Using biobased materials to modify vinyl alcohol based polymers

Authors: Doll, Kenneth - Ken

Submitted to: Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 11/6/2019
Publication Date: 11/6/2019
Citation: Doll, K.M. 2019. Using biobased materials to modify vinyl alcohol based polymers [abstract]. Society of Tribologists and Lubrication Engineers local section meeting, November 6, 2019, Peoria, IL, Zoom Virtual Meeting.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: In previous STLE meetings, I have talked about the use of vegetable oils to make biobased alkenes for use as a lubricant basestock. This time, I will be talking about the polymeric part of lubricants, relevant for viscosity modification. Poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) is a water soluble polymer that can by crosslinked with phenolic or aldehyde co-reagents to synthesize stable polymer gels. However, gel systems using PVA have not been widely applied due to its tendency to adsorb on the surface of clays thereby disrupting necessary gel formation. What shows more promise are co-polymers with other vinyl reagents. However, in order to make these compounds utilizes an expensive and low yielding transvinylation reaction must be performed to obtain the vinyl ester monomer needed to make the material. This makes production of useful vinyl esters and, as a result, the gel systems themselves expensive. A more practical production process reported here utilizes commercially available polyvinyl acetate and accomplishes the transformation with simple hydrolysis and anhydride addition steps. By altering the selection of anhydride reagent, products with different chemical characteristics can be made. Specifically detailed in this presentation are materials made using alkenes that could be derived from biobased sources. From these materials, an organogel with swell ratios up to ~30 can be obtained. Electron microscopy of the dried gels show them to be amorphous in structure.