Conservation of ethylene feedstock for the commodity polymer market through the radiation induced production of polyketones and polysulfones. [Gamma rays and electron beams]

Conference · Wed Oct 01 04:00:00 EDT 1975

OSTI ID:7355304

Steinberg, M

Because of the increase in cost of foreign oil, ethylene costs have increased markedly within the last several years. There is presently a sizable incentive to reduce raw material cost for basic polymer manufacture. The polyketones, synthesized from ethylene and CO, and the polysulfones, synthesized from ethylene and SO/sub 2/, utilizing high energy radiation, offers one such possibility. The process has the additional advantage in that CO and SO/sub 2/ usually considered as wastes and pollutants from fossil fuel burning power plants are converted to useful materials. The polyketones and polysulfones formed from the gas phase below 100/sup 0/C have been found to be high molecular weight polymers which, depending on composition either melt with difficulty, or decompose at temperatures of 250/sup 0/C or higher. The higher temperature (greater than 100/sup 0/C) catalyst-induced reaction produces low molecular weight waxes. Design calculations indicate that for a G value of 10,000 and 50 percent energy deposition efficiency, it would take 331 M Ci of /sup 60/Co to conserve 2 billion pounds of ethylene or 25 percent of the overall U.S. market by substituting CO and SO/sub 2/. This savings amounts to as much as $280 million at today's market price. Electron machine radiation with a 25 percent energy deposition efficiency requires a total beam power of 9800 KW. The use of machine radiation is preferred because of safety, availability, and initial investment. The challenge presented by the development of the described substituted polymer systems, depends on (1) the determination of the uniqueness of the radiation process, and confirming the yields with electron machine radiation, (2) the processability and market acceptability of the substituted polymers, and (3) the ability to design an efficient radiation process reactor.

• Research Organization: Brookhaven National Lab., Upton, N.Y. (USA)
• OSTI ID: 7355304
• Report Number(s): BNL-20849; CONF-760517-1
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

38 RADIATION CHEMISTRY, RADIOCHEMISTRY, AND NUCLEAR CHEMISTRY
400600* -- Radiation Chemistry
ALKENES
BEAMS
CARBON COMPOUNDS
CARBON MONOXIDE
CARBON OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL RADIATION EFFECTS
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
CHEMISTRY
COST
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRON BEAMS
ETHYLENE
GAMMA RADIATION
HYDROCARBONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
KETONES
LEPTON BEAMS
MEDIUM TEMPERATURE
ORGANIC COMPOUNDS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PARTICLE BEAMS
POLYMERIZATION
POLYMERS
RADIATION CHEMISTRY
RADIATION EFFECTS
RADIATIONS
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SULFUR DIOXIDE
SULFUR OXIDES