Method of combining materials
AssigneeSCF Processing Ltd.
InventorsSiobhan Matthews, John Matthews
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A method for combining materials (such as impregnating materials with functional materials) uses a combination of supercritical fluid technology and polymer melt processing technology. The functional material is soluble in a near supercritical or supercritical fluid, which dissolves in the matrix/bulk material during melt processing. Controlling the processing conditions facilitates a change of state for the fluid, which results in the precipitation of the functional material in the bulk material. The impregnated bulk material may be shaped using conventional polymer based processing techniques such as extrusion and injection moulding.
Claims16
A method for combining a first material and a second material, comprising the steps of
- providing a fluid which is near or in the supercritical fluid state,
- forming a single phase solution from the first material, the second material and said fluid, and
- removing said fluid from said solution in order to leave the combined first and second materials.
Apparatus for combining a first material and a second material, including means operable to provide a fluid at a supercritical or near supercritical state, means for forming a single phase solution from a first material, a second material and said fluid, and means for removing said fluid from said solution in order to leave the combined first and second materials.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.