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: 2022
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2022-01-01 至 2023-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=747121
• 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.

一些重要的大批量商业产品，包括汽车轮胎、油漆、涂料、密封剂和粘合剂，其制造过程需要使用大量表面活性剂，通常也称为清洁剂、乳化剂或肥皂。它们的作用是通过防止分散在水中的小聚合物（塑料、橡胶）颗粒凝结来稳定它们。这是一个每年价值超过 500 亿加元的全球市场，每年使用约 40 万吨表面活性剂。表面活性剂对于制造这些产品至关重要，但无法去除或回收。因此，表面活性剂最终进入环境，造成严重的毒性和环境问题，或者是在产品的使用寿命期间从产品中浸出，或者是当产品最终进入垃圾填埋场时。此外，它们是基于石油的，因此不可再生。认识到这些问题，工业界正在积极寻找传统表面活性剂的替代品，然而，尽管他们进行了大量的研究工作，但尚未出现有希望的候选者。理想的替代品应该是无毒且来源可再生的。该研究计划将探索一种新型聚合物颗粒稳定剂，能够替代现有的表面活性剂，但具有截然不同的设计，消除环境和毒性问题，并且是可再生来源或基于生物的。 大约一个世纪前，人们首次认识到纳米尺寸的二氧化硅固体颗粒（很像沙子，只是小得多）能够稳定水包油乳液。然而，直到最近，人们对这些主要用于食品工业以及高端化妆品和个人护理产品的“皮克林乳化剂”表现出了越来越大的兴趣，这一发现仍然只是一个好奇心。这些应用涉及稳定相对较大的油滴或蜡质颗粒。 鉴于最近对皮克林乳化剂的兴趣，一个有趣的问题是是否可能和/或实用，使用类似的方法来替代上述基于聚合物的工艺中的传统表面活性剂。女王大学和其他地方最近取得的进展令人鼓舞，认为这样的事业是可能实现的。因此，拟议的研究计划将致力于开发一类新型生物基替代品，以替代传统表面活性剂，以纤维素、淀粉、甲壳素或壳聚糖制成的纳米颗粒为基础。之前很少有研究使用生物基纳米颗粒来制造聚合物颗粒，这提供了产生重大科学和商业影响的机会。其好处将是全球性的。除了减少表面活性​​剂使用带来的健康和环境效益外，加拿大还将获得作为生物基皮克林乳化剂全球领导者的经济效益，包括对多名高素质人员进行高级培训。