A Custom Approach
WSP Chemicals & Technology, L.L.C. offers a series of standard products, but recommends a customer/application specific approach to selecting and modifying polymer chemistry. Benefits derived from water-soluble polymers are based on a combination of chemical and physical properties that can be modified to achieve a variety of application results. By considering application conditions and controlling polymer characteristics, the performance of a polymer can be tailored to meet specific criteria.
WSP is committed to using advanced polymer technology, innovative products and practical consulting to maximize application benefits and offer superior cost-performance to customers that require more than an off-the-shelf product.
Polyampholytic Character
Many polymer applications involve the interaction of two charges. Polyampholytes can serve as a bridging agent between charges and are compatible in environments where solely cationic or anionic polymers negatively impact performance. Polyampholytic character allows polymers to be further modified and processed to increase solids level and reduce impurities while maintaining end use handling characteristics.
Crosslinking/Branching/Grafting
Branching or crosslinking a polymer affects the viscosity and shear properties that are imparted to a fluid. Grafting affects a polymer's chemical and physical properties by attaching a second polymer or pendant group onto a polymer chain. These modifications manipulate water-solubility and polymer absorption. Polymers can be permanently modified, crosslinked in situ or broken down by a triggering mechanism such as pH or temperature.
Hydrophobic Modification
Incorporating hydrophobic character into a water-soluble polymer changes the polymer's properties of adsorption, association, and orientation. Hydrophobic modification can be induced through a number of methods including: hydrophobic monomer incorporation, monomer modification and surfactant association in emulsions.
Mechanical Modification
Mechanical modifications include membrane filtration, fractionation and carbon treatment. Modifications result in performance improvements and cost savings derived from impurity minimization, VOC control, narrow polydispersity and increased solids level.
Physical Form
The physical form of a product plays an important role in overcoming the conflict between increasing molecular weight and solids level while maintaining handling characteristics. The ability to transition a chemistry from one form to another (eg. solution to emulsion) expands the range of polymers available to solve an application problem.
Core-Shell Technology
Core-shell technology utilizes special polymerization techniques to deliver a core of one type of polymer within the shell of another composition. These polymers deliver integrated solutions to problems that require charge variety, delivery sequencing or viscosity shifts by selecting the components of the core-shell unit.
Interpenetrating Polymer Network
Developing an interpenetrating polymer network (IPN) is a two-stage process customized to individual situations. IPN chemistry is designed to enhance the attributes of individual polymers with complementary interactions, or to offset undesirable properties or shortcomings of a polymer through a compensatory network with another polymer.
Specialty Monomers
In some cases, no degree of modification can impart the properties desired at a reasonable expense. Utilization of specialty monomers creates the possibility of incorporating unique functionality not achievable with traditional monomers. Familiarity with a broad range of monomers, and the ability to synthesize or modify monomers, allows WSP to find solutions outside the realm of traditional offerings.
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