Abstract: A process for producing an aqueous polymer solution, including: (a) providing a hydrated polymer that has been prepared by aqueous solution polymerisation of ethylenically unsaturated monomers, which hydrated polymer contains at least 10% by weight active polymer; (b) cutting the hydrated polymer by subjecting the hydrated polymer to at least one cutting stage containing at least one stream of aqueous liquid at a pressure of at least 150 bar to reduce the size of the hydrated polymer; and (c) dissolving the hydrated polymer in an aqueous liquid so as to obtain an aqueous polymer solution. An apparatus for producing an aqueous polymer solution.

Abstract: A reverse-phase suspension polymerisation process for the manufacture of polymer beads comprising forming aqueous monomer beads of an aqueous solution comprising water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend and polymerising the monomer or monomer blend to form polymer beads while suspended in a non-aqueous liquid, recovering polymer beads, and then cleaning the non-aqueous liquid in which the process comprises providing the non-aqueous liquid in a vessel (1), forming a suspension of monomer beads from the aqueous monomer or monomer blend in the non-aqueous liquid, initiating polymerisation to form polymerising beads, removing a suspension of the polymer beads in non-aqueous liquid from the vessel and recovering, water soluble or water swellable polymer beads from the suspension, in which the non-aqueous liquid contains impurities which comprise particles, and then transferring the non-aqueous liquid from the suspension to a cleaning stage, in which the cleaning stage provides a cleaned non

Abstract: A process for producing an aqueous polymer solution, including: (a) providing a hydrated polymer that has been prepared by aqueous solution polymerisation of ethylenically unsaturated monomers, which hydrated polymer contains at least 10% by weight active polymer; (b) cutting the hydrated polymer by subjecting the hydrated polymer to at least one cutting stage containing at least one stream of aqueous liquid at a pressure of at least 150 bar to reduce the size of the hydrated polymer; and (c) dissolving the hydrated polymer in an aqueous liquid so as to obtain an aqueous polymer solution. An apparatus for producing an aqueous polymer solution.

Abstract: A reverse-phase suspension polymerization process for the manufacture of polymer beads comprising forming aqueous monomer beads comprising an aqueous solution of water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend and polymerizing the monomer or monomer blend, to form polymer beads while suspended in a non-aqueous liquid, and recovering polymer beads, in which the process comprises providing in a vessel (1) a volume (2) of non-aqueous liquid wherein the volume of non-aqueous liquid extends between at least one polymer bead discharge point (3) and at least one monomer feed point (4), feeding the aqueous monomer or monomer blend through orifices (5) into, or onto, the non-aqueous liquid to form aqueous monomer beads, allowing the aqueous monomer beads to flow towards the polymer bead discharge point initiating polymerization of the aqueous monomer beads to form polymerizing beads, wherein the polymerizing beads form polymer beads when they reach the polymer bead discharge point, removing a suspensi

Abstract: A method for preparing an aqueous polyacrylamide solution, where the method includes: hydrating acrylonitrile in water in presence of a biocatalyst capable of converting acrylonitrile to acrylamide so as to obtain an acrylamide solution; directly polymerizing the acrylamide solution so as to obtain a polyacrylamide gel; and directly dissolving the polyacrylamide gel by addition of water so as to obtain an aqueous polyacrylamide solution, wherein the polyacrylamide gel is dissolved by water jet cutting.

Abstract: A method for preparing an aqueous polyacrylamide solution is disclosed. The method comprises:—hydrating acrylonitrile in water in presence of a biocatalyst capable of converting acrylonitrile to acrylamide so as to obtain an acrylamide solution,—directly polymerizing the acrylamide solution so as to obtain a polyacrylamide gel, and—directly dissolving the polyacrylamide gel by addition of water so as to obtain an aqueous polyacrylamide solution.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a polymerization process involving the steps of generating monomer micro-volumes in a microfluidic device, feeding the monomer micro-volumes through the at least one first microfluidic channel towards a monomer feed point at which the monomer micro-volumes enter into or onto a volume of a non-aqueous liquid and form aqueous monomer droplets, allowing the aqueous monomer droplets to flow towards a polymer bead discharge point, initiating polymerisation of the aqueous monomer droplets to form polymerising beads, removing a suspension of the polymer beads in the non-aqueous liquid from the vessel at the polymer bead discharge point, and recovering water soluble or water swellable polymer beads from the suspension. The present disclosure also includes an apparatus for performing the polymerization process and water soluble or water swellable polymer beads obtained by the polymerization process.

Abstract: A reverse-phase suspension polymerization process for the manufacture of polymer beads comprising forming aqueous monomer beads comprising an aqueous solution of water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend and polymerizing the monomer or monomer blend to form polymer beads while suspended in a non-aqueous liquid, and recovering polymer beads, in which the process comprises, providing in a vessel (1) a volume (2) of non-aqueous liquid wherein the volume of non-aqueous liquid extends between at least one polymer bead discharge point (3) and at least one monomer feed point (4), feeding the aqueous monomer or monomer blend through orifices (5) into, or onto, the non-aqueous liquid to form aqueous monomer beads, allowing the aqueous monomer beads to flow towards the polymer bead discharge point subjecting the aqueous monomer beads to polymerization conditions to initiate polymerization to form polymerizing beads, wherein the polymerizing beads have formed polymer beads when they reach the poly

