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6724091 
Journal Article 
Swelling and its suppression in the cleaning of polymer fouling layers 
Saikhwan, P; Chew, JYM; Paterson, WR; Wilson, D; , 
2007 
Yes 
Industrial and Engineering Chemistry Research
ISSN: 0888-5885
EISSN: 1520-5045 
AMER CHEMICAL SOC 
WASHINGTON 
46 
14 
4846-4855 
English 
WOS:000247540800016 
The swelling and cleaning behavior of layers of a non-cross-linked acrylate-styrene copolymer, simulating fouling layers found in emulsion polymerization reactors, in aqueous sodium hydroxide (NaOH), was studied using the novel measurement technique of fluid dynamic gauging. The polymer exhibited swelling, dissolution, and deswelling, depending on temperature and pH in the range 7-13.4. The mechanisms were elucidated using FT-IR spectroscopy and AFM. The swelling profiles exhibited case II diffusion behavior, the rate of swelling being proportional to the change in free volume on swelling. The effect of thickness was also studied using single and double polymer layers; the swelling rate and extent of swelling were independent of the initial thickness only when the films were made of a single layer.