Networked polymer/clay alloy
AssigneeAlberta Research Council
InventorsJohn Donald Payzant, Zhihong Zhou
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Abstract
A networked polymer/clay alloy is produced from a monomer/clay mixture comprising a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture. The clay is chemically integrated with the polymer such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the alloy.
Claims10
A networked polymer/clay alloy comprising a chemically integrated composition of polymer and clay, so that, when the alloy is immersed in deionized water, for about 22 hours at a temperature in a range of from about 20° C. to about 30° C., the alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the alloy, wherein the alloy is formed by using at least a thermal initiator means exposed to a thermal energy source at a temperature in a range from about 40° C. to about 95° C.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.