Polymer/clay intercalates, exfoliates; and nanocomposites having improved gas permeability comprising a clay material with a mixture of two or more organic cations and a process for preparing same
AssigneeAMCOL International Corporation
InventorsTie Lan, John Walker Gilmer, James Christopher Matayabas, Jr., Robert Boyd Barbee
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Abstract
This invention relates to a polymer-clay nanocomposite having an improved gas permeability comprising (i) a melt-processible matrix polymer, and incorporated therein (ii) a layered clay material intercalated with a mixture of at least two organic cations. The invention also relates to processes for preparing a nanocomposite and articles produced from a nanocomposite.
Claims30
An intercalate comprising a layered clay material intercalated with a mixture of at least two organic cations and a melt-processible polymer, said two organic cations intercalated into the layered clay material in a molar ratio in the range of 25:75 to 75:25.
A process for preparing a polymer-clay intercalate comprising the steps of:
- (i) preparing an intercalated layer clay material by reacting a swellable layered clay material with a mixture of at least two organic cations, said two organic cations intercalated with the swellable layered clay material in a molar ratio of 25:75 to 75:25, and
- (ii) intercalating a matrix polymer between adjacent layers of said intercalated clay material by melt processing the matrix polymer with the intercalated clay.
A process for preparing a polymer-clay intercalate comprising the steps of:
- (i) preparing an intercalated layered clay material by intercalating a swellable layered clay material with at least two organic cations,
- (ii) adding the clay material to polymerizable polymer components for forming a polymer, and
- (iii) conducting a polycondensation polymerization of the polymer components in the presence of the clay material to intercalate the polymer between adjacent layers of the layered clay material.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.