Method to purify poly(vinyl alcohol)

1. A process to produce a film comprising poly(vinyl alcohol), the process comprising the steps of: dissolving a poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer or copolymer in a solvent to produce a casting solution; casting the casting solution onto a casting form; removing the solvent to produce the film comprising poly(vinyl alcohol), wherein prior to producing the casting solution, the poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer or copolymer is first purified by a continuous purification process comprising the steps of: providing a crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution consisting essentially of water, poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer or copolymer, impurities, wherein the crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has a pH of about 5 to about 6.9; directing the crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution at a temperature of about 25° C. to about 100° C. through a column comprising a macroreticular polymeric cation exchange resin comprising the hydrogen form of a sulfonic acid; and collecting a purified aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution at a pH of between 3 and 6.9 from the column, wherein a 50 micrometer thick film produced from the purified aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has an APHA color value of 50 or less after the film has been heated at 150° C. for 60 minutes.

2. The process of claim 1 , wherein the crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution comprises about 0.5 to about 30 weight percent poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer or copolymer.

3. The process of claim 1 , wherein the crude homogenous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution comprises about 4 to about 10 weight percent poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer or copolymer.

4. The process of claim 1 , wherein a 50 micrometer thick film produced from the purified aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has an APHA color value of 20 or less after the film has been heated at 150° C. for 60 minutes.

5. The process of claim 1 , wherein a 50 micrometer thick film produced from the purified aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has an APHA color value of 5 or less after the film has been heated at 150° C. for 60 minutes.

6. The process of claim 1 , wherein a 50 micrometer thick film produced from the purified aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has an APHA color value of 20 or less after the film has been heated at 150° C. for 120 minutes.

7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the column comprises a plurality of containers, each comprising a portion of the resin, wherein at least one of the containers is removable from the purification process such that the portion of the resin within the removed container is capable of being regenerated in a process separate from the continuous purification process of claim 1 , while continuing the continuous purification process of claim 1 .

8. The process of claim 1 , wherein the crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has a viscosity of less than 100 centi Poise at 25° C.

9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution comprises a poly(vinyl alcohol) copolymer comprising up to about 50 weight percent of one or more comonomers selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, crotonic acid, metal salts thereof, alkyl esters thereof, polyethylene glycol esters thereof, polypropylene glycol esters thereof, vinyl chloride, tetrafluoroethylene, C 2 -C 10 alkyl acrylates, C 2 -C 10 alkyl methacrylates, vinyl chloride, tetrafluoroethylene, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propane sulfonic acid and its salts, acrylamide, N-alkyl acrylamide, N,N-dialkyl substituted acrylamides, N-vinyl formamide, and VeoVa®.

10. A continuous process for purifying an aqueous homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution comprising the steps of: providing a crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution consisting essentially of water, poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer or copolymer, impurities, wherein the crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has a pH of about 5 to about 6.9; directing the crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution at a temperature of about 25° C. to about 100° C. through a column comprising a macroreticular polymeric cation exchange resin comprising the hydrogen form of a sulfonic acid; and collecting a purified aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution at a pH of between 3 and 6.9 from the column, wherein a 50 micrometer thick film produced from the purified aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has an APHA color value of 50 or less after the film has been heated at 150° C. for 60 minutes.

11. The continuous process of claim 10 , wherein the crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution comprises about 0.5 to about 30 weight percent poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer or copolymer.

12. The continuous process of claim 10 , wherein the crude homogenous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution comprises about 4 to about 10 weight percent poly(vinyl alcohol) polymer or copolymer.

13. The continuous process of claim 10 , wherein a 50 micrometer thick film produced from the purified aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has an APHA color value of 20 or less after the film has been heated at 150° C. for 60 minutes.

14. The continuous process of claim 10 , wherein a 50 micrometer thick film produced from the purified aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has an APHA color value of 5 or less after the film has been heated at 150° C. for 60 minutes.

15. The continuous process of claim 10 , wherein a 50 micrometer thick film produced from the purified aqueous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has an APHA color value of 20 or less after the film has been heated at 150° C. for 120 minutes.

16. The continuous process of claim 10 , wherein the column comprises a plurality of containers, each comprising a portion of the resin, wherein at least one of the containers is removable from the purification process such that the portion of the resin within the removed container is capable of being regenerated in a process separate from the continuous purification process of claim 10 , while continuing the continuous purification process of claim 10 .

17. The continuous process of claim 10 , wherein the crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution has a viscosity of less than 100 centi Poise at 25° C.

18. The continuous process of claim 10 , wherein the crude homogeneous poly(vinyl alcohol) solution comprises a poly(vinyl alcohol) copolymer comprising up to about 50 weight percent of one or more comonomers selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, crotonic acid, metal salts thereof, alkyl esters thereof, polyethylene glycol esters thereof, polypropylene glycol esters thereof, vinyl chloride, tetrafluoroethylene, C 2 -C 10 alkyl acrylates, C 2 -C 10 alkyl methacrylates, 2-acrylamido-2-methyl-propane sulfonic acid and its salts, acrylamide, N-alkyl acrylamide, N,N-dialkyl substituted acrylamides, N-vinyl formamide, and VeoVa®.