PROCESS FOR USING SWELLABLE and COLLAPSIBLE LIPOPHILIC SUPER-ABSORBENT POLYMER GELS TO CLEAN SURFACES

摘要

Lipophilic super-absorbent swelling gels have been developed that will not only absorb the oil and grease from these machine parts, but will also act as an automated sweeper due to the self-generating mechanical force of the gel. An octadecylacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (ODA-co-EGDMA) tetraalkylammonium tetraphenylborate lipophilic polyelectrolyte gel (EG-18) and poly(stearylacrylate-co-ethylene glycol dimethacrylate) (SA-co-EGDMA) neutral gel (NG-18) were evaluated for swelling and oil sorption capacity. NG-18 and EG-18 gels removed particulate contaminants and absorbed oils and grease on metal and non-metal surfaces without causing abrasion. The gels are also recyclable. The cleaning ability of the gels was compared with the standard solvent cleaner trichloroethylene (TCE) following ASTM G122-96(2008) test methods and MIL-PRF-680B procedure with MIL-PRF-10924 test grease. Polymer gel cleaners exhibited analogous extent and rate of cleaning as the TCE. These recyclable superabsorbent polymer cleaners will allow drastic reduction in the use of VOC containing solvents and HAP release.