Polyester-imides; Polyamide-imides; Polyamide acids or similar polyimide precursors
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/14 by precipitation from solutions C08J3/122 takes precedence

Abstract

Provided are: a manufacturing method for polymer particles, including: mixing a polymer solution, which is obtained by dissolving a polymer in a good solvent, and a polymer non-solvent, which is a non-solvent for the polymer and has compatibility with the good solvent, in a continuous or intermittent manner; and allowing a mixed solution of the polymer solution and the polymer non-solvent to flow down through a tubular body provided substantially vertically, thereby completing the precipitation of polymer particles; and a manufacturing apparatus for polymer particles. The manufacturing method enables the manufacture of polymer particles which have a relatively narrow particle diameter distribution even when the polymer particles are kept in a dispersion solution state.

Claims

1. A manufacturing method for polymer particles, comprising:

mixing a polymer solution, which is obtained by dissolving a polymer in a good solvent, and a polymer non-solvent, which is a non-solvent for the polymer and has compatibility with the good solvent, in a continuous or intermittent manner; and

allowing a mixed solution of the polymer solution and the polymer non-solvent to flow down through a tubular body provided substantially vertically, thereby completing precipitation of polymer particles.

2. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the mixing a polymer solution and a polymer non-solvent is carried out by a method including combining a polymer solution and a polymer non-solvent in an open system or a method including discharging a polymer solution and a polymer non-solvent to an open system after combining the polymer solution and the polymer non-solvent in a space of a closed system.

3. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the allowing a mixed solution to flow down comprises allowing a mixed solution to naturally flow down through a tubular body.

4. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the allowing a mixed solution to flow down comprises allowing a mixed solution to flow down through a tubular body so that a Reynolds number is 4,000 or less.

5. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 4, wherein the allowing a mixed solution to flow down comprises allowing a mixed solution to flow down through a tubular body so that a Reynolds number is 2,100 or less.

6. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein a flow rate mass ratio of the polymer solution to the polymer non-solvent is 1:

1 to 1;

25.

7. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 1, further comprising collecting polymer particles in a dispersion solution state.

8. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the polymer particle is substantially spherical.

9. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the polymer particle comprises a porous particle or a particle having an rough structure on a surface thereof.

10. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises a polyimide precursor or a polyimide.

11. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises a polybutadiene.

12. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 1, wherein the polymer comprises a polyamide.

13. The manufacturing method for polymer particles according to claim 12, wherein the polymer particle has a spherulite structure.

14. A manufacturing apparatus for polymer particles, the apparatus comprising:

raw material solution supplying means for supplying a polymer solution and a polymer non-solvent;

a mixed solution combining unit for combining and mixing supplied raw material solutions in an open system;

a substantially vertical tubular body provided downstream of the mixed solution combining unit; and

a dispersion solution collecting unit provided downstream of the tubular body,

wherein;

stirring means is absent in the mixed solution combining unit to the tubular body; and

the tubular body has a length to complete precipitation of polymer particles in the tubular body.

15. The manufacturing apparatus for polymer particles according to claim 14, wherein the manufacturing apparatus comprises, as the raw material solution supplying means, polymer solution supplying means for supplying a polymer solution and non-solvent supplying means for supplying a polymer non-solvent separately.

16. The manufacturing apparatus for polymer particles according to claim 14, wherein the tubular body and the dispersion solution collecting unit are placed in communication with each other.

17. A manufacturing apparatus for polymer particles, the apparatus comprising:

raw material solution supplying means for supplying a polymer solution and a polymer non-solvent;

a spray nozzle for discharging supplied raw material solutions to an open system after combining the raw material solutions in a space of a closed system;

a substantially vertical tubular body provided downstream of the spray nozzle; and

a dispersion solution collecting unit provided downstream of the tubular body,

wherein;

stirring means is absent in the mixed solution combining unit to the tubular body; and

the tubular body has a length to complete precipitation of polymer particles in the tubular body.