Processing of Polymers With Supercritical Fluids

Abstract

The removal of impurities, such as residual solvents, unreacted monomers, catalysts, and side-reaction products from polymers represents an important step in polymer processing. Conventional devolatilization techniques for the purification of polymers have limited effectiveness. Devolatilization with supercritical fluids, however, can enhance impurity removal by increasing the thermodynamic driving force and molecular diffusivity.