Inorganic Composite

• US 20100280164A1
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Published: 11/04/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Tundra Composites, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Tundra Composites, LLC.
• Inventors: Kroll, John S., Williams, Rodney K., Heikkila, Kurt E.
• Application Number:
  US12/769,509
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280164A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 524/443
• CPC Class Codes: B60C 1/00 Tyres characterised by the chemical composition or the physical arrangement or mixture of the composition
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2327/16 Homopolymers or copolymers of vinylidene fluoride
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2327/18 Homopolymers or copolymers of tetrafluoroethylene
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2327/20 Homopolymers or copolymers of hexafluoropropene
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/04 Reinforcing macromolecular compounds with loose or coherent fibrous material
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2003/2227 of aluminium
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 2201/005 Additives being defined by their particle size in general
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/22 of metals
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 7/28 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 9/00 Use of pretreated ingredients
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 9/04 Ingredients treated with organic substances treated with macromolecular compounds C08K9/08
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 21/00 Compositions of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249974 Metal- or silicon-containing element

Abstract

The invention relates to a nonmetallic inorganic or mineral particulate polymer composite having enhanced viscoelastic and rheological properties.

Claims

1. An inorganic particle and polymer composite comprising:

(a) about 30 to 87 vol.-% of an inorganic mineral particle having a particle size P_S greater than about 5 microns having a coating of about 0.005 to 5 wt-% of an interfacial modifier, the percentage based on the composite; and

(b) a polymer phase.

2. The composite of claim 1 wherein the particle comprises a mineral having a particle size P_S of about 10 to 1000 microns.

3. The composite of claim 1 wherein the particle comprises a mineral having a particle size P_S of about 10 to 200 microns.

4. The composite of claim 1 wherein the particle comprises a mineral having a particle size P_S of about 15 to 250 microns;

5. The composite of claim 1 wherein the circularity of the mineral is 12.5 to_—

50.

6. The composite of claim 1 wherein the particle comprises a ceramic having a particle size P_S of about 5 to 150 microns.

7. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite has a tensile strength of about 0.1 to 15 times that of the base polymer.

8. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite has a tensile strength of about 5 to 25 times that of the base polymer.

9. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite has a tensile elongation of about 0.10% and 100% of the base polymer.

10. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite has a tensile elongation of about 15% and 100% of the base polymer.

11. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite has a tensile strength of about 0.10 to 20 times that of the base polymer and a tensile elongation of about 15% and 100% of base polymer.

12. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite has a thermoplastic shear of at least 5 sec⁻

1.

13. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite has a tensile strength of at least 0.2 MPa and a thermoplastic shear of at least 5 sec⁻

1.

14. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite comprises greater than 30 vol.-% of the inorganic material having a particle size of 10 to 200 microns.

15. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite comprises greater than 50 vol.-% of the inorganic mineral.

16. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite comprises a particulate wherein the majority of the particulates having a particulate size P_S of about 10 to 1000 microns;

and a fluoropolymer phase.

17. The composite of claim 1 wherein the inorganic mineral has a particle size P_S of about 10 to 200 microns and the composite additionally comprises a second particulate with a particle size P_S¹ that differs from the inorganic composite by at least 5 microns.

18. The composite of claim 17 wherein the inorganic mineral has a particle size P_S according to the formula P_S<

2 P_S¹ or P_S>

0.5 P_S¹;

wherein P_S is the particle size of the inorganic mineral and P_S¹ is the particle size of the second particulate.

19. The composite of claim 17 wherein the second particulate comprises a ceramic particulate, a glass microsphere, a solid glass sphere, or a second inorganic composite.

20. The composite of claim 1 wherein the second particle comprises a hollow glass sphere having a particle size P_S of about 10 to 300 microns.

21. The composite of claim 1 wherein the second particle comprises a solid glass sphere having a particle size P_S of about 5 to 1000 microns.

22. The composite of claim 1 wherein the particle comprises a silica having a particle size P_S of about 5 to 500 microns.

23. The composite of claim 1 wherein the particle comprises a silica having a particle size P_S of about 75 to 500 microns.

