Polymerizing grafted nanoparticles using flow chemistry
AssigneeHoneywell Federal Manufacturing & Technologies, LLC
InventorsSabrina Marie Wells Torres, Laura Christine Cummings, Connor Daniel Pearson
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Abstract
A process for forming polymer-grafted nanoparticles is provided. The process utilizes flow chemistry techniques to activate nanoparticle surfaces and then form polymer chains on the activated surfaces in a continuous process, thus avoiding the limitations and shortcomings of batch processes for forming polymer-grafted nanoparticles. The polymer-grafted nanoparticles are particularly useful as a filler or additive in fused deposition modeling (“FDM”) filaments, leading to printed parts having improved properties.
Claims20
A continuous flow process for producing activated nanoparticles, the process comprising:
- passing a quantity of starting nanoparticles and a coupling agent through a first channel having a first channel length, wherein said coupling agent bonds with said starting nanoparticles to form the activated nanoparticles within the first channel length;
- and
- passing said activated nanoparticles and a quantity of monomer through a second channel having a second channel length, wherein said monomer polymerizes within the second channel length to form polymer-grafted nanoparticles, said polymer-grafted nanoparticles comprising polymeric chains bonded to said coupling agent.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.