Process for making uniform oligomeric droplets

• US 8,664,332 B2
• Filed: 12/29/2010
• Issued: 03/04/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 12/30/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Rohm and Haas Company (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Rohm and Haas Company (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Deetz, Martin, Maikner, John J., Zabrodski, William J.
• Primary Examiner(s): EGWIM, KELECHI CHIDI
• Application Number:
  US12/980,604
• Publication Number:
  US 20110160394A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,161 Days
• Field of Search: 524/800, 526/201
• US Class Current: 524/800
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2/001 Multistage polymerisation processes characterised by a change in reactor conditions without deactivating the intermediate polymer C08F295/00, C08F297/00 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 2/24 with the aid of emulsifying agents

Abstract

A process for making substantially uniform oligomeric droplets in an aqueous dispersion comprising preparing an aqueous emulsion of an emulsifying agent, at least one monomer, a chain transfer agent, and an initiator; and mixing the aqueous emulsion with a stabilizer and a plurality of seed particles.

Claims

1. A process for making substantially uniform oligomeric droplets comprising:

preparing an aqueous emulsion having an emulsifying agent that is not an anionic surfactant, at least one monomer, a chain transfer agent, and an initiator, wherein the initiator is selected from the group consisting of benzoyl peroxides, t-butyl peroctoates, t-amyl peroxypivalates, oil-soluble peroxides, oil-solubule azo compounds, and mixtures thereof; and

mixing the aqueous emulsion with at least a stabilizer that is not an anionic surfactant and a plurality of seed particles to grow an aqueous dispersion of oligomeric droplets, having a 90/10 uniformity coefficient of 1.0 to 1.3.

2. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixing comprises:

adding the seed particles to the stabilizer to form a mixture;

heating the mixture;

feeding the aqueous emulsion into the mixture; and

increasing a particle size of the oligomeric droplets in the aqueous dispersion.

3. The process of claim 1 wherein the mixing comprises:

adding an aqueous phase inhibitor.

4. The process of claim 1 wherein the oligomeric droplets comprise a 90/10 uniformity coefficient of 1.05 to 1.15.

5. The process of claim 1 wherein the oligomeric droplets comprise a mean particle diameter of 2-100 μ

m.

6. The process of claim 1 further comprising:

making a second aqueous emulsion having a second emulsifying agent, at least one second monomer, a second chain transfer agent, and a second initiator;

adding the second aqueous emulsion to a second stabilizer and at least a portion of the oligomeric droplets to form a second aqueous dispersion of secondary oligomeric droplets, having a 90/10 uniformity coefficient of 1.0 to 1.3.

7. The process of claim 1 wherein the stabilizer and the emulsifying agent comprise same composition.

8. The process of claim 1, wherein the initiator is selected from the group consisting of benzoyl peroxide, t-butyl peroctoate, t-amyl peroxypivalate, oil-soluble peroxides, oil-solubule azo compounds, and mixtures thereof.

9. The process of claim 1, wherein the initiator is selected from the group consisting of benzoyl peroxide, t-butyl peroctoate, t-amyl peroxypivalate, and mixtures thereof.

10. The process of claim 1, wherein the initiator is t-butyl peroctoate.

11. The process of claim 1, wherein said emulsifying agent is selected from the group consisting of proteins, polyvinyl alcohols, plant polysaccharides, locust bean gums, guar gums, gum acacias, xanthan gums, microcrystalline/powdered celluloses, methylcelluloses, hydroxypropylcelluloses, hydroxypropyl-methylcelluloses, othylmethylcelluloses, and carboxymethylcelluloses.

12. The process of claim 1, wherein said emulsifying agent is polyvinyl alcohol.

13. The process of claim 1, wherein said stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of polyvinyl alcohols, cellulose ethers, and mixtures thereof.

14. The process of claim 1, wherein said stabilizer is selected from the group consisting of proteins, polyvinyl alcohols, plant polysaccharides, locust bean gums, guar gums, gum acacias, xanthan gums, microcrystalline/powdered celluloses, methylcelluloses, hydroxypropylcelluloses, hydroxypropyl-methylcelluloses, ethylmethylcelluloses, and carboxymethylcelluloses.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein said emulsifier is selected from the group consisting of proteins, polyvinyl alcohols, plant polysaccharides, locust bean gums, guar gums, gum acacias, xanthan gums, microcrystalline/powdered celluloses, methylcelluloses, hydroxypropylcelluloses, hydroxypropyl-methylcelluloses, ethylmethylcelluloses, and carboxymethylcelluloses.

16. The process of claim 1, wherein said stabilizer is polyvinyl alcohol.

17. The process of claim 1, wherein said oligomeric droplets comprise oligomer having number-average molecular weight of 400 to 2000.

18. A process for making substantially uniform oligomeric droplets comprising:

preparing an aqueous emulsion having an emulsifying agent that is not an anionic surfactant, at least one monomer, a chain transfer agent, and an initiator, wherein the initiator is selected from the group consisting of benzoyl peroxides, t-butyl peroctoates, t-amyl peroxypivalates, oil-soluble peroxides, oil-solubule azo compounds, and mixtures thereof;

and

mixing the aqueous emulsion with at least a stabilizer that is not an anionic surfactant, an inhibitor, and a plurality of seed particles to grow an aqueous dispersion of oligomeric droplets, having a 90/10 uniformity coefficient of 1.0 to 1.3,

wherein the emulsifying agent and the stabilizer comprise a same composition.