Crystalline polyolefin blend comprising polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane nanoparticles
AssigneeThe University of Akron
InventorsSadhan C. Jana, Byoung-Jo Lee
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Abstract
A crystalline polyolefin blend comprising dispersed polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) nanoparticles has improved packing of chains, high draw-down ratios, as well as improved tensile and yield strength. The blend is made by melt blending the polyolefin with the POSS in the presence of a sorbitol nucleating agent and cooling the mixture so that the nucleating agent serves as a template for the in-situ self assembly of dispersed POSS nanoparticles and the formation of very small crystalline polyolefin sites.
Claims23
A melt-blended polymer, comprising:
- 100 parts by weight of a polyolefin derived from one or more olefin monomers having from 2 to about 5 carbon atoms;
- from about 0.1 to 2 parts by weight of one or more sorbitol nucleating agents;
- and
- from about 2 to about 20 parts by weight of one or more polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) compounds.
A process for forming a polyolefin blend comprising the steps of:
- melt-mixing from about 0.1 to about 2.0 parts by weight of one or more sorbitol nucleating agents and from about 2 to about 20 parts by weight of one or more polyhedral oligomeric silsesquioxane (POSS) compounds per 100 parts by weight of a polyolefin, said polyolefin being derived from one or more monomers having from 2 to about 5 carbon atoms;
- conducting said melt-mixing at a temperature above the melting point of said polyolefin;
- and
- subsequently cooling said melted polyolefin-nucleating agent-POSS blend to solidify said blend and forming small crystalline polyolefin sites therein.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.