Solvent-Free Polymerizations and Processes: Minimization of Conventional Organic Solvents (ACS Symposium Series, No. 713)

Environmental concerns are increasingly central in industrial chemistry, and this unique compilation presents a variety of strategies for reducing or eliminating the use of traditional organic solvents in polymer synthesis and processing. It spans a wide range of polymerization mechanisms, scales of production, and types of products and markets. Methods discussed include controlled bulk free radical polymerization, polyester melt polycondensation, the use of "pre-polymers" in network formation, reactive extrusion, and high pressure carbon dioxide as a benign solvent. The breadth of chemistry involved underscores the importance of these new techniques, and this valuable collection is likely to lead to further advances in waste reduction, novel chemical processes, and product enhancements.