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Process Characterization of Polyvinyl Acetate Emulsions Applying Inline Photon Density Wave Spectroscopy at High
Stephanie Schlappa1, Lee Josephine Brenker1, Lena Bressel1
1Department of Physical Chemistry, innoFSPEC, University of Potsdam, Am Muehlenberg 3, 14476 Potsdam, Germany.
Polymers
|March 6, 2021
Summary
Photon Density Wave (PDW) spectroscopy effectively monitors high solids emulsion polymerization in real-time. This inline process analytical technology (PAT) provides valuable data for optimizing polyvinyl acetate synthesis.
Area of Science:
- Polymer Chemistry
- Materials Science
- Chemical Engineering
Background:
- Emulsion polymerization is crucial for producing polymers like polyvinyl acetate.
- High solids content (>40% w/w) presents challenges for traditional monitoring techniques.
- Inline Process Analytical Technology (PAT) is needed for real-time control in industrial settings.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the suitability of Photon Density Wave (PDW) spectroscopy as an inline PAT tool.
- To monitor high solids semicontinuous emulsion polymerization of polyvinyl acetate.
- To evaluate PDW spectroscopy's ability to track polymerization progress and particle characteristics.
Main Methods:
- Utilized PDW spectroscopy for real-time inline monitoring of absorption and scattering.
- Conducted semicontinuous emulsion polymerization of vinyl acetate with poly(vinyl alcohol-co-vinyl acetate) as a protective colloid.
- Employed a starved-feed radical polymerization approach with ascorbic acid and sodium persulfate redox initiators.
- Compared PDW spectroscopy data with offline dynamic light scattering (DLS) and static light scattering (SLS) measurements.
Main Results:
- PDW spectroscopy successfully acquired real-time inline data on absorption and scattering during polymerization.
- The technique monitored changes in dispersion properties correlating with polymerization progress.
- Observed particle sizes were in the nanometer range, consistent with starved-feed polymerization.
- PDW results showed good correlation with offline DLS and SLS measurements for particle size determination.
Conclusions:
- PDW spectroscopy is a viable inline PAT tool for high solids emulsion polymerization.
- It enables real-time monitoring of polyvinyl acetate synthesis, aiding process optimization.
- The method offers a non-invasive approach for characterizing nanoparticle formation during polymerization.
