Process for creating high internal phase polymeric emulsions

Abstract

A “high internal phase polymeric emulsion” (“HIPPE”) composition is described which comprises an emulsion of a discrete phase (component A) and a continuous phase (component B), wherein the volume fraction of the discrete phase is the majority fraction (on a volume basis) of the total volume of the emulsion. A compatibilizer, component C, is used to lower the interfacial tension between the phases containing components A and B. A process is described for creating such HIPPE composition in which the A component is a colloidal polymer particle.

1 . A process for forming a high internal phase emulsion composition, the composition comprising: 
 component A, wherein component A is a polymer, monomer or mixture thereof in the form of particles or a colloidal dispersion;    a continuous phase comprising component B, wherein component B is a polymer; and    component C, wherein component C is a compatibilizer selected from the group consisting of surfactants, block copolymers, random copolymers and graft copolymers;    wherein the process comprises:    dissolving component B and component C in a selective solvent for polymer B to form a solution, wherein the selective solvent comprises an alcohol;    dispersing component A within the solution; and    removing the selective solvent from the solution to form a dried polymeric high internal phase emulsion composition.    
   
   
       2 . A process for creating a polymeric high internal phase emulsion composition of two plastic materials A and B, comprising: 
 dissolving a compatibilizer C containing a B part in a selective solvent for B, to form a solution, wherein the selective solvent comprises an alcohol;    dispersing crosslinked polymeric particles of polymer A within the solution; and    removing the solvent from the solution to form a dried polymeric high internal phase emulsion composition.    
   
   
       3 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said process comprises creating a high internal phase emulsion composition of two plastic materials A and B, where material A forms 80% or more of the composition by volume and material B forms 20% or less of the composition by volume.  
   
   
       4 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the compatibilizer C is selected from a group consisting of an A′B′ diblock copolymer, an A′B′A′ triblock copolymer, an A′B′ graft copolymer, an A′B′ random copolymer, and combinations thereof, wherein A′ refers to polymer segments that have a preferential affinity for segments of component A, but may or may not be chemically identical to A, and wherein B′ refers to polymer segments that have a preferential affinity for segments of component B if such is present, but may or may not be chemically identical to B.  
   
   
       5 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the compatibilizer C is a variable molecular weight copolymer.  
   
   
       6 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said dispersing crosslinked polymeric particles of polymer A comprises dispersing polymer A in the form of particles that are formed by emulsion polymerization or dispersion polymerization.  
   
   
       7 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said dispersing crosslinked polymeric particles of polymer A within the solution comprises shear agitating polymer A in the solution.  
   
   
       8 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said dispersing crosslinked polymeric particles of polymer A within the solution comprises a sonification of the solution.  
   
   
       9 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said removing the solvent comprises slowly evaporating the solvent from the solution.  
   
   
       10 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said removing the solvent comprises slowly evaporating the solution at a temperature that is lower than the boiling point of the solvent.  
   
   
       11 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said removing the solvent comprises spray drying the solution.  
   
   
       12 . The process of  claim 2  wherein said removing the solvent comprises flashing the solution.  
   
   
       13 . The process of  claim 2  further comprising dissolving a polymer B in said solution.  
   
   
       14 . The process of  claim 2  further comprising annealing the dried composition at an elevated temperature.  
   
   
       15 . The method of  claim 14  wherein said annealing at an elevated temperature comprises annealing the dried composition at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature (Tg) and melting temperature (Tm) of either of the compatibilizer C, the polymer B, or polymer A.  
   
   
       16 . The process of  claim 2  further comprising forming a proton conductive composition by doping the B part of the compatibilizer C with camphorsulfonic acid by dissolving both the compatibilizer C and camphorsulfonic acid in the solvent.  
   
   
       17 . The process of  claim 16  wherein the compatibilizer C is a polystyrene-polyvinylpyridine block copolymer, and the B block is polyvinylpyridine, and the solvent is ethanol.  
   
   
       18 . A method of producing a semiconducting polymer blend, comprising: 
 dissolving a chaperone polymer, that is the polymer hosting the semiconducting polymer, a doped pi-conjugated polymer and a block copolymer in a selective solvent for the doped pi-conjugated polymer to form a solution comprising a colloidal system; and    removing the solvent from the solution to form a dried semiconducting polymer blend, wherein the block copolymer is synthesized such that one block is compatible with the surface of the colloidal system and the other is compatible with the doped pi-conjugated polymer.    
   
   
       19 . The process of  claim 18  wherein said removing the solvent comprises slowly evaporating the solvent from the solution.  
   
   
       20 . The process of  claim 18  wherein said removing the solvent comprises evaporating the solution at a temperature that is lower than the boiling point of the solvent.  
   
   
       21 . The process of  claim 18  further comprising annealing the dried semiconducting polymer blend at an elevated temperature.  
   
   
       22 . The process of  claim 21  wherein said annealing at an elevated temperature comprises annealing the semiconducting polymer blend at a temperature higher than the glass transition temperature (Tg) and melting temperature (Tm) of either of the chaperone polymer, the doped pi-conjugated polymer, the colloidal polymer, or the block copolymer.  
   
   
       23 . The process of  claim 2  wherein the selective solvent comprises ethanol.  
   
   
       24 . The process of  claim 23  wherein the selective solvent further comprises water.