Preparation of foam materials from high internal phase emulsions.

摘要

A process for preparing a polymeric foam material comprising the following steps: A) forming a water / oil emulsion from: 1) an oil phase comprising: a) from 80 to 99% by weight of a monomer component that can harden quickly, wherein the monomer component comprises: i) from 20% to 97% by weight of a substantially water-insoluble monomer selected from the group consisting of alkyl acrylates, alkyl methacrylates and mixtures thereof; ii) from 2% to 40% of a polyfunctional crosslinking practically insoluble in water selected from the group consisting of polyfunctional acrylate esters methacrylate, and mixtures thereof; iii) 0 to 8% by weight of a third monomer practically insoluble in water; wherein the term "alkyl", as used herein, also encompasses the "aryl" class, and the term "methacrylate", as used herein, it includes moieties "ethacrylate" moieties and higher derivatives; b) from 1 to 20% by weight of an emulsifier component which is soluble in the oil phase and suitable for forming a water / oil emulsion stable; and 2) an aqueous phase comprising an aqueous solution containing 0.2 to 40% by weight of a water-soluble electrolyte; wherein the emulsion has a volume / weight ratio between the aqueous phase and the oil phase in the range of 8: 1 to 140: 1; B) curing the monomer component in the oil phase of the water / oil emulsion using a polymerization reaction is performed at a curing temperature of 20 to 130 ° C for a time sufficient to form a saturated polymeric foam material.