Fluoropolymer compositions and purification methods thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9809658-B2
Application number	US-201615244148-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Aug 23, 2016
Priority date	Dec 23, 2010
Publication date	Nov 7, 2017
Grant date	Nov 7, 2017

Abstract

Described herein is a method of purifying a product and recycling water comprising the following steps:
(i) providing a crude product comprising at least one low molecular weight fluoroorganic compounds wherein the low molecular weight fluoroorganic compounds is partially fluorinated and comprises a polar group and/or a reactive group; (ii) extracting the impurity from the product using water to form an extract, (iii) contacting the extract with a radical-forming process to degrade the low molecular weight fluoroorganic compounds into carbon dioxide, water, fluorine ions, and optionally cations; and (iv) using the water from step (iii) in step (ii)

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A method of purifying a product comprising the following steps
(i) providing a crude product comprising at least one low molecular weight fluoroorganic compounds wherein the low molecular weight fluoroorganic compounds is partially fluorinated and comprises a polar group and/or a reactive group, wherein the crude product is substantially free of a fluorinated emulsifier;
(ii) extracting an impurity from the product using water to form an extract,
(iii) contacting the extract with a radical-forming process to degrade the low molecular weight fluoroorganic compounds into carbon dioxide, water, fluorine ions, and optionally cations; and
(iv) using the water from step (iii) in step (ii).

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polar group is selected from at least one of: an ether, an ester, and an acid.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the reactive group is selected from at least one of:
an olefin, a halide, and an alkyl group comprising at least one of a bromide or iodine atom.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crude product is a waste stream.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crude product is a fluoropolymer latex or a coagulated fluoropolymer.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the fluoropolymer latex comprises at least 0.1% by weight solids.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the crude product is derived from a fluorinated compound synthesis.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the low molecular weight fluoroorganic compound is an inert fluorinated liquid.

9. The method of claim 1 , further comprising removing the fluorine ions and cations.

10. The method of claim 9 , wherein the fluorine ions are removed via a precipitation process or an ion exchange process.

11. The method of claim 1 , further comprising adding a base before extracting the impurity from the product.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the radical forming process is an electrochemical process.

13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the electrochemical process comprises a hydroxy radical-generating electrode.

14. The method of claim 13 , wherein the hydroxy radical-generating electrode is selected from a boron doped diamond electrode, a lead oxide electrode, or a diamond particle doped with boron electrode.

15. The method of claim 14 , wherein the boron of the boron doped diamond layer electrode is doped at 0.05 ppm to 10000 ppm.

16. The method of claim 12 , wherein the potential used in the electrochemical process is 3 to 15 volts.

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• Hintzer Klaus
• Juergens Michael
• Kaempf Gunther J
• Kaspar Harald
• Lochhaas Kai H
• Streiter Andre
• Shyshkov Oleg
• Zipplies Tilman C
• Koenigsmann Herbert

Classifications

• C02F1/26

  by extraction · CPC title

• C08F2/10

  Aqueous solvent · CPC title

• C08F14/18

  Monomers containing fluorine · CPC title

• Y02P20/582

  Recycling of unreacted starting or intermediate materials · CPC title

• C08F14/08 Primary

  Vinylidene chloride · CPC title