ABSTRACT
Modern devolatilization technology gives such low residual solvent levels that toxicity is unlikely to emerge as a concern, since these concerns have not arisen during previous exposures to much higher concentrations. A new polymer or the use of a new solvent for an existing polymer would require FDA approval before the polymer could be used in contact with food. Polymer manufacturing operations have been less affected. Such operations are much easier to confine, and there are few substitutes for basic building blocks such as benzene and ethylene. Technological and environmental trends that eliminate solvents from end-use applications of polymers such as coatings may actually favor the use of solvents for polymerization processes. The inherent energy cost of devolatilization appears acceptable for commodity plastics such as high-density polyethylene provided the polymer concentration is kept above about 10 wt %.
