Gels and hydrogels

• US 9,850,379 B2
• Filed: 11/08/2011
• Issued: 12/26/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 11/08/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: mOasis, Inc. (Carbon Neutral AG Sciences)
• Original Assignee: Michael Casey Williams, Naihong Li
• Inventors: Li, Naihong, Williams, Michael C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Cain, Edward
• Application Number:
  US13/884,218
• Publication Number:
  US 20130303665A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,240 Days
• Field of Search: 524 24, 524 35, 524 45, 524502, 524503, 524535
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 2210/00 Compositions for preparing hydrogels
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2329/00 Characterised by the use of homopolymers or copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and at least one being terminated by an alcohol, ether, aldehydo, ketonic, acetal, or ketal radical; Hydrolysed polymers of esters of unsaturated alcohols with saturated carboxylic acids; Derivatives of such polymer
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2333/02 Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/075 Macromolecular gels
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/05 containing polymer components which can react with one another
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 33/02 Homopolymers or copolymers of acids; Metal or ammonium salts thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/00 Compositions of polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain of polyacetals C08L59/00; of epoxy resins C08L63/00; of polythioether-ethers C08L81/02; of polyether-sulfones C08L81/06; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/02 Polyalkylene oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/08 Polyethers derived from hydroxy compounds or from their metallic derivatives C08L71/02 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 17/16 applied in a physical form other than a solution or a grout, e.g. as platelets or granules

Abstract

Gels and gel-containing materials, including hydrogels, are described. A gel can be formed by blending polyacrylic acid (PAA) and a polyglycol, such as polytetramethylene ether glycol (PTMEG) at room temperature and, in some cases, without using a catalyst. The blend material can be used to form soft or hard materials, films and particles. The blend material can be combined with vinyl monomers and polymerize to form a hydrogel. The hydrogel can have a high mechanical strength and high water absorbency.

Claims

1. A hydrogel comprising:

a first polymeric material having polyacrylic acid;

a second polymeric material comprising polytetramethylene ether glycol; and

one or more species having a vinyl functionality.

2. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein at least one of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material is substantially a homopolymer.

3. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein at least one of said one or more species having a vinyl functionality is selected from the group consisting of:

acrylamide, acrylic acid, methylacrylic acid, vinyl alcohol, vinyl acetate, butyl acrylate, vinyl acrylate, vinylbenzoic acid, vinylbenzyl alcohol, vinylboronic acid dibutyl ester, vinylformamide, vinyl methacrylate, vinylpyridine, 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, vinylsulfonic acid, and vinyltrimethoxysilane.

4. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel further comprises a cross-linker selected from the group consisting of:

di(ethyleneglycol)divinyl ether, di(ethylglycol)diacrylate, and N,N′

-methylene bis(acrylamide).

5. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein at least one of said one or more species having a vinyl functionality is covalently bonded to the first polymeric material.

6. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel has a water-retention capacity of at least about 10% of the weight of the hydrogel.

7. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein the ratio, by weight, of the first polymeric material to the second polymeric material is between about 1-to-3, and about 1-to-6.

8. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel further comprises one or more of:

a cellulose, gelatin, clay, carboxymethyl cellulose, a fertilizer, silica, polyethylene and polystyrene.

9. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel exhibits at least one of:

a tensile strength of about 1000 g/cm2 to about 4000 g/cm2, and an impact strength of about 1000 g/cm2 to about 4000 g/cm2.

10. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein at least one of:

the Mw (g/mol) of the first polymeric material is from about 250,000 to about 1,000,000, and the Mw (g/mol) of the second polymeric material is from about 650 to about 2,000.

11. A method for forming the hydrogel according to claim 1, comprising:

providing, in a reaction vessel, a first polymeric material having polyacrylic acid, a second polymeric material comprising polytetramethylene ether glycol, and one or more species having a vinyl functionality to form a mixture of said first polymeric material, said second polymeric material and one or more species having a vinyl functionality; and

mixing said mixture.

12. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material is substantially a homopolymer.

13. The method of claim 11, wherein the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material are provided in a ratio by weight between about 1-to-3, and about 1-to-6.

14. The method of claim 11, further comprising at least one of:

heating said mixture and mixing said mixture between about 15°

C. and 30°

C.

15. The method of claim 11, wherein at least one of said one or more species having a vinyl functionality is selected from the group consisting of acrylamide, acrylic acid, methylacrylic acid, vinyl alcohol, vinyl acetate, butyl acrylate, vinyl acrylate, vinylbenzoic acid, vinylbenzyl alcohol, vinylboronic acid dibutyl ester, vinylformamide, vinyl methacrylate, vinylpyridine, 1-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone, vinylsulfonic acid, and vinyltrimethoxysilane.

23. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel has a water-retention capacity of at least about 20% of the weight of the hydrogel.

24. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel has a water-retention capacity of at least about 100% of the weight of the hydrogel.

25. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel has a water-retention capacity of at least about 10 times the weight of the hydrogel.

26. The hydrogel of claim 1, wherein the hydrogel has a water-retention capacity of at least about 50 times the weight of the hydrogel.

16. A gel, comprising:

a first polymeric material having polyacrylic acid; and

a second polymeric material comprising polytetramethylene ether glycol, wherein the first polymeric material is hydrogen-bonded to the second polymeric material.

17. The gel of claim 16, wherein at least one of the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material is substantially a homopolymer.

18. The gel of claim 16, wherein the ratio, by weight, of the first polymeric material to the second polymeric material is between about 1-to-3, and about 1-to-6.

19. The gel of claim 16, wherein the gel exhibits at least one of:

a tensile strength of about 1000 g/cm2 to about 4000 g/cm2, and an impact strength of about 1000 g/cm2 to about 4000 g/cm2.

20. The gel of claim 16, wherein at least one of:

the Mw (g/mol) of the first polymeric material is from about 250,000 to about 1,000,000, and the Mw (g/mol) of the second polymeric material is from about 650 to about 2,000.

21. The gel of claim 16, wherein the gel comprises a hydrogel having a water-retention capacity of at least about 10% of the weight of the hydrogel.

22. The gel of claim 16, wherein the gel comprises a hydrogel, and the hydrogel further comprises one or more of:

a cellulose, gelatin, clay, carboxymethyl cellulose, a fertilizer, silica, polyethylene and polystyrene.

27. The gel of claim 16, wherein the gel comprises a hydrogel, and the hydrogel has a water-retention capacity of at least about 20% of the weight of the hydrogel.

28. The gel of claim 16, wherein the gel comprises a hydrogel, and the hydrogel has a water-retention capacity of at least about 100% of the weight of the hydrogel.

29. The gel of claim 16, wherein the gel comprises a hydrogel, and the hydrogel has a water-retention capacity of at least about 10 times the weight of the hydrogel.

30. The gel of claim 16, wherein the gel comprises a hydrogel, and the hydrogel has a water-retention capacity of at least about 50 times the weight of the hydrogel.

31. A three-dimensional gel formed from:

a first polymeric material comprising polyacrylic acid; and

a second polymeric material comprising a polyglycol having —

O(CH₂)_n−

units,

where n is a number greater than or equal to 3,

wherein the first polymeric material is hydrogen-bonded to the second polymeric material.

32. The three-dimensional gel according to claim 31, further comprising at least one of:

one or more unsaturated monomer species having a vinyl functionality; and

methacrylic acid.

33. A method of forming the three-dimensional gel according to claim 31, comprising mixing the first polymeric material and the second polymeric material in a reaction vessel.