Method for conversion of dry nanomaterials into liquid nano-agents for fabrication of polymer nanocomposites and fiber reinforced composites

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016108183-A1
Application number	US-201514919235-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Oct 21, 2015
Priority date	Oct 21, 2014
Publication date	Apr 21, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

Unique methods for the efficient and beneficial use of converting dry nanomaterials such as dry carbon particles into liquid nano-agents are disclosed herein. The methods provide for fabrication of polymer and fiber reinforced composites, such as fiber-reinforced resins having such introduced nanomaterials to enable an increased dispersion and other beneficial properties.

First claim

1 . A method for uniformly dispersing a nanomaterial within a polymer, the method comprising:
adding a nano-filler to a solvent; subjecting the nano-filler in the presence of the solvent to sonication so as to provide for a liquid nano-agent; and adding the liquid nano-agent with a polymeric material to produce a nano-modified polymer nanocomposite or a fiber reinforced composite.

2 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the solvent is selected from at least one of the following: Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), o-dichlorobenzene (ODCB), tetrahydrofuran (THF), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), methanol, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), acetone, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), dichloromethane, toluene, N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), Dichloromethane (DCM) and butyl glycidyl ether (BGE).

3 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material is at least one polymer selected from: polyimide (PI), Poly(aryletherketone)s (PAEKs), Poly (p-phneylene sulfide) (PPS), polysulfone (PSU), and a Polycarbonate, poly(phenyleneethynylenes) (PPEs), polythiophene, polyanaline, and polypyrroles.

4 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material is a resin.

5 . The method of claim 1 wherein the nano-filler is at least one of from the group consisting of: carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene nanoparticles, a fibrillar nanoparticle, and fullerenes.

6 . The method of claim 1 wherein sonication provides nano-filler lengths in the range from 1 μm to 5 μm.

7 . The method of claim 1 , further comprising extracting an excess of the solvent so as to enable later use.

8 . The method of claim 7 , further comprising placing the excess solvent in a vacuum oven at up to about 100° C. to extract the excessive loose solvent molecules from a solvent/carbon nano-filler black tar.

9 . The method of claim 8 , wherein the step of placing the excess solvent in a vacuum oven at up to about 100° C. is carried out until the ratio of the solvent/carbon nano-filler is approximately 4:1 by weight.

10 . The method of claim 1 , wherein the nano-fillers are modified by at least method selected from: oxidizing and functionalizing.

11 . A polymer-carbon matrix, comprising:
a nano-solution comprising modified nano-fillers and a solvent undergoing sonication to provide for a liquid nano-agent, wherein the nano-filler is at least one nano-filler selected from: carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, graphene nanoparticles, fibrillar nanoparticles, and fullerenes; and a polymeric material compatible with the solvent and configured to receive the liquid nano-agent.

12 . The polymer-carbon matrix of claim 11 , wherein the solvent is selected from at least one of the following: Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), o-dichlorobenzene (ODCB), tetrahydrofuran (THF), N,N-dimethylformamide (DMF), methanol, N-methylpyrrolidone (NMP), acetone, methyl ethyl ketone (MEK), dichloromethane, toluene, N,N-dimethylacetamide (DMAc), Dichloromethane (DCM) and butyl glycidyl ether (BOB).

13 . The polymer-carbon matrix of claim 11 , wherein the polymeric material is at least one polymer selected from: polyimide (PI), Poly(aryletherketone)s (PAEKs), Poly(p-phneylene sulfide) (PPS), polysulfone (PSU), and a Polycarbonate, poly(phenyleneethynylenes) (PPEs), polythiophene, polyanaline, and polypyrroles.

14 . The polymer-carbon matrix of claim 11 , wherein the polymeric material is a resin.

15 . The polymer-carbon matrix of claim 11 , wherein the nano- 16 . fillers after sonication have lengths in the range from 1 μm to 5 μm.

16 . The polymer-carbon matrix of claim 11 , wherein the nano-filler is a dry carbon particle.

Assignees

• Univ Washington State

Inventors

• Zhong Wie-Hong
• Li Bin
• Lively Brooks

Classifications

• C08J2369/00

  Characterised by the use of polycarbonates; Derivatives of polycarbonates · CPC title

• C08K7/06

  Elements · CPC title

• C08J2371/10

  from phenols · CPC title

• C08J2365/00

  Characterised by the use of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming a carbon-to-carbon link in the main chain (C08J2307/00 - C08J2357/00, C08J2361/00 take precedence); Derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• C08K9/00

  Use of pretreated ingredients · CPC title