Single-walled metal oxide and metal sulphide nanotubes/polymer composites
AssigneeGeorgia Tech Research Corporation
InventorsSankar Nair, Dun-Yen Kang, Christopher W. Jones
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Abstract
The present invention discloses a nanocomposite material having single-walled aluminosilicate nanotube in polymer, a membrane comprising such nanocomposite material, and the method of making the nanocomposite material, in which the composite material has high volume fraction of well-dispersed nanotubes. A gel-phased single-walled aluminosilicate nanotube is first prepared and then mixed with a polymer matrix to yield the composite material.
Claims21
A method of making a well dispersed metal oxide or metal sulphide single-walled nanotube (SWNT)/polymer composite material, comprising:
- a) preparing a gel-phase metal oxide or metal sulphide SWNT, comprising:
- a-1) mixing a stoichiometric amount of a metal source, oxide source, and a silicon source;
- a-2) adding an aqueous acid to mixture of step a-1), followed by stirring;
- a-3) diluting mixture of step a-2) with deionized water by factor of 3.5 to 4 and stirring the diluted mixture at an elevated temperature;
- a-4) adding a base to cooled mixture until gelation of suspended nanotubes occurs;
- and
- a-5) isolating the gel and re-dispersing the suspended nanotubes by adding a small amount of concentrated acid to the gel;
- b) mixing the gel-phase metal oxide or metal sulphide SWNT with a polymer;
- and
- c) obtaining a SWNT/polymer composite with at least 30 vol % of the metal oxide or metal sulphide SWNT in the polymer composite material, wherein the SWNT exist as a single nanotube or a small bundle of about <3 to 4 nanotubes.
A method of making a well dispersed aluminosilicate single-walled nanotube (SWNT)/poly(vinyl alcohol) (PVA) composite material, comprising:
- a) preparing a gel-phase aluminosilicate SWNT, comprising
- a-1) mixing a stoichiometric amount of a metal source, oxide source, and a silicon source;
- a-2) adding an aqueous acid to mixture of step a-1), followed by stirring;
- a-3) diluting mixture of step a-2) with deionized water by factor of 3.5 to 4 and stirring the diluted mixture at an elevated temperature;
- a-4) adding a base to cooled mixture until gelation of suspended nanotubes occurs;
- a-5) isolating the gel and re-dispersing the suspended nanotubes by adding a small amount of concentrated acid to the gel;
- and
- a-6) purifying the gel;
- b) mixing the gel-phase aluminosilicate SWNT with an aqueous solution of PVA, comprising:
- b-1) crosslinking the SWNT and the polymer;
- and
- c) obtaining an aluminosilicate SWNT/PVA composite;
- wherein the aluminosilicate SWNT/PVA composite has at least 30 vol % of the aluminosilicate SWNT in the PVA composite material, wherein the SWNT exist as a single nanotube or as a small bundle of about ≦3 to 4 nanotubes.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.