Multifunctional superhydrophobic diatomaceous earth for chemical adhesion and color change

• US 9,296,839 B2
• Filed: 11/11/2012
• Issued: 03/29/2016
• Est. Priority Date: 11/11/2011
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Velox Flow, Llc
• Original Assignee: Velox Flow, Llc
• Inventors: Venema, Peter Craig, Barbee, Brent William, Larson, Jordan Moriah
• Primary Examiner(s): MOORE, MARGARET G
• Application Number:
  US14/357,552
• Publication Number:
  US 20140309343A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,234 Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: B01J 2/00 Processes or devices for granulating materials , e.g. fertilisers in general; Rendering particulate materials free flowing in general, e.g. making them hydrophobic
• CPC Class Codes: C01P 2004/03 obtained by SEM
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 8/42 Introducing metal atoms or metal-containing groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 59/1477 containing nitrogen
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 95/00 Compositions of bituminous materials, e.g. asphalt, tar, pitch
• CPC Class Codes: C09C 1/3081 Treatment with organo-silicon compounds

Abstract

Provided herein is a multifunctional particle and methods of forming the same. The multifunctional particle includes: a silica particle; a hydrophobic silane; and a silane coupling agent; where each of the hydrophobic silane and the silane coupling agent are chemically bonded to the surface of the silica particle; where the multifunctional particle is superhydrophobic and chemically reactive.

Claims

1. A method for producing a multifunctional particle, the method comprising:

contacting a hydrophobic silane to a surface of a silica particle comprising a diatomaceous earth particle, a fused silica particle or a rice husk ash particle to chemically bond the hydrophobic silane to at least a portion of the surface of the silica particle;

contacting a silane coupling agent to the surface of the silica particle to chemically bond the silane coupling agent to at least a portion of the surface of the silica particle;

rinsing the silica particle with a solvent after contacting at least one of the hydrophobic silane or the silane coupling agent to remove impurities and to remove any of the at least one of the hydrophobic silane or the silane coupling agent that are unattached to the silica particle; and

wherein the multifunctional particle is superhydrophobic and chemically reactive.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic silane and the silane coupling agent are simultaneously bonded to the surface of the silica particle.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic silane bonds to the surface of the silica particle before the silane coupling agent bonds to the surface of the silica particle.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the silane coupling agent bonds to the surface of the silica particle before the hydrophobic silane bonds to the surface of the silica particle.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the silane coupling agent is selected from the group consisting of amino-functional hydrocarbon silanes, N-(6-aminohexyl)-3-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, aminohexylaminoethyltrimethoxysilane, aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, aminopropyltriethoxysilane, N-(2-Aminoethyl)-3-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane, methyacryloxypropyl-trimethoxysilane, and combinations thereof.

6. The method of claim 1, wherein the silane coupling agent comprises amine silanes, olefin silanes, anhydride silanes, epoxy silanes, halogen silanes, hydroxyl silanes, dipodal silanes, acrylate silanes, sulfur-containing silanes, isocyanate silanes, or azide silanes.

7. The method of claim 1, wherein the hydrophobic silane comprises a molecule of the structure:

X_y(CH₃)_(3-y)SiLR

where y is 1 to 3;

X is Cl, Br, I, H, HO, R′

HN, R′

2N, imidizolo, R′

C(O)N(H), R′

C(O)N(R″

), R′

O, F₃CC(O)N(H), F₃CC(O)N(CH₃), or F₃S(O)₂O, where R′

is a straight or branched chain hydrocarbon of 1 to 4 carbons and R″

is methyl or ethyl;

L, a linking group, is CH₂CH₂, CH₂CH₂CH₂, CH₂CH₂O, CH₂CH₂CH₂O, CH₂CH₂C(O), CH₂CH₂CH₂C(O), CH₂CH₂OCH₂, CH₂CH₂CH₂OCH₂; and

R is (CF₂)_nCF₃ or (CF(CF₃)OCF₂)_nCF₂CF₃, where n is 0 to 24.

8. The method of claim 1, wherein the ratio of the hydrophobic silane to the silane coupling agent chemically bonded to the surface of the silica particle is from 5:

1 to 2.5;

1 by weight.

9. The method of claim 1, wherein the multifunctional particle comprises a self-assembled monolayer.