Replacing traditional surfactants in the preparation of polymer nanoparticles

替代传统表面活性剂制备聚合物纳米颗粒

• 批准号: RGPIN-2020-04361
• 负责人: Cunningham, Michael
• 金额: $ 4.66万
• 依托单位: Queen's University
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Discovery Grants Program - Individual
• 财政年份: 2020
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2020-01-01 至 2021-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=716419
• 关键词: Replacing; traditional; surfactants; preparation; polymer

Several important, large volume commercial products including automotive tires, paints, coatings, sealants and adhesives are made in manufacturing processes that require the use of large amounts of surfactants, also commonly known as detergents, emulsifiers or soaps. Their role is to stabilize the small polymer (plastic, rubber) particles which are dispersed in water by preventing them from coagulating. This is a global market worth over $50 billion (CAD) annually that uses approximately 400,000 tonnes of surfactant per year. The surfactants are essential to making these products, but they cannot be removed or recovered. Consequently the surfactants end up in the environment where they pose serious toxicity and environmental concerns, either by leaching out of the product during its service life, or when the product ends up in a landfill. Furthermore, they are petroleum-based and therefore non-renewable. Recognizing these problems, industry is actively seeking alternatives to conventional surfactants, however despite their intensive research efforts no promising candidates have emerged. An ideal replacement would be non-toxic and renewably sourced. This research proposal will explore a new type of stabilizer for polymer particles, capable of replacing existing surfactants but having a very different design, eliminating the environmental and toxicity concerns, and additionally being renewably sourced, or bio-based. Almost a century ago it was first recognized that nano-size solid particles of silica (much like sand, only much smaller) were able to stabilize oil-in-water emulsions. However this discovery remained little more than a curiosity until recently when increasing interest has been shown for these “Pickering emulsifiers”, primarily for use in the food industry as well as higher end cosmetics and personal care products. These applications involve stabilizing relatively large oil droplets or waxy particles. Given the recent interest in Pickering emulsifiers, an intriguing question is whether it is possible, and/or practical, to use a similar approach to replace conventional surfactants in the polymer-based processes described above. Recent progress at Queen's and elsewhere has offered encouragement that such an undertaking may be possible. The proposed research program will therefore endeavor to develop a new class of bio-based alternatives to conventional surfactants based on nanoparticles made from cellulose, starch, chitin or chitosan. There are very few previous studies using bio-based nanoparticles to make polymer particles, presenting an opportunity to make significant scientific and commercial impacts. The benefits would be global. Benefits to Canada, in addition to health and environmental benefits due to reduced use of surfactants, would include economic benefits from being global leaders in bio-based Pickering emulsifiers including advanced training of several highly qualified personnel.

几种重要的商业产品汽车轮胎，油漆，涂料，需要大量的表面活性剂（塑料，橡胶）窃窃私语，每年使用大约400,000,000吨表面活性剂对于制造这些产品至关重要，但是它们不能在其使用寿命中浸出产品，或者在产品中浸出，或者在垃圾填埋场中浸出，他们是基于石油的，因此不可再生才能积极地寻求约定的替代方法采购或基于生物。 几乎一个中心认识到硅乳液的纳米大小固体颗粒，但直到最近显示出对这些SE应用的兴趣越来越多的好奇心，才涉及稳定相对较大的油滴或蜡质颗粒。 鉴于基于聚合物的过程中的乳液中的乳液表面活性剂是基于糖尿病的纳米颗粒，而不是糖尿病。 ，在基于生物的皮克乳液中提出了一个机会。