| Popis: |
Unlike a large portion of the many billions of pounds of organic and halogenated solvents used in industry every year, CO2 is inexpensive, of low toxicity, and environmentally and chemically benign. The prime factors inhibiting the widespread use of this attractive solvent replacement have been the disappointingly low solubility of most materials in CO2 in both liquid and supercritical states, and a less than complete understanding of its physical properties. Discoveries made over the past decade identifying the solubility of siloxanes and many amorphous fluoropolymers in CO2 have facilitated a greater understanding of the solvency properties of this uniquely “tunable” solvent. The subsequent development of amphiphilic surfactants incorporating lyophilic fluorocarbon or siloxane segments with lipophilic or hydrophilic moieties opens the door for the synthesis of a broad range of hydrocarbons. Carbon dioxide technology is of particular significance with respect to the manufacture of many fluoropolymers that require nonaqueous synthesis. Reduction of unwanted side reactions such as β-scission and opportunities for unique separation and purification processes demonstrate that CO2 is not only an adequate replacement for chlorofluorocarbons, but in many cases a superior one. |
