Supercritical CO2 as a solvent for polymeric stone protective materials

✍ Scribed by F.E. Hénon; M. Camaiti; A. L.C. Burke; R.G. Carbonell; J.M. DeSimone; F. Piacenti

• Publisher: Elsevier Science
• Year: 1999
• Tongue: English
• Weight: 174 KB
• Volume: 15
• Category: Article
• ISSN: 0896-8446
• DOI: 10.1016/s0896-8446(99)00005-4

✦ Synopsis

The utilization of CO 2 as a potential solvent for fluoropolymers used for the protection of civil infrastructures (buildings, bridges, monuments, etc.) is of major environmental as well as economic importance. The cloud points of six perfluoropolyethers at different weight concentrations in CO 2 have been measured over a wide range of pressures. The results show that these fluorinated polymers are readily soluble in pure CO 2 (no cosolvent or surfactant needed) at temperatures close to 30°C and pressures below 210 bars. The solubilities of the different polymeric products are strongly depend on the polymer hydrogen content and molecular weight.