Scheduling the Production of a Portfolio of Emulsion Polymers in a Single CSTR

Abstract

The production of a portfolio of waterborne adhesives in a single continuous stirred tank reactor (CSTR) was investigated seeking the sequence and the conditions in which the transition product formed in each grade transition had a minimum effect on the adhesive properties of each grade. This information could be gathered by performing a series of grade transitions in the CSTR. However, this approach would be time-consuming and would have a factorial increase with the number of polymer grades. Therefore, in this work, polymer blends were used to evaluate how the adhesive performance of each polymer was affected by the presence of a different polymer grade. On the basis of that information, a production schedule was proposed with the aim of maintaining an in-specification production. The production schedule was then evaluated by means of grade transitions performed in a CSTR. It was found that, by using short residence times and by following the right production schedule, it was possible to maintain the quality of each polymer grade.

Synthesis and Properties of Water-Based Acrylic Adhesives with a Variable Ratio of 2-Ethylhexyl Acrylate and n-Butyl Acrylate for Application in Glass Bottle Labels

“…This indicated that the chain transfer to polymer produced in the free radical polymerization of 2-EHA monomer was higher than with n-BA monomer. This affects the mobility of the polymer chains, which will be reflected in its adhesive properties and is in agreement with previous studies published [20][21][22]. As a consequence, the average sol molecular weight of the polymer decreased (Figure 3), since most of the polymer macromolecules formed were large enough to be insoluble in THF at 70 °C (higher than 7 × 10 6 g/mol according to the literature) [23].…”

The influence of the polymerization on properties of an ethylacrylate/2-ethyl hexylacrylate pressure-sensitive adhesive suspension

“…As can be seen from the results in Table 3, the amount of gel phase increased with decreasing reaction temperature which seems to be in contradiction with results reported elsewhere in the literature [7,15]. The amount of the gel phase should increase with increasing temperature, since the activation energy for chain transfer reaction to polymer is higher as the activation energy for propagation reaction, and therefore the transfer reactions are favored at higher temperatures [25].…”

“…The amount of formed gel was determined by a Soxhlet extraction with tetrahydrofuran (THF; Merck) under reflux during 24 h [15]. The measured amount of the gel phase in the adhesive corresponds to the both cross-linked polymer and entangled high MW polymer chains.…”

“…The effect of methyl methacrylate (MMA) on the tack in MMA/2-EHA copolymers for emulsion-based PSA was reported by Aymonier et al [14]. The possibility of tuning the adhesion properties through different holding tank temperatures, different types of chain transfer agents and the post-polymerization process were studied by Alarcia et al [15]. Our literature review, regarding the suspensionbased PSAs revealed no published data about influence of different monomers or polymerization process parameters neither on final PSA performance nor on the polymer microstructure.…”

Siloxane‐modified polyacrylate low‐residual pressure‐sensitive adhesive with high peeling strength

“…The gel content of the PSAs was measured by continuous extraction with THF under reflux for 24 h at about 75°C . About 1 g of dried latex film was wrapped by two pieces of filter paper to be extracted.…”