The Procter Gamble Company

Thomas Michael Shiveley

Thomas Allen Desmarais

John Collins Dyer

Stephen T Dick

Keith Joseph Stone

Thomas A DesMarais

Bryn Hird

Vincenzo Catalfamo

David Albert Sabatelli

Paul Martin Lipic

Gina Lynn Blum

This application relates to flexible, microporous, open-celled polymeric foam materials with physical characteristics that make them suitable for a variety of uses. This application particularly relates to methods particularly suitable for continuously curing high internal phase emulsions to form such foams.

Method for continuous curing of hipe into hipe foams

A method of making high internal phase emulsions is described. The method forms high internal phase emulsion (HIPE) using a single pass through the static mixer. In alternative embodiments, the HIPE may be further processed to farther modify the size of dispersed phase droplets, to incorporate additional materials into the HIPE, to alter emulsion temperature, and the like.

Apparatus and process for in-line preparation of HIPEs

This application relates to flexible, microporous, open-celled polymeric foam materials with physical characteristics that make them suitble for a variety of uses. This application particularly relates to degassing the components of the high internal phase emulsions which are subsequently cured to form such foams.

Method for degassification of high internal phase emulsion components

The present invention provides a method and an apparatus for forming a continuous web from a block of material. The block material has a base and a central axis extending generally orthogonally from the base. The apparatus preferably comprises a bath including a fluid into which the block of material can be at least partially submersed. Further, the apparatus preferably includes means for rotating the block about the central axis, a cutting device and means for linearly decreasing the predetermined distance of the cutting blade from the central axis. The cutting device is preferably positioned so as to make a cut into the block at a predetermined distance from the central axis, the cut being generally parallel to the central axis of the block. The material cut form the block preferably forms a continuous web.

Method and apparatus for producing a continuous web from a block of material

This application relates to flexible, microporous, open-celled polymeric foam materials with physical characteristics that make them suitable for a variety of uses. This application particularly relates to high temperature processes having short curing times for preparing such foam materials from high internal phase emulsions.

Processes for the rapid preparation of foam materials from high internal phase emulsions at high temperatures and pressures

The present invention relates to a HIPE-derived heterogeneous polymeric foam structure of interconnected open-cells, wherein the foam structure has at least two distinct regions. Such heterogeneous foams have various applications, such as energy and fluid absorption, insulation, and filtration. The invention further relates to a heterogeneous absorbent polymeric foam that, upon contact with aqueous fluids (in particular body fluids such as urine and blood), can acquire, distribute, and store these fluids. The foams of the invention have at least two distinct regions having different density, polymer composition, surface properties, and/or microcellular morphology. The invention further relates to a process for obtaining the heterogeneous foams by polymerizing a high internal phase water-in-oil emulsion, or HIPE. In one aspect, the process utilizes at least two distinct HIPEs, with each emulsion having a relatively small amount of an oil phase and a relatively greater amount of a water phase.

Heterogeneous foam materials

Process for making heterogeneous foam materials

Disclosed is a process for the continuous preparation of high internal phase emulsions which are suitable for subsequent polymerization into polymeric foam materials that, upon dewatering, act as absorbents for aqueous body fluids. The process involves continuous introduction of a certain type of monomer-containing oil phase and a certain type of electrolyte-containing water phase into a dynamic mixing zone at relatively low water to oil phase ratios. Flow rates are then steadily adjusted to increase the water to oil ratio of the streams fed to the dynamic mixing zone while subjecting the dynamic mixing zone contents to shear agitation which is sufficient to thereby form a high internal phase emulsion that, upon subsequent polymerization, provides a foam having an average cell size of from about 5 to 100 microns. The formation of such a stable high internal phase emulsion is completed by feeding the contents of the dynamic mixing zone to and through a static mixing zone.

Growing community of inventors

Moscow, OH, United States of America

Thomas Michael Shiveley