Induced Inverse-Microemulsion Polymerization

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Acrylic water soluble polymers are utilized in industries such as paper making (fines retention), oil recovery (pushing fluids), personal hygiene (absorbent hydrogels) as well as in environmentally friendly applications such as water treatment (flocculation). Water based polymers also have emerging applications in controlled drug delivery, immunoisolation, bioartificial organs (encapsulation) as well as components of light weight solar cells. In these applications, the polymer gains its utility from its hydrophilicity, charge density, and molecular weight. The PI is interested in developing a new process which enables the synthesis of high molecular weight acrylic water soluble polymers: Induced Inverse-Microemulsion Polymerization. This enables the formation of a thermodynamically stable inverse-microemulsion at lower emulsifier levels than have ever been used before (as low as 2 wt% of the total recipe). These inverse-microemulsions are transformed from monomeric inverse-macroemulsions by taking advantage of the inherent features of the reaction, such as its ex othermicity. The process combines some of the advantages of an inverse-microemulsion product, such as its stability and ease of chemical modification of the polymeric backbone, while avoiding the principal disadvantage: economics. The lower emulsifier level permits the process to compete with inverse-macroemulsions. The PIs plan a series of synthesis and characterization studies to investigate and understand induced inverse-microemulsion polymerization and to evaluate its potential. They plan to develop mechanistic models which will help maximize the linear molecular weight of the polymer produced. The project also involves strategic basic research in light and neutron scattering and birefringence. It is cost shared by more than 50% from US industry and also fits in well with the PI's existing projects on environmentally conscious design and life cycle analysis which are focused on evaluating solvent-free alternatives to existing processes for the production of water soluble polymers.