Polymer dissolution and blend formation in ionic liquids
View Patent ↗The present invention relates to processes utilizing ionic liquids for the dissolution of various polymers and/or copolymers, the formation of resins and blends, and the reconstitution of polymer and/or copolymer solutions, and the dissolution and blending of “functional additives” and/or various polymers and/or copolymers to form advanced composite materials.
1. A process for preparing a polymer blend, comprising:
(a) admixing at least two differing polymeric materials with at least one ionic liquid, wherein the ionic liquid comprises one or more cations and one or more anions and is substantially free of a nitrogen-containing base; and wherein one of the polymeric materials is cellulose and the other is selected from the group consisting of starch, chitin, polyolefin, polyacrylonitrile, poly-2-hydroxymethylmethacrylate, poly-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol, linear polyethyleneimine, branched polyethyleneimine, polyaniline, polyethylene glycol, and polyethylene oxide with terminal amine groups; and
(b) adding a non-solvent to the composition of step (a), wherein the non-solvent dissolves the ionic liquid but not the polymeric materials,
thereby providing the polymer blend and a liquid phase comprising the ionic liquid.
2. The process of claim 1 , wherein step (a) further comprises heating to about 100° C. to about 150° C.
3. The process of claim 2 , wherein the heating is by a microwave.
4. The process of claim 1 , further comprising separating the blend from the liquid phase comprising the ionic liquid.
5. The process of claim 1 , wherein the number of polymeric materials is two.
6. The process of claim 1 , wherein the number of polymeric materials is three.
7. The process of claim 1 , wherein the number of polymeric materials is four.
8. The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the polymeric materials further comprises a plasticizer, filler, colorant, UV-screening agent, or antioxidant.
9. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ionic liquid has a melting point of less than about 200° C.
10. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cation comprises a pyrazole, thiazole, isothiazole, azathiozole, oxothiazole, oxazine, oxazoline, oxazaborole, dithiozole, triazole, selenozole, oxaphosphole, pyrrole, borole, furan, thiophen, phosphole, pentazole, indole, indoline, oxazole, isoxazole, isotriazole, tetrazole, benzofuran, dibenzofuran, benzothiophen, dibenzothiophen, thiadiazole, pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, pyridazine, piperazine, piperidine, morpholone, pyran, aniline, phthalazine, quinazoline, quinoxaline, pyrrolidine, or combinations thereof.
11. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cation is an imidazolium cation.
12. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cation is a quinolinium or isoquinolinium cation.
13. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cation is 1,3-di(C 1 -C 6 alkyl or C 1 -C 6 alkoxyalkyl)-imidazolium.
14. The process of claim 1 , wherein the cation is 1-(C 1 -C 6 alkyl)-3-methyl-imidazolium.
15. The process of claim 1 , wherein the anion comprises a halogen, BF 4 − , PF 6 − , AsF 6 − , SbF 6 − , NO 2 − , NO 3 − , SO 4 2− , phosphate, phosphite, carboxylate, or triflate.
16. The process of claim 1 wherein the anion is a halogen.
17. The process of claim 1 , wherein the ionic liquid comprises a 1-alkyl-3-methyl imidazolium cation and the anion comprises Cl − , Br − , SCN − , PF 6 − , or BF 4 − .
18. The process of claim 1 , wherein the non-solvent comprises a polar liquid.
19. The process of claim 1 , wherein the non-solvent comprises an alcohol.
20. The process of claim 1 , wherein the non-solvent comprises water.
21. The process of claim 1 , wherein the anion comprises a carboxylate.
22. The process of claim 21 , wherein the anion is acetate.
23. The process of claim 1 , wherein at least one of the polymeric materials comprises chitin.
24. A mixture comprising at least two differing polymeric materials where one of the polymeric materials comprises cellulose and the other polymeric material comprises polyacrylonitrile, poly-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyaniline, or polyethylene glycol and at least one ionic liquid, wherein the ionic liquid comprises one or more cations and one or more anions.
25. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the number of polymeric materials is three.
26. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the number of polymeric materials is four.
27. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein at least one of the polymeric materials further comprises a plasticizer, filler, colorant, UV-screening agent, or antioxidant.
28. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the ionic liquid is substantially free of water or a nitrogen-containing base.
29. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the ionic liquid has a melting point of less than about 200° C.
30. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the cation comprises a pyrazole, thiazole, isothiazole, azathiozole, oxothiazole, oxazine, oxazoline, oxazaborole, dithiozole, triazole, selenozole, oxaphosphole, pyrrole, borole, furan, thiophen, phosphole, pentazole, indole, indoline, oxazole, isoxazole, isotriazole, tetrazole, benzofuran, dibenzofuran, benzothiophen, dibenzothiophen, thiadiazole, pyridine, pyrimidine, pyrazine, pyridazine, piperazine, piperidine, morpholone, pyran, aniline, phthalazine, quinazoline, quinoxaline, pyrrolidine, or combinations thereof.
31. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the cation is an imidazolium cation.
32. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the cation is a quinolinium or isoquinolinium cation.
33. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the cation is 1,3-di(C 1 -C 6 alkyl or C 1 -C 6 alkoxyalkyl)-imidazolium.
34. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the cation is 1-(C 1 -C 6 alkyl)-3-methyl-imidazolium.
35. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the anion comprises a halogen, BF 4 − , PF 6 − , AsF 6 − , SbF 6 − , NO 2 − , NO 3 − , SO 4 2− , phosphate, phosphite, carboxylate, or triflate.
36. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the anion is a halogen.
37. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the ionic liquid comprises a 1 - alkyl-3-methyl imidazolium cation and the anion comprises Cl − , Br − , SCN − , PF 6 − , or BF 4 − .
38. The mixture of claim 24 , further comprising a non-solvent, wherein the non-solvent can dissolve the ionic liquid but not the polymeric materials.
39. The mixture of claim 38 , wherein the non-solvent comprises a polar liquid.
40. The mixture of claim 38 , wherein the non-solvent comprises an alcohol.
41. The mixture of claim 38 , wherein the non-solvent comprises water.
42. The mixture of claim 24 , wherein the anion comprises a carboxylate.
43. The mixture of claim 42 , wherein the anion is acetate.
44. A process for preparing a polymer blend, comprising:
(c) admixing at least two differing polymeric materials with at least one ionic liquid, wherein the ionic liquid comprises one or more cations and one or more anions and is substantially free of a nitrogen-containing base; and wherein one of the polymeric materials is chitin and the other is selected from the group consisting of starch, polyolefin, polyacrylonitrile, poly-2-hydroxymethylmethacrylate, poly-2-ydroxyethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol, linear polyethyleneimine, branched polyethyleneimine, polyaniline, polyethylene glycol, and polyethylene oxide with terminal amine groups; and
(d) adding a non-solvent to the composition of step (a), wherein the non-solvent dissolves the ionic liquid but not the polymeric materials,
thereby providing the polymer blend and a liquid phase comprising the ionic liquid.
45. A mixture comprising at least two differing polymeric materials where one of the polymeric materials comprises chitin and the other polymeric material comprises polyacrylonitrile, poly-2-hydroxyethylmethacrylate, polyvinyl alcohol, polyaniline, or polyethylene glycol and at least one ionic liquid, wherein the ionic liquid comprises one or more cations and one or more anions.