Polyolefin interpenetrated network material for hydrocarbon recovery
AssigneeThe Penn State Research Foundation
InventorsTze Chiang Chung, Changwoo Nam, Gang Zhang
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Abstract
Interpenetrated polyolefin network for use in recovering or containing hydrocarbons such as hydrocarbons contained in oil, are disclosed. Advantageously, the interpenetrated polyolefin networks absorb the hydrocarbon, including viscous hydrocarbons and crude oils, to form a gel that can be collected and processed by heat to release the collected hydrocarbons.
Claims18
A polyolefin interpenetrated network comprising a soft polyolefin network and a rigid polyolefin network, wherein the rigid polyolefin network is either amorphous with a Tg of at least 50° C. or semi-crystalline with a Tm of no less than 35° C., wherein the soft polyolefin network is represented by formula (I)
- wherein (CH2—CH(R)) represents the same or different olefin repeating unit;
- R is independently H or a C1-C28 linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl moiety;
- n is an integer greater than about 500;
- (CH2—CH(Ar)) represents the same or different aromatic repeating unit;
- Ar is an aryl moiety that can be substituted with one or more R1 groups;
- wherein R1 is a C1 to C10 linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl moiety that can be substituted with one or more C1 to C5 alkyl groups;
- p is an integer in the range from 0 to 15,000;
- R2 is either present or absent and when R2 is present, R2 is a C1 to C10 linear, branched, or cyclic alkyl moiety that can be substituted with one or more C1 to C5 alkyl groups;
- X is a cross-linking moiety resulting;
- and q is an integer greater than about 5.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.