Reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite
AssigneesAlberta Research Council, Nilex, Inc.
InventorsZhihong Zhou, John Donald Payzant, Walter Van Woudenberg
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Abstract
A reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite is produced by contacting a monomer/clay mixture with a reinforcing agent. The monomer/clay mixture comprises a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture, while the cross-linking agent concurrently acts to network oligomeric and polymeric species formed during polymerization to produce a networked polymer/clay alloy in the presence of the reinforcing agent. The networked polymer/clay alloy is intimately integrated with the reinforcing agent such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the composite.
Claims57
A process for producing a reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite, comprising the steps of:
- (a) preparing a monomer/clay mixture by mixing at least a monomer, clay particles, a cross-linking agent, and a mixing fluid in a vessel;
- (b) contacting the monomer/clay mixture and a reinforcing agent;
- (c) exposing the monomer/clay mixture to a polymerization initiator means;
- and
- (d) polymerizing the monomer/clay mixture in the presence of the reinforcing agent so that a reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite is formed.
A product produced by the process according to any one of the preceding claims.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.