Ceramic composite

• US 8,841,358 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2010
• Issued: 09/23/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 04/29/2009
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Tundra Composites, LLC.
• Original Assignee: Tundra Composites, LLC.
• Inventors: Heikkila, Kurt E., Williams, Rodney K., Kroll, John S.
• Primary Examiner(s): CAIN, EDWARD J
• Application Number:
  US12/769,500
• Publication Number:
  US 20100280145A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,609 Days
• Field of Search: 523/200, 523/210, 523/212, 523/216, 523/217, 523/219, 523/220, 523/223
• US Class Current: 523/220
• 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 ceramic particulate and polymer composite having enhanced viscoelastic and rheological properties.

Claims

1. A thermoplastic composite with improved viscoelastic properties comprising a shaped structural article comprising a melt blended ceramic particulate in a thermoplastic polymer phase, the thermoplastic composite comprising:

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

(b) a thermoplastic polymer phase;

wherein the ceramic particulate comprises a particle size P_S of about 10 to 500 microns and the composite additionally comprises a second particulate with a second particle size P_S¹ that differs from P_S by at least 5 microns, the thermoplastic is free of a polymer consisting of tetrafluoroethylene and the ceramic particulate comprises a glass microsphere.

2. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic composite has a tensile strength of about 0.1 to 30 times that of the polymer phase.

3. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic composite has a tensile strength of about 0.1 to 25 times that of the polymer phase.

4. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic composite has a tensile elongation of about 5% to 100% of the polymer phase.

5. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic composite has a tensile elongation of about 10% to 100% of the polymer phase.

6. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic composite has a tensile strength of about 0.1 to 20 time that of the polymer phase and a tensile elongation of about 15% and 90% of the polymer phase.

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

1.

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

1.

9. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic composite comprises greater than 50 vol-% of the ceramic particulate.

10. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 comprising a halogen polymer phase.

11. The thermoplastic composite of claim 10 wherein the ceramic particulate has a particle size P_S of about 5 to 250 microns.

12. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic composite has a mixed particle size according to the formula P_S≧

2P_S¹ or P_S≦

0.5 P_S¹.

13. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the second particulate comprises a metal particulate, a solid inorganic particulate, or a second ceramic particulate or mixtures thereof.

14. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the particle has a circularity of 12.5 to 50.

15. The thermoplastic composite of claim 13 wherein the second particulate comprises the circularity being greater than 12.5 and a density less than 0.9 gm-cm⁻

3.

16. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the glass microsphere comprises a solid glass sphere having a particle size (P_S) of about 10 to 300 microns.

17. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the second particulate comprises an alumina having a particle size (P_S¹) of about 75 to 500 microns.

18. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the particulate that has a P_S¹ of about 10 to 500 microns comprises zirconium silicate.

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

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

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

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

23. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the polymer comprises a thermoplastic fluoropolymer.

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

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

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

27. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the particulate comprises a coating comprising about 0.01 to 4 wt % of an interfacial modifier based on the composite.

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

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

30. The thermoplastic composite of claim 23 wherein the polymer comprises a thermoplastic fluoroelastomer.

31. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the composite additionally comprises an inorganic pigment.

32. The thermoplastic composite of claim 1 wherein the composite additionally comprises an organic dye.

33. A thermoplastic composite with improved viscoelastic properties comprising a shaped article comprising a melt blended ceramic particle in a polymer phase, the composite comprising:

(a) a ceramic particle, having a density greater than 0.10 gm-cm<sup>−

3</sup> and less than 10 gm-cm<sup>−

3</sup>; and

(b) about 13 to 51 vol. % of a thermoplastic polymer phase;

wherein the ceramic particulate comprises a particle size P_S of about 10 to 500 microns and the composite comprises a second particulate with a second particle size P_S¹ that differs from P_S by at least 5 microns, the particulate has an exterior coating comprising about 0.005 to 3 wt.-% of an interfacial modifier, based on the composite; and

the composite density is about 0.9 to 10 gm-cm<sup>−

3</sup>;

wherein the thermoplastic composite is free of a polymer consisting of tetrafluoroethylene, the composite comprises about 87 to 48 volume-% of a ceramic particulate having a circularity greater than 12.5 and an aspect ratio less than 1;

9.

34. The thermoplastic composite of claim 33 wherein the density is about 1 to 5 gm-cm⁻

3.

35. The thermoplastic composite of claim 33 wherein the density is about 1.5 to 4 gm-cm⁻

3.

36. A dental article comprising the thermoplastic composite of claim 33 wherein the thermoplastic composite comprises about 87 to 48 volume-% of a ceramic 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 particulate within about 100 to 500 microns and a circularity greater than 12.5 and an aspect ratio less than 1:

9;

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

37. A shaped article comprising the thermoplastic composite of claim 33 wherein the thermoplastic composite comprises about 87 to 48 volume-% of a glass microsphere 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 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 volume-% of a polymer phase.

38. The shaped article of claim 37 wherein the article is 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, or a fenestration composition.

39. The shaped article of claim 38 wherein the transportation panel is a sound deadening panel for an automotive and boat application.

40. The shaped article of claim 38 wherein the fenestration unit is an insulated glass unit.