Claims
- 1. A process for producing a networked polymer/clay alloy, comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing a monomer/clay mixture by mixing at least a monomer, clay particles, a cross-linking agent, and a mixing fluid in a vessel; (b) exposing the monomer/clay mixture to a thermal initiator means comprising at least one thermal initiator and thermal energy, wherein exposing the monomer/clay mixture to the thermal initiator means comprises:
(i) mixing, in any order, the at least one thermal initiator with at least the monomer, clay particles, the cross-linking agent and the mixing fluid so that a monomer/clay mixture is exposed to the thermal initiator; (ii) exposing the monomer/clay mixture to a thermal energy source at a temperature in a range from about 40° C. to about 95° C.; and (c) polymerizing the monomer/clay mixture so that a networked polymer/clay alloy is formed.
- 2. The process of claim 1, wherein the thermal initiator is selected from the group consisting of free radical initiators, carbanions, carbonium ions, and combinations thereof.
- 3. The process of claim 2, wherein the free radical initiator is selected from the group consisting of (a) alkali metal salts of sulfite, bisulfite, persulfate and benzoyl peroxide; (b) ammonium salts of sulfite, bisulfite, persulfate and benzoyl peroxide; (c) 2,2′-azobis(2-amidino-propane)-dihydrochloride and 2,2′-azobis(4-cyanopentanoic acid); and combinations thereof.
- 4. The process of claim 1, wherein the mixing fluid is selected from the group consisting of water, alcohol, organic solvents, and combinations thereof.
- 5. The process of claim 1, wherein the clay particles are swelling clay particles selected from the group consisting of montmorillonite, saponite, nontronite, laponite, beidellite, iron-saponite, hectorite, sauconite, stevensite, vermiculite and combinations thereof.
- 6. The process of claim 1, wherein the clay particles are non-swelling clay particles selected from the group consisting of kaolin minerals, serpentine minerals, mica minerals, chlorite minerals, sepiolite, palygorskite, bauxite, silica and combinations thereof.
- 7. The process of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of clay to monomer in the monomer/clay mixture is in a range of from about 0.05:1 to about 19:1.
- 8. The process of claim 1, wherein the weight ratio of clay to monomer in the monomer/clay mixture is in a range of from about 0.5:1 to about 3:1.
- 9. The process of claim 1, wherein the monomer has the following general formula:
- 10. The process of claim 1, wherein the monomer is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, acrylamide, sodium acrylate, potassium acrylate, methacrylic acid, isopropylacrylamide, and combinations thereof.
- 11. The process of claim 1, wherein the cross-linking agent is selected from the group consisting of N,N′-methylene bisacrylamide, phenol formaldehyde, terephthalaldehyde, allylmethacrylate, diethyleneglycol diacrylate, ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, ethylene carbonate, ethylene glycol diglycidal ether, tetraallyloxyethane, triallylamine, trimethylolpropanetriacrylate, and combinations thereof.
- 12. A product produced by the process of claim 1.
- 13. A product produced by the process of claim 2.
- 14. A product produced by the process of claim 3.
- 15. A product produced by the process of claim 4.
- 16. A product produced by the process of claim 5.
- 17. A product produced by the process of claim 6.
- 18. A product produced by the process of claim 7.
- 19. A product produced by the process of claim 8.
- 20. A product produced by the process of claim 9.
- 21. A product produced by the process of claim 10.
- 22. A product produced by the process of claim 11.
Priority Claims (1)
Number |
Date |
Country |
Kind |
2,272,965 |
May 1999 |
CA |
|
Parent Case Info
[0001] This application is a continuation of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/579,547 filed in the names of John Donald Payzant and Zhihong Zhou on May 26, 2000, which is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/356,164 filed Jul. 16, 1999, abandoned.
Continuations (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09579547 |
May 2000 |
US |
Child |
10397594 |
Mar 2003 |
US |
Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
09356164 |
Jul 1999 |
US |
Child |
09579547 |
May 2000 |
US |