Polymer solution

Polymer solutions are solutions containing dissolved polymers.^[1] These may be liquid solutions (e.g. in aqueous solution), or solid solutions (e.g. a substance which has been plasticized).^[2]

The introduction into the polymer of small amounts of a solvent (plasticizer) reduces the temperature of glass transition, the yield temperature, and the viscosity of a melt. ^[3] An understanding of the thermodynamics of a polymer solution is critical to prediction of its behavior in manufacturing processes — for example, its shrinkage or expansion in injection molding processes, or whether pigments and solvents will mix evenly with a polymer in the manufacture of paints and coatings.^[4]

Applications

Polymer solutions are used in producing fibers, films, glues, lacquers, paints, and other items made of polymer materials. Thin layers of polymer solution can be used to produce light-emitting devices.^[5] Guar polymer solution gels can be used in hydraulic fracturing ("fracking").^[6]

^ Teraoka, Iwao (2002). Polymer solutions: an introduction to physical properties (PDF). John Wiley & Sons. ISBN 978-0-471-38929-3.
^ Chemical Fabrics and Film Association [CFFA] (n.d.). "Plasticizer migration" (PDF). CFFA Performance Products Division. Archived (PDF) from the original on August 11, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2017.
^ "polymer solutions".
^ Danner, Ronald P.; High, Martin S. (1993). Handbook of polymer solution thermodynamics. New York: Design Institute for Physical Property Data (DIPPR), American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE). ISBN 0-8169-0579-7.
^ Chang, Shun-Chi; Yang, Yang (1999). "Polymer solution light-emitting devices". Applied Physics Letters. 74 (2081): 2081–2083. doi:10.1063/1.123764.
^ US patent 5488083 A, Kinsey, III, E. Wayne; Sharif, Sharif & Harry, David N., "Method of gelling a guar or derivatized guar polymer solution utilized to perform a hydraulic fracturing operation", issued 1996-01-30, assigned to Benchmark Research and Technology, Inc.