Miniemulsion technology is attracting increasing interest for the preparation of nano-size particles. However, the barrier to industrialising miniemulsion-based products is the lack of an energy efficient and scalable homogenisation device. Current laboratory techniques consist of batch units, however trends are leaning towards developing continuous processes. The objective of the work presented here is to investigate the use of the rotor-stator (RS) and static mixers (SM) as homogenisation devices and ultimately develop a continuous emulsification/polymerisation process for the preparation of miniemulsions. Initially we investigated the RS as a homogenisation device and found that we were able to generate droplets ranging from 300 nm to 2 μm, at industrially pertinent solids content. Subsequently, we investigated the use of SM and compared their performance in terms of mean droplet size evolutions with the rotor-stator. We were able to generate droplets < 200 nm in size and polymerise them in a stable fashion. All the available emulsification devices were then compared in terms of power/energy consumption, droplet size distributions and shear rates. It was observed that with energy costs being of similar orders of magnitude, SM imposed less shear, produced relatively narrow distributions and were better adapted to scale-up, making them the optimal choice for miniemulsification. Energy savings were increased by reducing coalescence during the emulsification step by using in situ generated surfactants, ultimately reducing emulsification time. Neutralising a water-soluble base with an oil-soluble acid almost instantaneously generates in situ surfactants at the oil-water interface. The reduction in emulsification time was partially attributed to the elimination of the relatively slow adsorption step typical of preformed surfactants. These results were used to show that emulsifying in situ formulations at moderate flow rates in line with SMX mixers can substantially reduce emulsification time from 30 minutes, with preformed surfactants, to ~30 seconds. With such a rapid emulsification step, it was possible to test the feasibility of the continuous emulsification process followed by polymerisation in a tubular reactor. Comparing this process with a batch operation, similar results for the ratio of NP/ND and conversion were obtained, but the continuous process was accomplished in a single step. / Thesis (Ph.D, Chemical Engineering) -- Queen's University, 2010-04-19 03:32:08.766

Les polyuréthanes forment une importante famille de polymère ; ils sont obtenus industriellement à partir d’isocyanates, des dérivés du phosgène. Dans l’optique de s’affranchir de ces composés toxiques et de promouvoir l’utilisation de la biomasse, cette thèse s’intéresse à la synthèse de dispersions aqueuses de polyuréthanes sans isocyanates et dérivés d’huiles végétales. Deux voies de synthèse de polyuréthane sans isocyanate sont étudiées : la transuréthanisation et l’aminolyse des carbonates cycliques. Des synthons biscarbamates et bis-carbonates cycliques dérivés d’acides gras ont ainsi été développés, et leur polymérisation en masse avec des diols ou diamines étudiée. Les deux voies de synthèse permettent d’obtenir des polyuréthanes pour des températures de 20 à 130°C en quelques heures ; le méthanolate de sodium est identifié comme un catalyseur efficace lors de la transuréthanisation tandis que l’aminolyse des carbonates cycliques ne nécessite pas de catalyse. Les masses molaires (Mn) obtenues sont de l’ordre de 5-17kg.mol-1, ces résultats sont cohérents avec la littérature. La polymérisation en mini-émulsion (aqueuse) a alors été utilisée pour la synthèse de polyuréthanes par aminolyse des carbonates cycliques. De nombreuses expériences de formulation des mini-émulsions ont permis d’aboutir à des mini-émulsions et latex de polyuréthanes stables. / Polyurethanes are a major polymer family; they are industrially obtained from phosgene derivatives: isocyanates. In order to avoid the use of such toxic compounds and to promote the use of biomass, this thesis investigates the synthesis of aqueous dispersions of nonisocyanate polyurethanes derived from vegetable oils. Two synthesis pathways have been studied; transurethanization and aminolysis of cyclic carbonates. Bis-carbamates and biscyclic carbonates were synthesized from fatty acids, and their polymerizations with diols or diamines were studied in bulk. The two routes allow the production of polyurethanes in a few hours at 20-130°C. Sodium methoxide is used as catalyst for transurethanization reactions while the other synthesis pathway does not require catalysts to proceed. Polyurethanes obtained have molar mass (Mn) around 5-17kg.mol-1, which is in accordance with the literature. The polymerization in aqueous miniemulsion was then investigated for the synthesis of polyurethane by aminolysis of cyclic carbonates. Many formulation experiments were necessary to achieve stable miniemulsion and latex; aqueous dispersions of bio-based non-isocyanate polyurethanes were then obtained.