Methods and systems for synthesis of an ultra high molecular weight polymer
A method for controlling the physical state of an ultra-high molecular weight polymer to make the ultra-high molecular weight polymer suitable for further processing, and related polymers compositions methods and systems, wherein the method comprises combining a catalyst, monomers, and an additive, for a time and under condition to allow synthesis of a nascent polymer and co-crystallization of the nascent polymer with the additive.
1. A method to synthesize an ultra-high molecular weight polymer, the method comprising:
combining a monomer, an additive, and a catalyst suitable for polymerization of the monomers with a solvent in a mixture comprising a liquid phase, wherein the monomer is styrene, and wherein the additive is a copolymer comprising styrene and a polar comonomer;
wherein
the additive is a colloidal stabilizer capable of a crystal forming interaction with a nascent polymer comprising the monomer, the colloidal stabilizer comprising a solvophilic portion soluble in the solvent and a crystalphilic portion capable of interacting with the polymer to form a co-crystal comprising the polymer and the crystalphilic portion;
the additive being chemically inert with respect to the catalyst, the monomers, the nascent polymer and the ultra-high molecular weight polymer; and
the combining is performed in the liquid phase for a time and under conditions to allow synthesis of the nascent polymer, and co-crystallization of the nascent polymer with the additive thereby resulting in a colloidal suspension of the ultra-high molecular weight polymer comprising detectable crystals.
2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive is a compound of formula
-[(crystal forming moiety) n x -(colloid stabilizing moiety) n s ] M ;
where n x ≥,n s ≥,M≥1 in any statistical distribution.
3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive is a compound of formula
wherein A is a solvophilic block; B is a crystalphilic block and M is any positive integer.
4. The method of claim 3 , wherein A is a moiety of formula
A= a n y
wherein a is a monomer repeating units of A, where n y is any positive integer.
5. The method of claim 4 , wherein a is a compound produced by polymerizing a compound a′ of formulas
wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of C 0 to C 10 branched or unbranched alkyl, phenyl, aryl, alkoxy, thiol, thioether, amino, and alkylamino groups.
6. The method of claim 3 , wherein B is a moiety of formula
B= b n z
wherein b is a monomer repeating unit of B, where n z is any positive integer.
7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive is comprised in the mixture at a concentration of about 1% by weight or less with respect to the solvent.
8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the catalyst is a group 4 metal phenoxyimine complex.
9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the additive is a copolymer comprising syndiotactic polystyrene.
10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the copolymer further comprises atactic polystyrene.
11. The method of claim 4 , wherein a is an atactic polypropylene.
12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polar comonomer is a methyl acrylate.
13. A method to synthesize an ultra-high molecular weight polymer, the method comprising:
combining a monomer, an additive, and a catalyst suitable for polymerization of the monomers with a solvent in a mixture comprising a liquid phase, wherein the monomer is a first alpha olefin;
wherein
the additive is a colloidal stabilizer capable of a crystal forming interaction with a nascent polymer comprising the monomer, the colloidal stabilizer comprising a solvophilic portion soluble in the solvent and a crystalphilic portion capable of interacting with the polymer to form a co-crystal comprising the polymer and the crystalphilic portion;
the additive being chemically inert with respect to the catalyst, the monomers, the nascent polymer and the ultra-high molecular weight polymer; and
the combining is performed in the liquid phase for a time and under conditions to allow synthesis of the nascent polymer, and co-crystallization of the nascent polymer with the additive thereby resulting in a colloidal suspension of the ultra-high molecular weight polymer comprising detectable crystals.
14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the additive is a compound of formula
-[(crystal forming moiety) n x -(colloid stabilizing moiety) n s ] M ;
where n x ≥, n s≥, M≥ 1 in any statistical distribution.
15. The method of claim 13 , wherein the additive is a compound of formula
wherein A is a solvophilic block; B is a crystalphilic block and M is any positive integer.
16. The method of claim 15 , wherein A is a moiety of formula
A= a n y
wherein a is a monomer repeating units of A, where n y is any positive integer.
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein a is a compound produced by polymerizing a compound a′ of formulas
wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of C 0 to C 10 branched or unbranched alkyl, phenyl, aryl, alkoxy, thiol, thioether, amino, and alkylamino groups.
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein a is an atactic polypropylene.
19. The method of claim 15 , wherein B is a moiety of formula
B= b n z
wherein b is a monomer repeating unit of B, where n z is any positive integer.
20. The method of claim 19 , wherein b is an isotactic polypropylene.
21. The method of claim 13 , wherein the additive is comprised in the mixture at a concentration of about 1% by weight or less with respect to the solvent.
22. The method of claim 13 , wherein the additive is a copolymer of the first alpha olefin and a higher alpha olefin.
23. A method to synthesize an ultra-high molecular weight polymer, the method comprising:
combining a monomer, an additive, and a catalyst suitable for polymerization of the monomers with a solvent in a mixture comprising a liquid phase, wherein the monomer is a propylene;
wherein
the additive is a colloidal stabilizer capable of a crystal forming interaction with a nascent polymer comprising the monomer, the colloidal stabilizer comprising a solvophilic portion soluble in the solvent and a crystalphilic portion capable of interacting with the polymer to form a co-crystal comprising the polymer and the crystalphilic portion;
the additive being chemically inert with respect to the catalyst, the monomers, the nascent polymer and the ultra-high molecular weight polymer; and
the combining is performed in the liquid phase for a time and under conditions to allow synthesis of the nascent polymer, and co-crystallization of the nascent polymer with the additive thereby resulting in a colloidal suspension of the ultra-high molecular weight polymer comprising detectable crystals.
