Milliken + Co

Northwestern University

Sasha Stankovich

Yunzhang Wang

Venkatkrishna Raghavendran

Sujith Nair

SonBinh T Nguyen

Rodney S Ruoff

Eduardo Torres

Michael Wilson

Howell Brewster Eleazer

Sudhanshu Srivastava

Russell A Stapleton

Dmitriy A Dikin

Robbie W J Hanssen

Cliferson Thivierge

Eric B Monroe

A composition comprises a first siloxane compound comprising at least one cyclic siloxane moiety and a first salt, the first salt comprising a conjugate base of a volatile organic acid. A method for producing a cross-linked siloxane network comprises the steps of providing a first siloxane compound comprising at least one cyclic siloxane moiety, providing a first salt comprising a conjugate base of a volatile organic acid, combining the first siloxane compound and the first salt to produce a reaction mixture, heating the reaction mixture to a temperature sufficient for the first salt to open the ring of the cyclic siloxane moiety, and maintaining the reaction mixture at an elevated temperature so that at least a portion of the opened cyclic siloxane moieties react with each other to produce a cross-linked siloxane network.

Compositions comprising siloxane compounds and methods for using the same

A ceramic composite thin film or layer includes individual graphene oxide and/or electrically conductive graphene sheets dispersed in a ceramic (e.g. silica) matrix. The thin film or layer can be electrically conductive film or layer depending the amount of graphene sheets present. The composite films or layers are transparent, chemically inert and compatible with both glass and hydrophilic SiOx/silicon substrates. The composite film or layer can be produced by making a suspension of graphene oxide sheet fragments, introducing a silica-precursor or silica to the suspension to form a sol, depositing the sol on a substrate as thin film or layer, at least partially reducing the graphene oxide sheets to conductive graphene sheets, and thermally consolidating the thin film or layer to form a silica matrix in which the graphene oxide and/or graphene sheets are dispersed.

Ceramic composite thin films

A consolidated fibrous structure including a multiplicity of fibrous layers. Each fibrous layer comprises tape fibers, wherein the tape fibers contain a polypropylene core and a skin layer. At least a portion of the skin layers of the fibers in each fibrous layer are fused to at least a portion of other skin layers of fibers within the same fibrous layer and at least a portion of the skin layers of the fibers of each fibrous layer are fused with at least a portion of the skin layers of the fibers in an adjacent fibrous layer.

Consolidated fibrous structure

A consolidated fibrous structure including a multiplicity of fibrous layers. The fibers of each fibrous layer contain a core, a first layer and a second layer. The core has an exterior surface portion containing polypropylene. The first layer is disposed on at least a portion of the core and contains a first polymer. The first polymer contains a polymer having at least 70% &#x3b1;-olefin units and is characterized by a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The second layer is disposed on at least a portion of the first layer and contains a second polymer.

A method for forming multi-layered fiber including a core, a first layer, and a second layer. The core has an exterior surface portion containing polypropylene. The first layer is applied to at least a portion of the core and contains a first polymer. The first polymer contains a polymer having at least 70% &#x3b1;-olefin units and is characterized by a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The second layer is applied to at least a portion of the first layer and contains a second polymer. The second polymer contains a co-polymer having at least 50% &#x3b1;-olefin units and is characterized by a number-average molecular weight of about 7,000 g/mol to 50,000 g/mol, a viscosity of between about 2,500 and 150,000 cP measured at 170&#xb0; C., and a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The viscosity of the second polymer is not greater than about 10 percent of the viscosity of the first polymer measured at 170&#xb0; C.

Method of forming a multi-layered fiber

A consolidated fibrous structure including a multiplicity of fibrous layers. The fibers of each fibrous layer contain a core and a skin layer. The core has an exterior surface portion containing polypropylene. The skin layer is disposed on at least a portion of the core and contains a first polymer and a second polymer. The first polymer contains a polymer having at least 70% &#x3b1;-olefin units and is characterized by a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The second polymer contains a co-polymer having at least 50% &#x3b1;-olefin units and is characterized by a number-average molecular weight of about 7,000 g/mol to 50,000 g/mol, a viscosity of between about 2,500 and 150,000 cP measured at 170&#xb0; C., and a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The viscosity of the second polymer is not greater than about 10 percent of the viscosity of the first polymer measured at 170&#xb0; C. At least a portion of the skin layers of the fibers in each fibrous layer are fused to at least a portion of other skin layers of fibers within the same fibrous layer, at least a portion of the skin layers of the fibers of each fibrous layer are fused with at least a portion of the skin layers of the fibers in an adjacent fibrous layer, and the stiffness of the consolidated fibrous structure is at least 1 N-m. A fibrous layer is also described.

A multi-layered fiber containing a core and a skin layer. The core has an exterior surface portion containing polypropylene. The skin layer is disposed on at least a portion of the core and contains a first polymer and a second polymer. The first polymer contains a polymer having at least 70% &#x3b1;-olefin units and is characterized by a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The second polymer contains a co-polymer having at least 50% &#x3b1;-olefin units and is characterized by a number-average molecular weight of about 7,000 g/mol to 50,000 g/mol, a viscosity of between about 2,500 and 150,000 cP measured at 170&#xb0; C., and a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The viscosity of the second polymer is not greater than about 10 percent of the viscosity of the first polymer measured at 170&#xb0; C. Methods of forming the multi-layered fiber are also disclosed.

Multi-layered fiber

A method of consolidating thermoplastic fibrous layers by providing a plurality of fibers having a core with an exterior surface portion comprising polypropylene and a first layer disposed on at least a portion of the core containing at least 70% alpha-olefin units which is formed into a first fibrous layer. A second fibrous layer is applied to the first fibrous layer which second layer contains a second polymer being a co-polymer having at least 50% alpha-olefin units which is characterized by a number-average molecular weight of about 7,000 to 50,000 g/mol, a viscosity of between about 2,500 and 150,000 cP measured at 170&#xb0; C. and a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface of the core. Heat and optionally pressure are applied to the assembly to consolidate the layers.

Method of forming a consolidated fibrous structure

A multi-layered fiber including a core, a first layer, and a second layer. The core has an exterior surface portion containing polypropylene. The first layer is disposed on at least a portion of the core and contains a first polymer. The first polymer contains a polymer having at least 70% &#x3b1;-olefin units and is characterized by a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The second layer is disposed on at least a portion of the first layer and contains a second polymer. The second polymer contains a co-polymer having at least 50% &#x3b1;-olefin units and is characterized by a number-average molecular weight of about 7,000 g/mol to 50,000 g/mol, a viscosity of between about 2,500 and 150,000 cP measured at 170&#xb0; C., and a melting temperature lower than the melting temperature of the exterior surface portion of the core. The viscosity of the second polymer is not greater than about 10 percent of the viscosity of the first polymer measured at 170&#xb0; C. Methods of forming the multi-layered fiber are also disclosed.

A method of making a dispersion of reduced graphite oxide nanoplatelets involves providing a dispersion of graphite oxide nanoplatelets and reducing the graphite oxide nanoplatelets in the dispersion in the presence of a reducing agent and a polymer. The reduced graphite oxide nanoplatelets are reduced to an extent to provide a higher C/O ratio than graphite oxide. A stable dispersion having polymer-treated reduced graphite oxide nanoplatelets dispersed in a dispersing medium, such as water or organic liquid is provided. The polymer-treated, reduced graphite oxide nanoplatelets can be distributed in a polymer matrix to provide a composite material.

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Spartanburg, SC, United States of America

Sasha Stankovich