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Polyketones and polysulfones for conservation of ethylene polymers
Author(s) -
Steinberg Meyer
Publication year - 1977
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.760170512
Subject(s) - polymer , ethylene , materials science , raw material , fossil fuel , polymerization , catalysis , organic chemistry , chemical engineering , waste management , polymer chemistry , chemistry , composite material , engineering
Because of the increase in cost of foreign oil, ethylene costs have increased markedly within the last several years. There is presently a sizeable incentive to reduce raw material costs for basic polymer manufacture. The polyketones, synthesized from ethylene and CO, and the polysulfones, synthesized from ethylene and SO 2 , both utilizing high energy radiation, offer one such possibility. The process has the additional advantage that CO and SO 2 , usually considered as.wastes and pollutants from fossil fuel burning power plants, are converted to useful materials. The polyketones and polysulfones formed by radiation‐induced polymerization from the gas phase below 100°C have been found to be high molecular weight polymers which, depending on composition, either melt with difficulty or decompose at temperatures of 250°C or higher. The higher temperature (>100°C) catalyst‐induced reaction produces low molecular weight waxes. Design calculations indicate that for a G value of 10, 000 and 50 percent energy deposition efficiency, it would take 331 megacuries of Co 6O to conserve 2 billion pounds of ethylene or 25 percent of the overall U.S. consumption in the PE market by substituting CO and SO 2 . This savings amounts to as much as $280 million at today's market price. Electron machine radiation with a 25 percent energy deposition efficiency requires a total beam power of 9800 KW. The use of machine radiation is preferred because of safety, availability, and lower initial investment. The challenge presented by the development of these substituted polymer systems depends on (1) the determination of the uniqueness of the radiation process and confirming the yields with electron machine radiation, (2) the processability and market acceptability of the substituted polymers, and (3) the ability to design an efficient radiation process reactor.