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Flexible supercritical CO 2 ‐assisted process for poly(methyl methacrylate) structure formation
Author(s) -
Reverchon E.,
Rappo E. Schiavo,
Cardea S.
Publication year - 2006
Publication title -
polymer engineering and science
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.503
H-Index - 111
eISSN - 1548-2634
pISSN - 0032-3888
DOI - 10.1002/pen.20438
Subject(s) - supercritical fluid , acetone , membrane , polymer , solvent , materials science , phase inversion , methyl methacrylate , tetrahydrofuran , polymer chemistry , chemical engineering , methacrylate , organic chemistry , chemistry , polymerization , composite material , engineering , biochemistry
Poly(methyl methacrylate) membranes have been prepared using a supercritical fluid‐phase inversion process in which CO 2 acts as the nonsolvent. Series of experiments were performed at various polymer concentrations, temperatures, and pressures using three different solvents, dimethylsulfoxide, acetone, and tetrahydrofuran. We operated at polymer concentrations ranging between 25 and 1% (w/w) in DMSO, acetone, and THF, obtaining membranes that change with continuity from cellular structure to a structure formed by networked microparticles. The membrane formation parameters in the case of DMSO and acetone have also been varied between 15 and 25 MPa and between 35 and 65°C. We observed that on increasing the pressure and decreasing the temperature, the cell size decreased. The influence of the solvent used on membrane formation has also been analyzed. On increasing the mutual affinity between solvent and nonsolvent, cell and pore sizes decrease and the structure changes from nearly closed to open interconnected cells. POLYM. ENG. SCI. 46:188–197, 2006. © 2005 Society of Plastics Engineers