Antimicrobial composite material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12091316-B2
Application number	US-201915734264-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jun 4, 2019
Priority date	Jun 5, 2018
Publication date	Sep 17, 2024
Grant date	Sep 17, 2024

Abstract

The present invention relates to activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles and antimicrobial composite material comprising said activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles embedded in a thermoplastic polymer such as low density polyethylene (LDPE). The invention also relates to the method for obtaining the composite material of the invention and a thermal activation method for the thermal activation of a sodium hexametaphosphate salt in order to generate the activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles. The antimicrobial material of the invention is preferably used in the food industry.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A composite material comprising:
a) activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles obtainable by means of a thermal activation method comprising the steps of:
i) heating a sodium hexametaphosphate salt until it melts such that a molten sodium hexametaphosphate salt is obtained;
ii) abruptly cooling the molten sodium hexametaphosphate salt obtained in step (i) in a dry medium to obtain activated sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles; and
iii) grinding the activated sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles obtained in step (ii) to obtain activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles; and

b) a polymer matrix;

wherein said composite material comprises the activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles in a mass percentage less than 60%; and
wherein said activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles are embedded in said polymer matrix.

2. The composite material according to claim 1 , wherein in step (ii) the temperature is reduced from the salt melting temperature to a temperature below 500° C. in less than one minute.

3. The composite material according to claim 1 , wherein the activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles have a d90 parameter below 10 micron.

4. The composite material according to claim 1 , wherein the activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles comprise a mass percentage of absorbed water greater than 2.5%.

5. The composite material according to claim 1 , wherein the activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles have refractive index values comprised between 1.4 and 1.6.

6. The composite material according to claim 1 , wherein said composite material comprises the activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles in a mass percentage comprised between 0.1 and 5%.

7. The composite material according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix is hydrophobic.

8. The composite material according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer matrix comprises at least one thermosetting polymer, at least one thermoplastic polymer, or combinations thereof.

9. The composite material according to claim 1 , comprising normalized conductivity values of less than 0.700 mS·cm −1 ·g·ml −1 per gram of frit particles and milliliters of water of activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles after 15 minutes in an aqueous solution.

10. The composite material according to claim 1 , comprising hydrophobic and hydrophilic areas on the surface thereof.

11. The composite material according to claim 1 , comprising at least one antimicrobial additive.

12. The composite material according to claim 11 , wherein said at least one antimicrobial additive is selected from silver derivatives, copper derivatives, zinc derivatives, phenolic biocides, quaternary ammonium compounds, titanium oxides, fungicides, antimicrobial glass, and combinations thereof.

13. A method for obtaining the composite material defined in claim 1 , comprising the steps of:
i) providing
a) activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles obtainable by means of a thermal activation method comprising the steps of:
i) heating a sodium hexametaphosphate salt until it melts such that a molten sodium hexametaphosphate salt is obtained;
ii) abruptly cooling the molten sodium hexametaphosphate salt obtained in step (i) in a dry medium to obtain activated sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles; and
iii) grinding the activated sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles obtained in step (ii) to obtain activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles; and

b) a polymer matrix; and

ii) embedding said activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles in said polymer matrix,
wherein said composite material comprises the activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles in a mass percentage less than 60%.

14. The method for obtaining the composite material according to claim 13 , wherein in step (ii) the temperature is reduced from the salt melting temperature to a temperature below 500° C. in less than one minute.

15. The composite material according to claim 12 , wherein the fungicide comprising thiabendazole.

16. A composite material comprising:
a) activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles obtainable by means of a thermal activation method comprising the steps of:
i) heating a sodium hexametaphosphate salt until it melts such that a molten sodium hexametaphosphate salt is obtained;
ii) abruptly cooling the molten sodium hexametaphosphate salt obtained in step (i) in a dry medium to obtain activated sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles; and
iii) grinding the activated sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles obtained in step (ii) to obtain activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles; and

c) a polymer matrix;

wherein said composite material comprises the activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles in a mass percentage comprised between 0.1 and 5%; and
wherein said activated and ground sodium hexametaphosphate frit particles are embedded in said polymer matrix.

Assignees

• Consejo Superior Investigacion
• Encapsulae S L

Inventors

• Fernández Lozano José Francisco
• Jimenez Reinosa Julián
• Moure Arroyo Alberto
• Menéndez Medina José Javier

Classifications

• C08K3/32 Primary

  Phosphorus-containing compounds · CPC title

• A01N43/78

  1,3-Thiazoles; Hydrogenated 1,3-thiazoles · CPC title

• A01N25/34

  Shaped forms, e.g. sheets, not provided for in any other sub-group of this main group · CPC title

• A01N25/10

  Macromolecular compounds · CPC title

• C01B25/30 Primary

  Alkali metal phosphates · CPC title