In situ exfoliation method to fabricate a graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11174366-B2
Application number	US-201916377962-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Apr 8, 2019
Priority date	Apr 18, 2013
Publication date	Nov 16, 2021
Grant date	Nov 16, 2021

Abstract

A method for forming a graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite by distributing graphite microparticles into a molten thermoplastic polymer phase comprising one or more molten thermoplastic polymers; and applying a succession of shear strain events to the molten polymer phase so that the molten polymer phase exfoliates the graphene successively with each event, until tearing of exfoliated multilayer graphene sheets occurs and produces reactive edges on the multilayer sheets that react with and cross-link the one or more thermoplastic polymers; where the one or more thermoplastic polymers are selected from thermoplastic polymers subject to UV degradation.

First claim

We claim:

1. A graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite comprising thermoplastic polymer molecules inter-molecularly and directly cross-linked by mechanically torn single- and/or multi-layer graphene sheets having carbon atoms with reactive bonding sites on the torn edges of the mechanically torn single- and/or multi-layer graphene sheets, wherein the mechanically torn single- and/or multi-layer graphene sheets are exfoliated from graphite and comprise contamination-free graphene-polymer interfaces.

2. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite of claim 1 , comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer molecule bonded or adhered to one or more of the mechanically torn single- or multi-layer graphene sheets.

3. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite of claim 1 , comprising at least one of the mechanically torn single- or multi-layer graphene sheets covalently bonded to one or more thermoplastic polymer molecules.

4. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyether-ketone (PEK), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene sulfide (PES), polyetherimide (PEI), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene ether, aromatic thermoplastic polyesters, thermoplastic polyimides, liquid crystal polymers, thermoplastic elastomers, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene (PS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), polytetra-fluoroethylene (PTFE), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamides (PA), poly-phenylene oxide (PPO), polyoxymethylene plastic (POM/Acetal), polyimides, polyarylether-ketones, polyvinylchloride (PVC), acrylics, and mixtures thereof.

5. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises an aromatic polymer.

6. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite of claim 5 , wherein the aromatic polymer comprises phenyl groups, optionally substituted, in either the backbone or as substituents.

7. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite of claim 6 , wherein the optionally substituted phenyl groups are contained within the polymer backbone as optionally substituted phenylene groups.

8. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite of claim 6 , wherein the optionally substituted phenyl groups are substituents on the polymer.

9. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite of claim 1 , wherein the composite comprises from about 0.01 wt % to about 90 wt % of single- and multi-layer graphene nanoparticles.

10. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite of claim 1 , wherein the composite comprises from about 0.01 wt % to about 60 wt % of single- and multi-layer graphene nanoparticles.

11. The graphene-reinforced polymer matrix composite of claim 1 , wherein the composite comprises from about 1 wt % to about 30 wt % of single- and multi-layer graphene nanoparticles.

12. An automotive, aircraft or aerospace part formed from the composite of claim 1 .

13. The part of claim 12 , wherein the part is an engine part.

14. Graphene cross-linked polymer particles formed from the composite of claim 1 .

15. A polymer composition comprising a host thermoplastic polymer and the graphene cross-linked polymer particles of claim 14 dispersed therein.

16. The polymer composition of claim 15 , comprising at least one thermoplastic polymer molecule bonded or adhered to one or more of the mechanically torn single- or multi-layer graphene sheets.

17. The polymer composition of claim 15 , comprising at least one of the mechanically torn single- or multi-layer graphene sheets covalently bonded to one or more thermoplastic polymer molecules.

18. The polymer composition of claim 15 , wherein the host thermoplastic polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyetheretherketone (PEEK), polyether-ketone (PEK), polysulfones (PS), polyphenylene sulfide (PPS), polyethylene sulfide (PES), polyetherimide (PEI), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), polycarbonate (PC), polyphenylene ether, aromatic thermoplastic polyesters, thermoplastic polyimides, liquid crystal polymers, thermoplastic elastomers, polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene (PS), polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA), polyacrylonitrile (PAN), ultra-high-molecular-weight polyethylene (UHMWPE), polytetra-fluoroethylene (PTFE), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyamides (PA), poly-phenylene oxide (PPO), polyoxymethylene plastic (POM/Acetal), polyimides, polyarylether-ketones, polyvinylchloride (PVC), acrylics, and mixtures thereof.

19. The polymer composition of claim 15 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer comprises an aromatic polymer.

20. The polymer composition of claim 19 , wherein the aromatic polymer comprises phenyl groups, optionally substituted, in either the backbone or as substituents.

21. The polymer composition of claim 20 , wherein the optionally substituted phenyl groups are substituents on the polymer.

22. An automotive, aircraft or aerospace part formed from the polymer composition of claim 15 .

23. The part of claim 22 , wherein the part is an engine part.

Assignees

• Univ Rutgers

Inventors

• Nosker Thomas J
• Lynch-Branzoi Jennifer K
• Kear Bernard H
• Hendrix Justin
• Chiu Gordon

Classifications

• B32B9/00 Primary

  Layered products comprising a {layer of a} particular substance not covered by groups B32B11/00 - B32B29/00 · CPC title

• C08L55/02

  ABS [Acrylonitrile-Butadiene-Styrene] polymers · CPC title

• C08L67/00

  Compositions of polyesters obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic ester link in the main chain (of polyester-amides C08L77/12; of polyester-imides C08L79/08); Compositions of derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• C08L33/20

  Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylonitrile (C08L55/02 takes precedence) · CPC title

• C08L23/06

  Polyethylene · CPC title