24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the additive is a compound of formula
-[(crystal forming moiety) n x -(colloid stabilizing moiety) n s ] M ;
where n x ≥, n s≥, M≥ 1 in any statistical distribution.
25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the additive is a compound of formula
wherein A is a solvophilic block; B is a crystalphilic block and M is any positive integer.
26. The method of claim 25 , wherein A is a moiety of formula
A= a n y
wherein a is a monomer repeating units of A, where n y is any positive integer.
27. The method of claim 26 , wherein a is a compound produced by polymerizing a compound a′ of formulas
wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of C 0 to C 10 branched or unbranched alkyl, phenyl, aryl, alkoxy, thiol, thioether, amino, and alkylamino groups.
28. The method of claim 26 , wherein a is an atactic polypropylene.
29. The method of claim 25 , wherein B is a moiety of formula
B= b n z
wherein b is a monomer repeating unit of B, where n z is any positive integer.
30. The method of claim 29 , wherein b is an isotactic polypropylene.
31. The method of claim 23 , wherein the additive is comprised in the mixture at a concentration of about 1% by weight or less with respect to the solvent.
32. A method to synthesize an ultra-high molecular weight polymer, the method comprising:
combining a monomer, an additive, and a catalyst suitable for polymerization of the monomers with a solvent in a mixture comprising a liquid phase, wherein the additive is a compound of formula
wherein A is a solvophilic block; B is a crystalphilic block and M is any positive integer, wherein A is a moiety of formula
A= a n y
wherein a is a monomer repeating units of A, where n y is any positive integer, wherein a is an atactic polypropylene;
wherein
the additive is a colloidal stabilizer capable of a crystal forming interaction with a nascent polymer comprising the monomer, the colloidal stabilizer comprising a solvophilic portion soluble in the solvent and a crystalphilic portion capable of interacting with the polymer to form a co-crystal comprising the polymer and the crystalphilic portion;
the additive being chemically inert with respect to the catalyst, the monomers, the nascent polymer and the ultra-high molecular weight polymer; and
the combining is performed in the liquid phase for a time and under conditions to allow synthesis of the nascent polymer, and co-crystallization of the nascent polymer with the additive thereby resulting in a colloidal suspension of the ultra-high molecular weight polymer comprising detectable crystals.
33. The method of claim 32 , wherein B is a moiety of formula
B= b n z
wherein b is a monomer repeating unit of B, where n z is any positive integer.
34. The method of claim 33 , wherein b is a compound produced by polymerizing a compound b′ of formulas
wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of C 0 to C 10 branched or unbranched alkyl, phenyl, aryl, alkoxy, thiol, thioether, amino, and alkylamino groups.
35. The method of claim 33 , wherein b is an isotactic polypropylene.
36. The method of claim 32 , wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of: block copolymer, graft copolymer, statistical copolymer and gradient copolymer.
37. The method of claim 32 , wherein the monomer is a first alpha olefin.
38. The method of claim 37 , wherein the additive is a copolymer of the first alpha olefin and a higher alpha olefin.
39. The method of claim 32 , wherein the monomer is a propylene.
40. A method to synthesize an ultra-high molecular weight polymer, the method comprising:
combining a monomer, an additive, and a catalyst suitable for polymerization of the monomers with a solvent in a mixture comprising a liquid phase, wherein the additive is a compound of formula
wherein A is a solvophilic block; B is a crystalphilic block and M is any positive integer, wherein B is a moiety of formula
B= b n z
wherein b is a monomer repeating unit of B, where n, is any positive integer, wherein b is an isotactic polypropylene;
wherein
the additive is a colloidal stabilizer capable of a crystal forming interaction with a nascent polymer comprising the monomer, the colloidal stabilizer comprising a solvophilic portion soluble in the solvent and a crystalphilic portion capable of interacting with the polymer to form a co-crystal comprising the polymer and the crystalphilic portion;
the additive being chemically inert with respect to the catalyst, the monomers, the nascent polymer and the ultra-high molecular weight polymer; and
the combining is performed in the liquid phase for a time and under conditions to allow synthesis of the nascent polymer, and co-crystallization of the nascent polymer with the additive thereby resulting in a colloidal suspension of the ultra-high molecular weight polymer comprising detectable crystals.
41. The method of claim 40 , wherein A is a moiety of formula
A= a n y
wherein a is a monomer repeating units of A, where n y is any positive integer.
42. The method of claim 41 , wherein a is a compound produced by polymerizing a compound a′ of formulas
wherein R is independently selected from the group consisting of C 0 to C 10 branched or unbranched alkyl, phenyl, aryl, alkoxy, thiol, thioether, amino, and alkylamino groups.
43. The method of claim 41 , wherein a is an atactic polypropylene.
44. The method of claim 40 , wherein the monomer is a first alpha olefin.
45. The method of claim 44 , wherein the additive is a copolymer of the first alpha olefin and a higher alpha olefin.
46. The method of claim 40 , wherein the monomer is a propylene.