New Technology for Polyacrylamide Production     

Beijing University of Chemical Technology has developed a new technology for polyacrylamide production using the dispersion polymerization process with water as dispersing medium. The technology has overcome the defects in traditional production methods and can remarkably improve the salt resistance and temperature resistance of polyacrylamide.
   The global demand for polyacrylamide has been brisk in recent years and there is a supply shortage of high-end products. China's technologies for polyacrylamide production today include the homogenous solution polymerization process with water as solvent and the reverse suspension polymerization process with waster as dispersing medium. The first process has low production efficiency and the product needs drying after granulation. The second process uses great quantities of hydrocarbon solvents, and the solvents have to be recovered through separation and refined. With the rapid price rise of oil, in particular, the increasing price of hydrocarbon solvents has led to a higher production cost of polyacrylamide.
   In the dispersion polymerization process with water as dispersing medium, the core technology is the addition of a nucleating agent with environmental friendly into water medium. The new technology has several advantages-with water as polymerization medium granular product can be directly obtained with no need of hydrolysis, centrifugal separation can be conducted after polymerization to separate the product from water medium and water medium can be recycled for use, and the product obtained after centrifugal separation has low water content.