Abstract: A process for preparation of a polymer product comprising the steps of i) feeding an aqueous mixture comprising a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer or a mixture of monoethylenically unsaturated monomers into a first reactor device (2) through at least one inlet; ii) partially polymerizing the monomer or monomers and transferring the polymerizing monomer or mixture of monomers from the inlet to an outlet (3) of the first reactor device (2) to provide a partially polymerized product; iii) flowing the partially polymerized product out of the outlet (3), in which no more than 60% of the monomer or mixture of monomers has been polymerized in the partially polymerized product as it exits the outlet (3) of first reactor device (2), and transferring it to a further reactor device (5), in which the further reactor device (5) has an inlet and an outlet (6); iv) continuing the polymerization in the further reactor device (5) and removing the polymer product from the outlet (6) of the further reactor device (5), ch

Abstract: A process for preparation of a polymer product comprising the steps of i) feeding an aqueous mixture comprising a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer or a mixture of monoethylenically unsaturated monomers into a first reactor device (2) through at least one inlet; ii) partially polymerising the monomer or monomers and transferring the polymerising monomer or mixture of monomers from the inlet to an outlet (3) of the first reactor device (2) to provide a partially polymerised product; iii) flowing the partially polymerised product out of the outlet (3), in which no more than 60% of the monomer or mixture of monomers has been polymerised in the partially polymerised product as it exits the outlet (3) of first reactor device (2), and transferring it to a further reactor device (5), in which the further reactor device (5) has an inlet and an outlet (6); iv) continuing the polymerisation in the further reactor device (5) and removing the polymer product from the outlet (6) of the further reactor device (5), char

Abstract: A process for preparation of a polymer product comprising the steps of i) feeding an aqueous mixture comprising a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer or a mixture of monoethylenically unsaturated monomers into a first reactor device (2) through at least one inlet; ii) partially polymerising the monomer or monomers and transferring the polymerising monomer or mixture of monomers from the inlet to an outlet (3) of the first reactor device (2) to provide a partially polymerised product; iii) flowing the partially polymerised product out of the outlet (3), in which no more than 60% of the monomer or mixture of monomers has been polymerised in the partially polymerised product as it exits the outlet (3) of first reactor device (2), and transferring it to a further reactor device (5), in which the further reactor device (5) has an inlet and an outlet (6); iv) continuing the polymerisation in the further reactor device (5) and removing the polymer product from the outlet (6) of the further reactor device (5), cha

Abstract: A reverse-phase suspension polymerisation process for the manufacture of polymer beads comprising forming aqueous monomer beads of an aqueous solution comprising water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend and polymerising the monomer or monomer blend to form polymer beads while suspended in a non-aqueous liquid, recovering polymer beads, and then cleaning the non-aqueous liquid in which the process comprises providing the non-aqueous liquid in a vessel (1), forming a suspension of monomer beads from the aqueous monomer or monomer blend in the non-aqueous liquid, initiating polymerisation to form polymerising beads, removing a suspension of the polymer beads in non-aqueous liquid from the vessel and recovering, water soluble or water swellable polymer beads from the suspension, in which the non-aqueous liquid contains impurities which comprise particles, and then transferring the non-aqueous liquid from the suspension to a cleaning stage, in which the cleaning stage provides a cleaned non

Abstract: A reverse-phase suspension polymerisation process for the manufacture of polymer beads comprising forming aqueous monomer beads comprising an aqueous solution of water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend and polymerising the monomer or monomer blend to form polymer beads while suspended in a non-aqueous liquid, and recovering polymer beads, in which the process comprises, providing in a vessel (1) a volume (2) of non-aqueous liquid wherein the volume of non-aqueous liquid extends between at least one polymer bead discharge point (3) and at least one monomer feed point (4), feeding the aqueous monomer or monomer blend through orifices (5) into, or onto, the non-aqueous liquid to form aqueous monomer beads, allowing the aqueous monomer beads to flow towards the polymer bead discharge point subjecting the aqueous monomer beads to polymerisation conditions to initiate polymerisation to form polymerising beads, wherein the polymerising beads have formed polymer beads when they reach the poly

Abstract: A reverse-phase suspension polymerisation process for the manufacture of polymer beads comprising forming aqueous monomer beads comprising an aqueous solution of water-soluble ethylenically unsaturated monomer or monomer blend and polymerising the monomer or monomer blend, to form polymer beads while suspended in a non-aqueous liquid, and recovering polymer beads, in which the process comprises providing in a vessel (1) a volume (2) of non-aqueous liquid wherein the volume of non-aqueous liquid extends between at least one polymer bead discharge point (3) and at least one monomer feed point (4), feeding the aqueous monomer or monomer blend through orifices (5) into, or onto, the non-aqueous liquid to form aqueous monomer beads, allowing the aqueous monomer beads to flow towards the polymer bead discharge point initiating polymerisation of the aqueous monomer beads to form polymerising beads, wherein the polymerising beads form polymer beads when they reach the polymer bead discharge point, removing a suspensi

Abstract: A process for preparation of a polymer product comprising the steps of i) feeding an aqueous mixture comprising a monoethylenically unsaturated monomer or a mixture of monoethylenically unsaturated monomers into a first reactor device (2) through at least one inlet; ii) partially polymerising the monomer or monomers and transferring the polymerising monomer or mixture of monomers from the inlet to an outlet (3) of the first reactor device (2) to provide a partially polymerised product; iii) flowing the partially polymerised product out of the outlet (3), in which no more than 60% of the monomer or mixture of monomers has been polymerised in the partially polymerised product as it exits the outlet (3) of first reactor device (2), and transferring it to a further reactor device (5), in which the further reactor device (5) has an inlet and an outlet (6); iv) continuing the polymerisation in the further reactor device (5) and removing the polymer product from the outlet (6) of the further reactor device (5), char