Zirconia sol, process of making and composite material
Assignee3M Innovative Properties Company
InventorsBrant U. Kolb, Bert T. Chien
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Abstract
A zirconia sol comprising an aqueous phase having dispersed therein a plurality of single crystal zirconia particles having an average primary particle size less than about 20 nm. The zirconia sols are substantially non associated having a dispersion index ranging from about 1-3 and are highly crystalline exhibiting a crystallinity index of about 0.65 or greater. Of the crystalline phase, about 70% or greater exists in combined cubic and tetragonal crystal lattice structures without a crystal phase stabilizer. Also described is a hydrothermal method of making zirconia sols having substantially non-associated zirconia particles and composite materials made from the zirconia sols.
Claims34
A zirconia sol comprising:
- an aqueous phase having dispersed therein a plurality of substantially non-associated single crystal zirconia particles having an average primary particle size about 20 nm or less and a dispersion index ranging from about 1-3, wherein the zirconia particles have a crystallinity index of about 0.65 or greater and about 70% or greater combined cubic and tetragonal crystal lattice structure in the absence of an effective amount of a crystal phase stabilizer.
A process for preparing a zirconia sol comprising the steps of:
- (a) providing an aqueous solution comprising a polyether acid zirconium salt;
- and
- (b) hydrolyzing the aqueous solution of the polyether acid zirconium salt by heating the solution at a temperature and a pressure sufficient to convert the polyether acid zirconium salt into crystalline zirconia particles.
A composite material comprising:
- an organic matrix material having dispersed therein a plurality of single crystal zirconia particles having an average primary particle size less than about 20 nm and having a dispersion index ranging from about 1-3, wherein the zirconia particles have a crystallinity index of about 0.65 or greater and about 70% or greater combined cubic and tetragonal crystal lattice structure in the absence of an effective amount of a crystal phase stabilizer.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.