Method of Producing Uniform Polymer Beads of Various Sizes
First Claim
1. A method for preparing spheroidal polymer beads having a volume average particle diameter of about 5 to about 300 μ
- m, the method comprising;
providing an apparatus comprising a cylindrical-shaped double-walled chamber comprising;
an outer cylindrical component with a continuous side wall;
an inner cylindrical component with a continuous side wall, wherein the side wall of the inner component is spaced inwardly from the side wall of the outer component and the inner component includes a constant diameter throughout the height of the outer wall;
wherein the side wall of the inner component and the side wall of the outer component include continuous upper and bottom rims and the rims are joined to form an air tight compartment between the inner and outer components, the side wall of the outer component and the side wall of the inner component comprise a membrane comprising a plurality of pores wherein a first volume is in contact with a first side of the membrane located in the compartment between the inner and outer components of the double-walled chamber and a second volume is in contact with a second side of the membrane located outside of the double-walled chamber, the first volume comprising a polymerizable monomer phase, the second volume comprising an aqueous liquid immiscible with the polymerizable monomer phase;
dispersing the first volume through the pores into the second volume under conditions sufficient to form a plurality of monomer droplets comprising the polymerizable monomer, wherein a shear force is provided at a point of egression of the first volume into the second volume, the direction of shear substantially perpendicular to the direction of egression of the first volume; and
polymerizing the droplets dispersed in the second volume.
6 Assignments
0 Petitions
Accused Products
Abstract
Speriodal polymer beads having a uniform size are prepared by polymerizing uniformly sized monomer droplets formed by dispersing a polymerizable monomer phase over double-walled cylindrical cross-flow membrane into an aqueous phase. A shear force is provided at a point of egression of the polymerizable monomer phase into the aqueous phase, the direction of shear substantially perpendicular to the direction of egression of the monomer phase. The polymer beads can be employed in applications where beads having uniform diameters of 10 to 200 μm are useful.
21 Citations
26 Claims
-
1. A method for preparing spheroidal polymer beads having a volume average particle diameter of about 5 to about 300 μ
- m, the method comprising;
providing an apparatus comprising a cylindrical-shaped double-walled chamber comprising;
an outer cylindrical component with a continuous side wall;
an inner cylindrical component with a continuous side wall, wherein the side wall of the inner component is spaced inwardly from the side wall of the outer component and the inner component includes a constant diameter throughout the height of the outer wall;
wherein the side wall of the inner component and the side wall of the outer component include continuous upper and bottom rims and the rims are joined to form an air tight compartment between the inner and outer components, the side wall of the outer component and the side wall of the inner component comprise a membrane comprising a plurality of pores wherein a first volume is in contact with a first side of the membrane located in the compartment between the inner and outer components of the double-walled chamber and a second volume is in contact with a second side of the membrane located outside of the double-walled chamber, the first volume comprising a polymerizable monomer phase, the second volume comprising an aqueous liquid immiscible with the polymerizable monomer phase;dispersing the first volume through the pores into the second volume under conditions sufficient to form a plurality of monomer droplets comprising the polymerizable monomer, wherein a shear force is provided at a point of egression of the first volume into the second volume, the direction of shear substantially perpendicular to the direction of egression of the first volume; and polymerizing the droplets dispersed in the second volume. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26)
- m, the method comprising;
Specification