Graphene polyethylene terephthalate composite for improving reheat energy consumption

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020308366-A1
Application number	US-202016837626-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Apr 1, 2020
Priority date	Apr 1, 2019
Publication date	Oct 1, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

A graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate composition is provided for forming graphene-PET containers. The graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate composition includes a continuous matrix comprising polyethylene terephthalate and a dispersed reinforcement phase comprising graphene nanoplatelets. The graphene nanoplatelets range in diameter between 5 μm and 10 μm with surface areas ranging from about 15 m2/g to about 150 m2/g. In some embodiments, the graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate comprises a concentration of graphene nanoplatelets being substantially 3% weight fraction of the graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate. The graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate is configured to be injection molded into a graphene-PET preform suitable for forming a container. The graphene-PET preform is configured to be reheated above its glass transition temperature and blown into a mold so as to shape the graphene-PET preform into the container.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1 . A graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate composition, comprising:
a continuous matrix comprising polyethylene terephthalate; and a dispersed reinforcement phase comprising graphene nanoplatelets.

2 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the graphene nanoplatelets comprise a minimal number of layers of two-dimensional mono-atomic carbon sheets.

3 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein the number of layers ranges between substantially 1 layer and 7 layers.

4 . The composition of claim 3 , wherein the number of layers ranges between substantially 1 layer and 4 layers.

5 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate comprises neat PET.

6 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyethylene terephthalate comprises recycled PET.

7 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate is configured to be injection molded into a graphene-PET preform suitable for forming a container.

8 . The composition of claim 7 , wherein the graphene-PET preform is configured to be reheated above its glass transition temperature and blown into a mold so as to shape the graphene-PET preform into the container.

9 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate comprises a concentration of graphene nanoplatelets ranging between substantially 0.1% weight fraction and 15% weight fraction of the graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate.

10 . The composition of claim 9 , wherein the graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate comprises a concentration of graphene nanoplatelets being substantially 3% weight fraction of the graphene reinforced polyethylene terephthalate.

11 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the graphene nanoplatelets range in diameter between 5 μm and 10 μm with surface areas ranging from about 15 m 2 /g to about 150 m 2 /g.

12 . The composition of claim 11 , wherein the graphene nanoplatelets include a diameter of about 10 μm with surface areas ranging between about 30 m 2 /g and about 60 m 2 /g.

13 . A method for forming a reinforced polyethylene terephthalate products, the method comprising:
forming a PET resin; dispersing graphene nanoplatelets into the PET resin to form graphene reinforced PET resin; manipulating the graphene reinforced PET resin into pellets; reheating the pellets to form a molten liquid; and forming the molten liquid into desired products.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the PET resin comprises combining ethylene glycol and terephthalic acid under high temperature and low vacuum pressure to form a neat PET resin suitable for manufacturing the desired products.

15 . The method of claim 13 , wherein forming the PET resin comprises obtaining recycled PET to form a recycled PET resin suitable for manufacturing the desired products.

16 . The method of claim 13 , wherein manipulating the graphene reinforced PET resin into pellets further comprises distributing the pellets to one or more manufacturers of the desired products.

Assignees

• Niagara Bottling Llc

Inventors

• Hanan Jay Clarke
• Bandla Sudheer

Classifications

• C08J5/24

  Impregnating materials with prepolymers which can be polymerised in situ, e.g. manufacture of prepregs · CPC title

• B29C49/0005

  characterised by the material · CPC title

• C08J3/20

  Compounding polymers with additives, e.g. colouring · CPC title

• C08G63/183

  Terephthalic acids · CPC title

• C08K2201/006

  Additives being defined by their surface area · CPC title