General approach to nanocomposite preparation
AssigneeCase Western Reserve University
InventorHatsug Ishida
Life of this patent
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Abstract
A blend of a polymer, swelling agent, and a sheet silicate and/or sheet silicone filler is disclosed. The swelling agent makes it possible to intercalate the sheet silicate and/or sheet silicone with a variety of different polymers. The swelling agent is a material with sufficient mobility such that it can enter between the sheets of the silicate or silicone and increase the spacing between sheets. The swelling agent desirably has a solubility parameter that facilitates entry of both the swelling agent and matrix polymer between the layers of the filler promoting intercalation and/or exfoliation.
Claims13
A nanocomposite comprising;
- a) from about 1 to about 70 weight percent of a sheet silicate or sheet silicone filler optionally surface treated characterized by a platelike structure with each plate having a thickness from about 1 to about 30 nanometers,
- b) from about 30 to about 99 weight percent of a matrix polymer, and
- c) from about 0.05 to about 20 weight percent of a swelling agent, wherein said swelling agent is epoxy or caprolactam or a combination thereof, or a dimer, a trimer, or oligomer of four or more repeat units, or a polymer of said epoxy or said caprolactam, or combinations thereof, wherein said weight percents are based on the weight of the blend of matrix polymer, swelling agent, and sheet silicate or sheet silicone, and wherein said swelling agent is neither a monomeric nor an oligomeric form of the matrix polymer, wherein said swelling agent is neither water nor a low boiling temperature, non reactive solvent, and wherein said swelling agent has a solubility parameter such that it facilitates entry of said matrix polymer into said filler thereby increasing the amount of intercalation or increasing the exfoliation more than 5 percent over a similar control without the swelling agent.
A process for preparing a nanocomposite comprising;
- blending at least
- a) from about 1 to about 70 weight percent of a sheet silicate or sheet silicone filler characterized by a platelike structure with each plate being from about 1 to about 30 nanometers in thickness,
- b) from about 30 to about 99 weight percent of a matrix polymer, and
- c) from about 0.05 to about 20 weight percent of a swelling agent, wherein said swelling agent is epoxy, caprolactam, or combinations thereof, or a dimer, a trimer, or oligomer of four or more repeat units, or a polymer of said epoxy or said caprolactam, or combinations thereof, wherein said swelling agent is neither a monomer which is present in said matrix polymer as a repeating unit nor an oligomer having the same primary repeating unit as said matrix polymer, wherein said swelling agent is neither water nor a low boiling temperature, nonreactive solvent, and wherein said swelling agent has a solubility parameter such that it facilitates entry of said matrix polymer into said filler thereby increasing the amount of intercalation or increasing the exfoliation more that 5 percent over a similar control without the swelling agent, and wherein said weight percents are based on the total weight of said swelling agent, said matrix polymer and said sheet silicate of sheet silicone.
A reaction product comprising a melt blend of at least
- a) from about 1 to about 70 weight percent of a sheet silicate or sheet silicone filler characterized by a platelike structure with each plate being from about 1 to about 30 nanometers in thickness,
- b) from about 0.05 to about 20 weight percent of an epoxy or caprolactam swelling agent, or a dimer, a trimer, or oligomer of four or more repeat units, or a polymer of said epoxy, or said caprolactam or combinations thereof, and
- c) from about 30 to about 99 weight percent of a matrix polymer, wherein said swelling agent is not an oligomer or polymer having the same primary repeating unit as said matrix polymer, and wherein said weight percents are based on the total weight of said swelling agent, said matrix polymer and said sheet silicate or sheet silicone.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.