Water-Soluble Salt Particle Containing Compositions and Porous Materials Made Therefrom

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2020353129-A1
Application number	US-201816760355-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Nov 27, 2018
Priority date	Nov 28, 2017
Publication date	Nov 12, 2020
Grant date	—

Abstract

Compositions for forming porous materials and three-dimensional objects, including fibers, films and coatings made from the materials are provided. Also provided are methods for forming the porous objects from the compositions. The compositions include a solvent, a polymer binder that is soluble in the solvent, and solid particles that are insoluble in the solvent. The solid particles include water-soluble salt particles that can be selectively dissolved from objects made from the compositions to render the resulting structures porous.

First claim

1 - 22 . (canceled)

23 . A method of forming a porous material, the method comprising:
forming a composition having a solids content, the solids content comprising:
solid particles, at least some of which are water-soluble salt particles; and
a polymer, the polymer acting as a binder for holding the solid particles together;
wherein the solid particles are at least about 20 vol. % of the solids content;
after the forming step, hydrating the water-soluble salt particles by exposing the composition to a salt-hydrating solution, wherein the water-soluble salt particles do not dissociate but undergo an increase in volume due to hydration; and after the hydrating step, dissolving at least a portion of the hydrated, water-soluble salt particles in water, forming the porous material.

24 . The method as in claim 23 , wherein the forming step is performed at room temperature.

25 . The method as in claim 23 , wherein the forming step is performed at a temperature that is sufficiently low that, if the composition comprises bioactive factors, the bioactive factors will not undergo heat-induced degradation.

26 . The method as in claim 23 , further comprising:
after the forming step and before the hydrating step, extruding the composition through a nozzle, the extruded composition drying rapidly and forming a fiber.

27 . The method as in claim 26 , wherein the forming and the extruding steps are performed at temperatures that are sufficiently low that, if the composition comprises bioactive factors, the bioactive factors will not undergo heat-induced degradation.

28 . The method as in claim 26 , the extruding step further comprising:
depositing the extruded fiber in a printed layer.

29 . The method as in claim 28 , the method further comprising:
forming a printed three-dimensional object, comprising multiple, vertically stacked printed layers, by performing the depositing step repeatedly; wherein repeating the depositing step comprises forming subsequently printed layers on top of previously formed printed layers, and each of the subsequently printed layers bonding to a previously formed printed layer on which that subsequently printed layer is deposited.

30 . The method as in claim 23 , further comprising:
after the dissolving step, drying the porous material to remove moisture.

31 . The method as in claim 23 , further comprising:
after the dissolving step, sintering the porous material.

32 . The method as in claim 23 , further comprising:
back-filling pores in the porous material with a liquid solution or a hydrogel.

33 . The method as in claim 32 , wherein the liquid solution or the hydrogel has biological cells, bioactive factors, or a combination thereof, dispersed therein.

34 . The method as in claim 23 , further comprising:
seeding the porous material with biological cells and culturing the biological cell-seeded porous material in a cell culture medium.

35 . A composition for use in forming a porous material, the composition comprising:
a solids content comprising:
solid particles, at least some of the solid particles being expandable water-soluble salt particles and at least some of the solid particles not dissociating in water; and
a polymer, the polymer acting as a binder for holding the solid particles together;
the solid particles being at least 20 vol. % of the solids content; and the expandable water-soluble salt particles being between about 20 and about 80 vol. % of the solid particles, not dissociating in a salt-hydrating solution, and being expandable by at least 10% in volume, relative to their original volume, when exposed to the salt-hydrating solution.

36 . The composition as in claim 35 , the expandable water-soluble salt particles being expandable by at least 20% in volume, relative to their original volume, when exposed to the salt-hydrating solution.

37 . The composition as in claim 35 , the expandable water-soluble salt particles being expandable by at least 30% in volume, relative to their original volume, when exposed to the salt-hydrating solution.

38 . The composition as in claim 35 , the expandable water-soluble salt particles being expandable by about 36% in volume, relative to their original volume, when exposed to the salt-hydrating solution.

39 . The composition as in claim 35 , the expandable water-soluble salt particles being between about 40 and about 60 vol. % of the solid particles.

40 . The composition as in claim 35 , wherein the solid particles that do not dissociate in water are selected from a group consisting of covalent solids, ionic solids, and metallic solids.

41 . The composition as in claim 35 , wherein the expandable water-soluble salt particles comprise CuSO 4 .

42 . The composition as in claim 35 , wherein the polymer comprises polylactic-co-glycolic acid (PLGA).

43 . The composition as in claim 35 , about 70 vol. % of the solids content being CuSO 4 .

44 . The composition as in claim 35 , the solids content comprising:
about 30 vol. % PLGA; about 35 vol. % CuSO 4 ; and about 35 vol. % a material selected from a group consisting of nickel (Ni) metal, yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) ceramic, and graphene (Gr).

45 . A method of making the composition of claim 35 , the method comprising:
mixing the solid particles and the polymer with a solvent, the polymer being substantially soluble in the solvent, and the solid particles not dissociating in the solvent.

Assignees

• Univ Northwestern

Inventors

• Jakus Adam E
• Shah Ramille N
• Geisendorfer Nicholas R

Classifications

• Y02E60/50

  Fuel cells · CPC title

• Y02P10/25

  Process efficiency · CPC title

• B33Y70/00

  Materials specially adapted for additive manufacturing · CPC title

• B22F10/18

  by mixing binder with metal in filament form, e.g. fused filament fabrication [FFF] · CPC title

• B22F10/64

  by thermal means (control of energy beam parameters for post heating B22F10/364) · CPC title