METHODS FOR ENCAPSULATION OF MATERIALS AND METHODS FOR MAKING RESINOUS COMPOSITIONS AND ARTICLES COMPRISING THE SAME

• US 20070232724A1
• Filed: 06/06/2007
• Published: 10/04/2007
• Est. Priority Date: 01/23/2003
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: van Hamersveld, Eelco, Seker, Fazila, Hobbs, Stanley, Colborn, Robert, Steiger, Daniel, Acar, Ali, Hartshorn, Christopher
• Application Number:
  US11/758,814
• Publication Number:
  US 20070232724A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 523/200
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 13/14 Polymerisation; cross-linking
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2002/88 by thermal analysis data, e.g. TGA, DTA, DSC
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/02 obtained by optical microscopy
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/20 extending in two dimensions, e.g. plate-like
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/32 Spheres
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/54 Particles characterised by their aspect ratio, i.e. the ratio of sizes in the longest to the shortest dimension
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 9/10 Encapsulated ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: C09B 67/0097 Dye preparations of special physical nature; Tablets, films, extrusion, microcapsules, sheets, pads, bags with dyes
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/00 Treatment of specific inorganic materials other than fibrous fillers tenebrescent materials C09K9/00; luminescent materials C09K11/00; Preparation of carbon black
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/0015 Pigments exhibiting interference colours, e.g. transparent platelets of appropriate thinness or flaky substrates, e.g. mica, bearing appropriate thin transparent coatings
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/0018 uncoated and unlayered plate-like particles
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/0021 comprising a core coated with only one layer having a high or low refractive index
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/28 Compounds of silicon C09C1/0009, C09C1/0015, C09C1/0078 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/3063 Treatment with low-molecular organic compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/62 Metallic pigments or fillers C09C1/0015 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/627 Copper
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/64 Aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/644 treated with organic compounds, e.g. polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 2200/1004 the core comprising at least one inorganic oxide, e.g. Al2O3, TiO2 or SiO2
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 2200/102 the core consisting of glass or silicate material like mica or clays, e.g. kaolin
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 2200/1025 : comprising at least one metal layer adjacent to core material, e.g. core-M or M-core-M
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 2200/403 : Low molecular weight materials, e.g. fatty acids
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 2200/405 : High molecular weight materials, e.g. polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 3/08 : Treatment with low-molecular-weight non-polymer organic compounds C09C3/006, C09C3/048 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/2982 : Particulate matter [e.g., sphere, flake, etc.]

Abstract

An embodiment of a method of encapsulation of a material comprises dispersing high aspect ratio particles in a monomer and/or a polymer to form a suspension mixture, adding the suspension mixture to an aqueous mixture to form an aqueous reaction mixture, heating and mixing the aqueous reaction mixture to encourage the formation of substantially spherical-shaped beads, quenching the aqueous reaction mixture after the substantially spherical-shaped beads are formed, and collecting the substantially spherical-shaped beads.

Claims

1. A method of encapsulation of a material, comprising:

dispersing high aspect ratio particles in a material to form a suspension mixture, wherein the material comprises a monomer and/or a polymer;

adding the suspension mixture to an aqueous mixture to form an aqueous reaction mixture, wherein the aqueous mixture comprises a suspension agent;

heating and mixing the aqueous reaction mixture to encourage the formation of the substantially spherical-shaped beads, wherein most of the substantially spherical-shaped beads encapsulate one or more of the high aspect ratio particles to an extent that the high aspect ratio particle(s) will not become delaminated during processing;

quenching the aqueous reaction mixture after the substantially spherical-shaped beads are formed; and

collecting the substantially spherical-shaped beads.

2. The method of claim 1, further comprising:

sonicating the suspension mixture prior to adding the suspension mixture to the aqueous reaction mixture.

3. The method of claim 1, the method further comprising utilizing gravity sedimentation and/or centrifugation to separate the substantially spherical-shaped beads into various batches.

4. The method of claim 3, wherein the gravity sedimentation comprises:

reslurrying the substantially spherical-shaped beads in a slurry solution to form a separation system having an original volume;

mixing the separation system;

allowing the separation system to stand still to come to equilibrium;

removing a fraction of useable substantially spherical-shaped beads from the separation system;

filtering the fraction of useable substantially spherical-shaped beads that is obtained from the separation system;

washing the filtered fraction of useable substantially spherical-shaped beads to remove any excess slurry solution; and

adding a quantity of water to the remaining substantially spherical-shaped beads and slurry solution in the separation system; and

repeating mixing the separation system, allowing the separation to stand, removing a fraction of useable substantially spherical-shaped beads, filtering the fraction, washing the filtered fraction, and adding a quantity of deionized water to the remaining substantially spherical-shaped beads, as necessary until all the substantially spherical-shaped beads have been removed from the separation system.

5. The method of claim 3, further comprising drying the substantially spherical-shaped beads.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the pigment further comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of:

a colorant, Solvent Blue 35, Solvent Blue 36, Disperse violet 26, Solvent Green 3, Anaplast Orange LFP, Morplas Red 36, and Perylene Red.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the pigment is selected from the group consisting of:

Solvent Blue 35 and Solvent Blue 36.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the high aspect ratio particles comprise at least one of:

aluminum, gold, silver, copper, nickel, titanium, stainless steel, nickel sulfide, cobalt sulfide, manganese sulfide, metal oxides, white mica, black mica, synthetic mica, mica coated with titanium dioxide, metal-coated glass flakes, or colorants.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the suspension mixture comprises at least one of:

styrene, methyl methacrylate, styrene acrylonitrile, divinylbenzene, or modified bisphenol A.

10. The method of claim 1, wherein the substantially spherical-shaped beads have an average diameter of about 10 μ

m to about 300 μ

m.

11. The method of claim 1, wherein the material comprises a polymer with structural units derived from styrene.

12. A resinous composition comprising pigment prepared by the method of claim 1.

13. A method of preparing a resinous composition comprising an encapsulated material, comprising:

dispersing high aspect ratio particles in a material to form a suspension mixture, wherein the material comprises a monomer and/or a polymer;

adding the suspension mixture to an aqueous mixture to form an aqueous reaction mixture, wherein the aqueous mixture comprises a suspension agent;

heating and mixing the aqueous reaction mixture to encourage the formation of the substantially spherical-shaped encapsulant beads;

quenching the aqueous reaction mixture after the encapsulant beads are formed;

collecting the encapsulant beads; and

dispersing the encapsulant beads in a matrix to form the resinous composition.

14. The method of claim 13, further comprising forming an article from the resinous composition wherein most of the high aspect ratio particles remain encapsulated during the forming of the article.

15. The method of claim 13, wherein the matrix comprises an acrylonitrile-styrene-butadiene material, and wherein the material comprises a polymer with structural units derived from styrene.

16. The method of claim 13, wherein the matrix comprises polycarbonate.

17. A method for forming an article comprising molding the resinous composition of claim 13.