Process for making a nanocomposite and a polyethylene nanocomposite made therefrom
AssigneeKing Fahd University of Petroleum and Minerals
InventorMamdouh Ahmed Al-Harthi
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Abstract
Methods of preparing high-density polyethylene (HDPE) nanocomposites by in situ polymerization with a zirconocene catalyst, a methylaluminoxane cocatalyst, a calcium zirconate nanofiller in a solvent. The calcium zirconate nanofiller, which is dispersed across the polyethylene matrix, is found to enhance catalyst activity, and other properties of the HDPE nanocomposites produced, including but not limited to flame retardency, crystallinity and surface morphology.
Claims9
A method for forming a high-density polyethylene nanocomposite by polymerizing a mixture of ethylene and a calcium zirconate nanofiller, comprising:
- adding a zirconocene catalyst, the calcium zirconate nanofiller and a solvent to a reactor;
- mixing the zirconocene catalyst and the calcium zirconate nanofiller in the solvent;
- injecting ethylene into the reactor until absorption of ethylene is no longer observed;
- followed by
- adding a methylaluminoxane cocatalyst into the reactor to from a catalyst mixture;
- then
- polymerizing the ethylene by pressurizing the reactor with ethylene and maintaining a pressure of 1-1.5 bar to form a polymerization mixture;
- and then
- quenching the polymerization mixture with methanol to form the high-density polyethylene nanocomposite;
- wherein the calcium zirconate nanofiller is dispersed in a polyethylene matrix of the high-density polyethylene nanocomposite, and the polyethylene matrix has a melting temperature of 132.3 to 134.0° C. determined by DSC,
- wherein the calcium zirconate nanofiller is not a support material for the zirconocene catalyst.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.