24. The composite of claim 22 wherein the silica particle comprises silica sand.

25. The composite of claim 1 wherein the particle comprises zirconium silicate.

26. The composite of claim 22 wherein the polymer comprises a fluoropolymer.

27. The composite of claim 26 wherein the polymer comprises a fluoroelastomer.

28. The composite of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a polyamide.

29. The composite of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a nylon.

30. The composite of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a poly(ethylene-co-vinyl acetate).

31. The composite of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a synthetic rubber.

32. The composite of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a polyolefin.

33. The composite of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a thermoset polymer.

34. The composite of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a high-density polyolefin.

35. The composite of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a polyvinyl chloride.

36. The composite of claim 1 wherein the inorganic mineral particle comprises a circularity of about 14 to 50.

37. The composite of claim 1 wherein the second particle comprises a mixture of particles of differing composition.

38. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite comprises about 0.01 to 5 wt % of an interfacial modifier based on the composite.

39. The composite of claim 1 wherein the particle has an excluded vol. of about 13 vol.-% to about 70 vol.-%.

40. The composite of claim 1 wherein the particle has an excluded vol. of about 13 vol.-% to about 60 vol.-%.

41. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite comprises an organic or inorganic pigment.

42. The composite of claim 1 wherein the composite comprises an organic dye.

43. A particulate polymer composite comprising a non-metal, inorganic or mineral particle in a polymer phase, the composite comprising:

(a) about 90 to 40 vol.-% of an inorganic mineral particle, having a density greater than 0.10 gm-cm<sup>−

3</sup> and less than 5 gm-cm<sup>−

3</sup>, a particle size P_S greater than 10 microns, a circularity greater than 14 and an aspect ratio less than 3; and

(b) about 10 to 70 vol.-% of a polymer phase;

wherein the particulate comprising a layer comprising about 0.005 to 3 wt.-% of an interfacial modifier; and

the composite density is about 0.9 to 15 gm-cm<sup>−

3</sup>.

44. The composite of claim 43 further comprising a particle with a circularity index of 12.5 to 25.0.

45. The composite of claim 43 wherein the density is about 1 to 5 gm-cm⁻

3.

46. The composite of claim 43 wherein the density is about 1 to 2 gm-cm⁻

3.

47. A shaped article comprising the composite of claim 43 wherein in the polymer composite comprises about 87 to 48 vol.-% of a particulate having a particle size P_S greater than 10 microns, and having a particle size P_S distribution having at least 10 wt.-% of a particulate within about 10 to 100 microns, at least 10 wt.-% of the polymer particulate within about 100 to 500 microns, a circularity greater than 12.5 and an aspect ratio less than 1:

3;

about 13 to 51 vol.-% of a polymer phase.

52. A shaped article comprising the composite of claim 43 wherein in the polymer composite comprises about 87 to 48 volume-% of a particulate having a particle size greater than 10 microns, and having a particle size distribution having at least 10 wt.-% of a particulate within about 10 to 100 microns, at least 10 wt.-% of the polymer particulate within about 100 to 500 microns, a circularity greater than 12.5 and an aspect ratio less than 1:

9;

about 13 to 51 vol-% of a polymer phase.

53. The shaped article of claim 52 wherein the article is dental article, a transportation bumper, a commercial or residential weather strip, an abrasive layer, a vapor resistant hose, a transportation interior panel, a sealant for a fenestration unit or installation, a structural member for a sound box, a transportation brake pad, an LED heat dissipation fixture, a refrigeration unit thermal seal, and a fenestration composition that act as a thermal or barrier to mass transfer.

54. The shaped article of claim 53 wherein the transportation panel is a sound deadening panel for an automotive and boat application.

55. The shaped article of claim 53 wherein the fenestration unit is insulated glass unit.

48. A method of forming an inorganic and polymer composite material which comprises forming a extrudible mass comprising a polymer phase and a particle phase, the particle phase comprising a coating of an interfacial modifier in an amount of about 0.005 to 5.0 wt-% based on the composite, the particles comprising a first particle particulate having a circularity of greater than about 15 and a second substantially round particulate having a circularity of about 12.5 to 15;

the second particulate comprising greater than 5 vol.-% of the composite wherein upon extrusion, the shear on the extrudible mass, the wear of an extruder and the extrusion pressure is reduced.

49. The method of claim 48 wherein the second substantially round particle is used at about 5 to 80 vol.-% of a particulate phase comprising 30 to 82 vol.-% of the composite.

50. The method of claim 48 wherein the circularity of the inorganic particle comprises circularity about 15 to 50 and the second substantially round particulate comprises circularity about 12.5 to 25.

51. The method of claim 48 wherein the particle size P_S of the first particle is 20 to 50 microns and the particle size P_S of the second particle is about 12.5 to 20 microns.