Pha based microporous articles and methods of forming the same
AssigneeW. L. Gore & Associates, Inc.
InventorsGalip O. Erol, Ravi Gupta, Brian S. Levy, Elena Ten
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Abstract
PHA-based microporous and tough articles having node and fibril structures, and processes to create these articles using a below the melt processing approach are provided. A method of forming a porous expanded PHA composite comprising a porous PHA material may include depositing a partially crystallized polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer on a substrate at a deposition temperature below a melting temperature of the PHA polymer to form a PHA-substrate composite, and expanding the PHA-substrate composite at a temperature between the glass transition temperature of the PHA polymer and the melting temperature of the PHA polymer.
Claims30
A method comprising:
- depositing a partially crystallized polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) polymer on a substrate at a deposition temperature below a melting temperature (Tm) of the PHA polymer to form a PHA-substrate composite;
- and
- expanding the PHA-substrate composite at a temperature between the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the PHA polymer and the melting temperature (Tm) of the PHA polymer to form a porous expanded PHA composite comprising a porous PHA material having a microstructure comprising:
- a plurality of nodes;
- and
- a plurality of fibrils interconnecting the plurality of nodes, each said fibril defining a fibril axis.
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A porous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) material formed from a PHA polymer, the porous PHA material having a microstructure comprising:
- a plurality of nodes;
- and
- a plurality of fibrils interconnecting the plurality of nodes, defining a fibril axis.
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A material comprising a densified expanded polyhydroxyalkanoate having a detectable endotherm associated with the presence of residual extended chain crystals of the PHA polymer, wherein the material has a porosity less than 10%.
A porous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) material formed from a PHA polymer of Formula I:
- wherein R1 and R2 are independently H or C1 to C6 alkyl or aryl;
- R3 is C1 to C4 alkyl;
- X is 2 to 4;
- and
- n=3000 to 100,000;
- and
- wherein the porous PHA material has a fibrillated microstructure comprising:
- a plurality of nodes interconnected by fibrils or only fibrils, the fibrils having an orientation defining a fibril axis.
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Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.