Amcol International Corporation

Mitsubishi Gas Chemical Company, Inc.

Scott Omachinski

Tie Lan

Ying Liang

Kazunobu Maruo

Tomomichi Kanda

Jae Whan Cho

Intercalates, exfoliates thereof, and nanocomposite compositions are formed by intercalating a layered silicate material, e.g., a phyllosilicate, with an oligomer or polymer intercalant that is a reaction product of at least one diamine with at least one dicarboxylic acid, to form a polyamide oligomer containing a xylylenediamine component. The oligomer or polymer may be formed in-situ by contacting the layered phyllosilicate with polymerizable monomer reactants using conditions to cause reaction and polymerization in the intercalating composition and intercalation of the resulting oligomer and/or polymer, between platelet layers of the phyllosilicate. An amine functionality of the oligomer or polymer is protonated for ion-exchange with interlayer cations of the phyllosilicate to bond the intercalant to the phyllosilicate platelet, at the protonated amine, at a negative charge site previously occupied by the interlayer cations.

Oligomer-modified layered inorganic compounds and their use in nanocomposites

A method of manufacturing a nanocomposite composition comprising forming an intercalating composition comprising 1% to about 90% by weight of a purified sodium smectite clay that contains at least 75% Naions based on the total interlayer exchangeable cations, that has been intercalated and thereby swollen sufficiently for polyamide monomer or oligomer intercalation, with a protonated organic, non-carboxylic acid moiety-containing onium ion swelling agent; and about 10% to about 99% of a lactam ring-containing monomer or oligomer, and heating the intercalating composition to a temperature above the melting point of the lactam to open the lactam ring and polymerize the lactam to form the polyamide while in contact with the smectite clay.

Intercalates, exfoliates and concentrates thereof formed with protonated, non-carboxylic swelling agent and nylon intercalants polymerized in-situ via ring-opening polymerization

Nylon-intercalated (concentrate nylon), layered silicates, in concentrated form, containing at least 6% to about 40% by weight layered silicate, preferably about 8% to about 30% by weight layered silicate, intercalated with a nylon that is polymerized while in contact with the clay, during ring-opening polymerization of the nylon reactants (monomers) and melt processing. The in-situ nylon polymerization reaction to form the concentrate nylon is continued until the number average molecular weight (Mn) of the nylon is about 25,000 or less, preferably 15,000 or less, more preferably about 5,000-10,000, to maintain melt processability of the resulting concentrate.

Intercalates, exfoliates and concentrates thereof formed with low molecular weight; nylon intercalants polymerized in-situ via ring-opening polymerization

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Mount Prospect, IL, United States of America

Scott Omachinski