POLYMERIC FOAMS WITH NANOCELLULAR MORPHOLOGY AND METHODS FOR MAKING THEM

• US 20090247654A1
• Filed: 03/25/2008
• Published: 10/01/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 03/25/2008
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: Sabic Innovative Plastics IP BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Rajendran, Santhosh Kumar, Sriraman, Ravi, Sinha, Vikash Kumar, Vetrivel, Rajappan, Thiagarajan, Chinniah
• Granted Patent: US 8,440,732 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 521/60
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2205/042 Nanopores, i.e. the average diameter being smaller than 0,1 micrometer
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2205/044 Micropores, i.e. average diameter being between 0,1 micrometer and 0,1 millimeter
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2369/00 Characterised by the use of polycarbonates; Derivatives of polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/0066 Use of inorganic compounding ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 9/122 Hydrogen, oxygen, CO2, nitrogen or noble gases

Abstract

A foamable polymeric composition can comprise a polymer, a blowing agent cage material, and a blowing agent. The blowing agent cage material is selected from the group consisting of zeolite imidazolate framework, metal organic framework, carbon cage structure, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing. In one embodiment, the composition can be formed by mixing the polymer with the blowing agent cage material to form a mixture, introducing a blowing agent to the mixture, and forming the mixture into pellets.

Claims

1. A foamable polymeric composition, comprising:

a polymer;

a blowing agent cage material selected from the group consisting of zeolite imidazolate framework, metal organic framework, carbon cage structure, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing; and

a blowing agent;

wherein the polymer composition is a solid and, after a period of greater than or equal to 1 week, the solid polymer composition, when maintained at 22°

C. and 1 atm pressure, can, without the use of additional blowing agent, be formed into a foamed material having a nanocellular morphology.

2. The composition of claim 1, comprising a cell density of greater than or equal to 1012 cells/cm³.

3. The composition of claim 2, wherein the cell density is 1012 cells/cm³ to 1022 cells/cm³.

4. The composition of claim 3, wherein the cell density is 1015 cells/cm³ to 1022 cells/cm³.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the nanocellular morphology has an average pore cell size of 100 nm to 780 nm.

6. The composition of claim 5, wherein the average pore cell size is 100 nm to 380 nm.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the average pore cell size is 10 nm to 200 nm.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the average pore cell size is 1 nm to 10 nm.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein blowing agent cage material comprises a zeolite imidazolate framework.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein blowing agent cage material comprises a metal organic hydrate.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein blowing agent comprises carbon dioxide.

12. The composition of claim 1, wherein the period is greater than or equal to 30 days.

13. The composition of claim 1, wherein the period is greater than or equal to 360 days.

14. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is in the form of pellets.

19. An article formed from the composition of claim 1.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the composition is in the form of pellets and the article is formed by injection molding the pellets.

15. A method for producing foamable polymeric composition, comprising:

mixing a polymer with a blowing agent cage material to form a composition, wherein the blowing agent cage material is selected from the group consisting of zeolite imidazolate framework, metal organic framework, carbon cage structure, and combinations comprising at least one of the foregoing;

introducing a blowing agent to the composition to form a combination; and

forming the combination into pellets;

wherein the pellets can, after a period of greater than or equal to 1 week, when maintained at 22°

C. and 1 atm pressure, can, without the use of additional blowing agent, be formed into a foamed material having a nanocellular morphology.

16. The method of claim 15, wherein the composition has a weight gain of greater tan or equal to 10% due to the blowing agent. //(P05-0033)

17. The method of claim 16, wherein the weight gain is greater than or equal to 15%.

18. The method of claim 15, wherein forming the pellets comprises extrusion of the combination to form the pellets.