Porous epoxy nanocomposite monoliths

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12486374-B2
Application number	US-202017598649-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Mar 26, 2020
Priority date	Mar 26, 2019
Publication date	Dec 2, 2025
Grant date	Dec 2, 2025

Abstract

Method of preparing a porous material includes preparing a mixture of from about 10 to about 30% by mass of a matrix material, from about 20 to about 60% by mass of a plurality of particles, from about 20 to about 60% by mass of a porogen, and from about 1 to about 10% by mass of an interfacial compatibilizer. The matrix material and the porogen may be selected so as to be phase separated in the mixture. The method may further include placing the mixture into a form; initiating a solidification of the matrix material during which the porogen remains nonvolatile and the matrix material and the porogen remain phase separated; and removing at least a portion of the porogen to obtain the porous material. Porous materials produced by the methods. Microfluidic channels produced by the methods.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A method of preparing a porous material, the method comprising:
preparing a mixture, the mixture comprising:
from about 10 to about 30% by mass of a matrix material,
from about 20 to about 60% by mass of a plurality of particles,
from about 20 to about 60% by mass of a porogen, and
from about 1 to about 10% by mass of an interfacial compatibilizer;
mixing the mixture to trigger a phase separation of the mixture into a bicontinuous emulsion, wherein the bicontinuous emulsion is in the form of a paste having a viscosity that does not allow for macrophase separation during curing; wherein the matrix material and the porogen are phase separated in the bicontinuous emulsion; wherein the interfacial compatibilizer has a tendency to segregate to an interface between the porogen and the matrix material in the bicontinuous emulsion; wherein the plurality of particles have a tendency to segregate to the matrix material or the interface between the porogen and the matrix material in the bicontinuous emulsion; placing the bicontinuous emulsion into a form; initiating a solidification of the matrix material during which the porogen remains nonvolatile and the matrix material and the porogen remain phase separated and bicontinuous; and obtaining the porous material.

2 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix material is selected from the group consisting of a polymer, an oligomer, and combinations thereof.

3 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix material is an epoxy.

4 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix material is a multi-part epoxy.

5 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix material is a photo crosslinkable resin.

6 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the matrix material is a thermally crosslinkable resin.

7 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the plurality of particles comprise at least one selected from the group consisting of activated carbon, silica, fumed silica, epoxidized silica, alumina, carbon nanotubes, graphite, graphene, titania, latex, silica aerogel, silica xerogel, carbon foam, silicone rubber, butadiene rubber, aluminum, gold, silver, cadmium selenide, boron nitride, and combinations thereof.

8 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the particles have an activity selected from the group consisting of an antimicrobial activity, a catalytic activity, a plasmonic activity, a photoabsorbing activity, piezoelectric activity, and combinations thereof.

9 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the porogen is an oil.

10 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the interfacial compatibilizer comprises an epoxidized oil.

11 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein preparing the mixture is done at room temperature.

12 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein initiating the solidification comprises initiating a crosslinking reaction of the matrix material by adding a crosslinker to the mixture.

13 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising:
preparing a second mixture, wherein the second mixture is different than the first mixture, the second mixture comprising:
from about 10 to about 30% by mass of a second matrix material,
from about 20 to about 60% by mass of a second plurality of particles,
from about 20 to about 60% by mass of a second porogen, and
from about 1 to about 10% by mass of a second interfacial compatibilizer,
mixing the second mixture to trigger a phase separation of the second mixture into a bicontinuous emulsion, wherein the bicontinuous emulsion is in the form of a paste having a viscosity that does not allow for macrophase separation during curing; wherein the second matrix material and the second porogen are phase separated in the bicontinuous emulsion; wherein the second interfacial compatibilizer has a tendency to segregate to an interface between the second porogen and the second matrix material in the bicontinuous emulsion; wherein the second plurality of particles have a tendency to segregate to the second matrix material or the interface between the second porogen and the second matrix material in the bicontinuous emulsion; placing the bicontinuous emulsion into the form adjacent to the first mixture; initiating a solidification of the second matrix material during which the second porogen remains nonvolatile and the second matrix material and the second porogen remain phase separated and bicontinuous; and obtaining the porous material.

14 . The method according to claim 1 , further comprising removing at least a portion of the porogen to obtain the porous material with open porosity.

15 . The method according to claim 1 , wherein the mixing step is performed along two axes to create the bicontinuous emulsion, wherein the bicontinuous emulsion is an air-free homogenized mixture and in the form of the paste having the viscosity that prevents macrophase separation during curing.

16 . The method according to claim 1 , the viscosity of the paste has a value where viscous forces are much greater in magnitude than capillary forces.

17 . The method according to claim 16 , wherein the value of the viscosity is in a range from about 1×10 4 Pa·s to about 1×10 6 Pa·s.

Assignees

• Univ Rutgers

Inventors

• Singer Jonathan P
• Hasan Molla

Classifications

• C08J2363/00

  Characterised by the use of epoxy resins; Derivatives of epoxy resins · CPC title

• C08J2201/026

  Crosslinking before of after foaming · CPC title

• C08J9/283

  a discontinuous liquid phase emulsified in a continuous macromolecular phase · CPC title

• C08J9/008 Primary

  Nanoparticles · CPC title

• C08J9/40

  Impregnation · CPC title