# US 6,777,480 B2 · Networked polymer/clay alloy

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- Number: US 6,777,480 B2
- Document ID: US6777480B2
- Status: Granted
- Kind: B2
- Application number: 10/397,594
- Filed: 2003-03-26
- Published: 2003-10-09
- Granted: 2004-08-17
- Earliest claimed: 1999-05-26
- Assignees: Alberta Research Council
- Inventors: John Donald Payzant; Zhihong Zhou
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US6777480B2

## CPC

- E02D 31/004: {Sealing liners}
- A61L 15/18: containing inorganic materials
- A61L 15/24: Macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Derivatives thereof {(A61L15/225 takes precedence)}
- A61L 15/60: Liquid-swellable gel-forming materials, e.g. super-absorbents
- B01J 20/12: Naturally occurring clays or bleaching earth
- B01J 20/26: Synthetic macromolecular compounds
- B01J 20/30: Processes for preparing, regenerating, or reactivating
- E02D 19/18: by making use of sealing aprons, {e.g. diaphragms made from bituminous or clay material}({concrete diaphragms E02D5/18}; sealing or joints for {hydraulic} engineering work E02B3/16)
- E02D 2300/0004: Synthetics
- E02D 2300/0037: Clays
- E02D 2300/0093: including bentonite
- E02D: FOUNDATIONS; EXCAVATIONS; EMBANKMENTS (specially adapted for hydraulic engineering E02B); UNDERGROUND OR UNDERWATER STRUCTURES {(tunnels, tunnelling, mining E21)}
- A61L: METHODS OR APPARATUS FOR STERILISING MATERIALS OR OBJECTS IN GENERAL; DISINFECTION, STERILISATION OR DEODORISATION OF AIR; CHEMICAL ASPECTS OF BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES; MATERIALS FOR BANDAGES, DRESSINGS, ABSORBENT PADS OR SURGICAL ARTICLES (preservation of bodies or disinfecting characterised by the agents employed A01N; preserving, e.g. sterilising, food or foodstuffs A23; preparations for medical, dental or toiletry purposes A61K)
- B01J: CHEMICAL OR PHYSICAL PROCESSES, e.g. CATALYSIS OR COLLOID CHEMISTRY; THEIR RELEVANT APPARATUS

## 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.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A process for producing a networked polymer/clay alloy, comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing a monomer/clay mixture slurry by mixing at least a monomer, clay particles, a cross-linking agent, and a mixing fluid in a vessel;
(b) exposing the monomer/clay mixture slurry to a thermal initiator means comprising at least one thermal initiator and thermal energy, wherein exposing the monomer/clay mixture slurry to the thermal initiator means comprises:
(i) mixing, in any order, the at least one thermal initiator with at least the monomer, clay particles, the cross-linking agent and the mixing fluid so that the monomer/clay mixture slurry is exposed to the thermal initiator;
(ii) exposing the monomer/day mixture slurry to a thermal energy source at a temperature in a range from about 400° C. to about 95° C.; and
(c) polymerizing the monomer/clay mixture slurry so that a networked polymer/clay alloy is formed.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the thermal initiator is selected from the group consisting of free radical initiators, carbanions, carbonium ions, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 3 (depends on 2)

The process of claim 2, wherein the free radical initiator is selected from the group consisting of (a) alkali metal salts of sulfite, bisulfite, persulfate and benzoyl peroxide; (b) ammonium salts of sulfite, bisulfite, persulfate and benzoyl peroxide; (c) 2,2′-azobis(2-amidinopropane)-dihydrochloride and 2,2′azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid); and combinations thereof.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the mixing fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohol, organic solvents, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the clay particles are swelling clay particles selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite, saponite, nontronite, laponite, beidellite, iron-saponite, hectorite, sauconite, stevensite, vermiculite and combinations thereof.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the clay particles are non-swelling clay particles selected from the group consisting of kaolin minerals, serpentine minerals, mica minerals, chlorite minerals, sepiolite, palygorskite, bauxite, silica and combinations thereof.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of clay to monomer in the monomer/clay mixture slurry is in a range of from about 0.05:1 to about 19:1.

### Claim 8 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of clay to monomer in the monomer/clay mixture slurry is in a range of from about 0.5:1 to about 3:1.

### Claim 9 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the monomer has the following general formula:
wherein X is selected from the group consisting of OM, OR4 and NR5R6, M is an alkali or alkaline earth metal ion or NH430 , R1, R2, R3, R5, R6 and R7 are independently selected from the group consisting of H, CH3, CH2CH3, CH2CH2CH3, CH(CH3)2, CH2CH2CH2CH3, and CN, and OR4 is selected from the group consisting of OH, OCH3, OCH2CH3, OCH2CH2CH3, OCH(CH3)2, OCH2CH2CH2CH3, OCH2CH2OH, and (OCH2CH2)mOH, n=0 to about 10 and m=1 to about 10.

### Claim 10 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, acrylamide, sodium acrylate, potassium acrylate, methacrylic acid, isopropylacrylamide, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 11 (depends on 1)

The process of claim 1, wherein the cross-linking agent is selected from the group consisting of N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide, phenol formaldehyde, terephthalaldehyde, allylmethacrylate, diethyleneglycol diacrylate, ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, ethylene carbonate, ethylene glycol diglycidal ether, tetraallyloxyethane, triallylamine, trimethylolpropanetriacrylate, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 12 (depends on 1)

A product produced by the process of claim 1.

### Claim 13 (depends on 2)

A product produced by the process of claim 2.

### Claim 14 (depends on 3)

A product produced by the process of claim 3.

### Claim 15 (depends on 4)

A product produced by the process of claim 4.

### Claim 16 (depends on 5)

A product produced by the process of claim 5.

### Claim 17 (depends on 6)

A product produced by the process of claim 6.

### Claim 18 (depends on 7)

A product produced by the process of claim 7.

### Claim 19 (depends on 8)

A product produced by the process of claim 8.

### Claim 20 (depends on 9)

A product produced by the process of claim 9.

### Claim 21 (depends on 10)

A product produced by the process of claim 10.

### Claim 22 (depends on 11)

A product produced by the process of claim 11.