Aqueous Dispersions And Methods Of Making Same

• US 20100311872A1
• Filed: 05/18/2010
• Published: 12/09/2010
• Est. Priority Date: 05/18/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Original Assignee: PPG Industries Ohio Incorporated (Nouryon BV)
• Inventors: Pavlekovsky, Richard J., Wehrle, Matthew E., Lai, Xiaoyun
• Granted Patent: US 9,242,897 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 523/468
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/44 Carbon, e.g. graphite
• CPC Class Codes: C03C 25/47 containing particles, fibres or flakes, e.g. in a continuous phase
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2339/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of N-vinyl-pyrrolidones
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2363/00 Characterised by the use of epoxy resins; Derivatives of epoxy resins
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2375/04 Polyurethanes
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/07 from polymer solutions
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/24 the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/249948 Fiber is precoated
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/292 In coating or impregnation

Abstract

The present invention, in one aspect, provides aqueous dispersions of carbon nanotubes. In some embodiments such aqueous dispersions can be applied to fiber glass strands to impart one or more electrically conductive properties to the fiber glass strands.

Claims

1. An aqueous dispersion comprising:

carbon nanotubes present in an amount of at least about 1 weight percent on a total solids basis; and

a polymeric carrier, the polymeric carrier comprising an aqueous dispersion of one or more polymeric species.

2. The aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotubes are present in the dispersion in an amount of at least about 2 weight percent on a total solids basis.

3. The aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotubes are present in the dispersion in an amount of at least about 5 weight percent on a total solids basis.

4. The aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotubes are present in the dispersion in an amount of at least about 10 weight percent on a total solids basis.

5. The aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the one or more polymeric species comprises a polyvinylpyrrolidone, a polyurethane or an epoxy or combinations thereof.

6. The aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the carbon nanotubes comprise single-walled carbon nanotubes, multi-walled carbon nanotubes or mixtures thereof.

7. The aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the aqueous dispersion has a viscosity at 2.5 RPM ranging from about 1800 cP to about 30,000 cP.

8. The aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the average carbon nanotube particle size is less than about 2 μ

m.

9. The aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the average carbon nanotube particle size is less than about 1 μ

m.

10. The aqueous dispersion of claim 1, wherein the aqueous dispersion has a rating on the Hegman scale of 8.

11. The aqueous dispersion of claim 1, further comprising at least one additional component, the at least one additional component comprising a film former, a coupling agent, a lubricant, a surfactant, a biocide or an anti-foaming agent or mixtures thereof.

12. The aqueous dispersion of claim 11, wherein the at least one additional component comprises a film former, the film former comprising polyurethane, epoxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylate, polyester, polyvinylacetate or polyvinyl alcohol or combinations thereof.

13. The aqueous dispersion of claim 12, wherein the film former is present in the aqueous dispersion in an amount of at least about 50 weight percent on a total solids basis.

14. The aqueous dispersion of claim 12, wherein the film former is present in an amount ranging from about 60 weight percent to about 80 weight percent on a total solids basis.

15. The aqueous dispersion of claim 11, wherein the at least one additional component comprises a coupling agent, the coupling agent comprising one or more organosilanes.

16. The aqueous dispersion of claim 15, wherein the one or more organosilanes comprise aminofunctional silanes, non-aminofunctional silanes or combinations thereof.

17. The aqueous dispersion of claim 15, wherein the one or more organosilanes are present in an amount up to about 10 weight percent on a total solids basis.

18. The aqueous dispersion of claim 15, wherein the one or more organosilanes are present in an amount ranging from about 1 weight percent to about 5 weight percent on a total solids basis.

19. A method of making an aqueous dispersion comprising:

providing a polymeric carrier; and

mixing carbon nanotubes in an amount of at least about 1 weight percent on a total solid basis with the polymeric carrier, the polymeric carrier comprising an aqueous dispersion of one or more polymeric species.

20. The method of claim 19, wherein the carbon nanotubes are mixed with the polymeric carrier in an amount ranging from about 1 weight percent to about 30 weight percent on a total solids basis.

21. The method of claim 19, wherein the carbon nanotubes are mixed with the polymeric carrier in an amount ranging from about 1 weight percent to about 15 weight percent on a total solids basis.

22. The method of claim 19, wherein the one or more polymeric species comprises polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyurethane, epoxy or combinations thereof.

23. The method of claim 19, further comprising reducing carbon nanotube particle sizes of the aqueous dispersion.

24. The method of claim 23, wherein reducing the carbon nanotube particle sizes comprises milling the aqueous dispersion.

25. The method of claim 24, wherein the carbon nanotube particle sizes are reduced to an average size of less than about 2 μ

m.

26. The method of claim 24, wherein the carbon nanotube particles sizes are reduced to an average size less than about 1 μ

m.

27. The method of claim 24, wherein the aqueous dispersion has a viscosity at 2.5 RPM ranging from about 1800 cP to about 30,000 cP.

28. The method of claim 19, further comprising providing at least one additional component and adding the at least one additional component to the aqueous dispersion, the at least one additional component comprising a film former, coupling agent, lubricant, surfactant, biocide, anti-foaming agent or mixtures thereof.

29. The method of claim 28, wherein the at least one additional component comprises a film former, the film former comprising polyurethane, epoxide, polyvinylpyrrolidone, polyacrylate, polyester, polyvinylacetate or polyvinyl alcohol or combinations thereof.

30. The method of claim 29, wherein the film former is present in an amount of at least about 50 weight percent on a total solids basis.

31. The method claim 29, wherein the film former is present in an amount ranging from about 60 weight percent to about 80 weight percent on a total solids basis.

32. The method of claim 28, wherein the at least one additional component comprises a coupling agent, the coupling agent comprises one or more organosilanes.

33. The method of claim 32, wherein the one or more organosilanes comprises aminofunctional silanes, non-aminofunctional silanes or combinations thereof.

34. The method of claim 32, wherein the one or more organosilanes are present in an amount ranging from about 1 weight percent to about 5 weight percent on a total solids basis.