Agency for Science, Technology and Research

National University of Singapore

Siew Yee Wong

Xu Li

Xikui Zhang

Suxi Wang

Yu Yuan Chieng

Yu Zhang

Ming Yan Tan

Chao Chen

Xi Kui Zhang

Chaobin He

Shilin Chen

Jiating He

Chao Bin He

Jen-Yi Huang

Weibiao Zhou

Chin Chong Yap

Haiwen Gu

Chin Chong Ray Yap

The invention is directed to a nanostructured composite material comprising a mixture of at least one metal particle such as iron and a carbon material from biomass such as D-glucose, D-glucosamine hydrochloride or α-cyclodextrin. The invention is also directed to a composition comprising the composite material comprising the composite material and an inorganic salt, and a method for synthesizing the composite material comprising immersing the carbon material into a solution of metal ions, drying the impregnated carbon particle and subjecting the impregnated carbon particle to a carbothermal reduction process. The nanostructured composite material is useful as an oxygen scavenging layer in a multi-layer film which comprises the oxygen scavenging layer and an oxygen barrier layer that retards the permeation of oxygen from an external environment.

Nanostructured iron/carbon for scavenging oxygen

A method of forming a titania-coated inorganic particle comprising the steps of (a) stirring a mixture of a titania precursor such as a titanium alkoxide and an inorganic particle such as a hollow glass particles in an organic solvent such as an alcohol for more than 1 h to cause adsorption of the titania precursor on the surface of the inorganic particle; and (b) adding water dropwise to the mixture under stirring to convert the titania precursor to titania which then forms a coating on the inorganic particle. A method for forming a paint formulation, a titania-coated inorganic particle, a paint formulation comprising a titania-coated inorganic particle and use of a titania-coated inorganic particle in a paint formulation is also described.

Method for forming a titania-coated inorganic particle

There is provided a coating formulation comprising an inorganic oxygen scavenger, a surfactant, an activator, a hydrophilic agent, optionally an additive and a plurality of monomers capable of forming a polymeric matrix, and a method to prepare the same. There is also provided an article comprising an inorganic scavenger, a surfactant, an activator, a hydrophilic agent and optionally an additive dispersed within a polymeric matrix, and a method to prepare the same.

Coating formulation, an article and methods to prepare the same

This invention relates to a a one-step process for making a polymer composite suspension for coating plastic films characterized in that a first polymer is synthesized in-situ optionally in the presence of other polymers and in the presence of clay. Preferably the polymer composite suspension comprises a) 1.0 to 11.0 wt % of clay or silane modified clay, b) 0.1 to 10.0 wt % of poly (acrylic acid), which is a copolymer of acrylic acid (AA) with at least one other monomer selected from 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), β-carboxyethyl acrylate (β-CEA), methacrylamidoethyl ethylene urea (WAM II) and ethoxylated behenyl methacrylate (β-EM), c) 1.0 to 15.0 wt % of other polymers, preferably poly (vinyl alcohol) and d) 70 to 97 wt % of water or mixture of water with 2-propanol. The coating films made from the suspensions show good barrier capabilities against water vapor and oxygen can be used to make barrier layers on or within plastic films for packaging applications. The invention also relates to methods for making silane modified clay usable in the process for making the suspensions.

One-step process for making a polymer composite coating with high barrier

A method of synthesizing a polymeric clay composition for coating. A clay-polyacrylate composite is produced, where the clay-polyacrylate composite includes one or more layers of clay intercalated with polyacrylate, where the one or more layers of clay include at least one organosilane coupling agent including an acrylate moiety, where the at least one organosilane coupling agent is attached to a surface of the one or more layers of clay and the polyacrylate is covalently attached to the organosilane coupling agent, and where the polyacrylate consists of a first acrylate monomer and a second acrylate monomer having different solubility, where the first acrylate monomer is a hydrophilic acrylate monomer including a hydroxyl (&#x2014;OH) group and the second acrylate monomer is a hydrophobic acrylate monomer which repels water. Furthermore, the clay-polyacrylate composite is mixed with a solution including a polymer to form the polymeric clay composition.

Clay-polyacrylate composites suspension via in situ polymerization

A method of synthesizing a clay-polyacrylate composite. An aqueous solution including clay is mixed with at least one organosilane coupling agent including an acrylate moiety to form a silanized-clay suspension. The silanized-clay suspension is contacted with a first acrylate monomer and a second acrylate monomer in an inert environment, where the first acrylate monomer and the second acrylate monomer have different solubility. A polymerization initiator is added to the silanized-clay suspension before or during the contacting of the silanized-clay suspension with the first acrylate monomer and the second acrylate monomer in the inert environment to form the clay-polyacrylate composite including the first and second acrylate monomer, where the first acrylate monomer is a hydrophilic acrylate monomer including a hydroxyl (&#x2014;OH) group and the second acrylate monomer is a hydrophobic acrylate monomer which repels water.

A method of forming one or more composite structures is provided wherein one or more carbon structures is formed from a carbon source via a hydrothermal process. Said carbon source is a biomass material including glucose and glucosamine hydrochloride. In particular, the method further comprises introducing a seeding additive of potassium or phosphate salt, preferably monopotassium phosphate to the carbon source. The method includes introducing iron onto the carbon structures to form the one or more composite structures including carbon and iron.

Composite structure and method of forming the same

The present disclosure relates to a clay-polyacrylate composite comprising layers of clay intercalated with polyacrylate, wherein the layers of clay comprises at least one organosilane coupling agent comprising an acrylate moiety; and wherein the polyacrylate comprises a first acrylate monomer and a second acrylate monomer having different solubility. A surfactant-free method of synthesizing the said clay-polyacrylate composite and a method for coating are also provided. In a preferred embodiment, the first acrylate monomer is a hydrophilic acrylate monomer, e.g. 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, and the second acrylate monomer is a hydrophobic acrylate monomer, e.g. 2-ethylhexyl acrylate. The clay-acrylate composite can be used for forming a barrier coating, which exhibits low water and low oxygen permeability.

This invention relates to a one-step process for making a polymer composite suspension for coating plastic films characterized in that a first polymer is synthesized in-situ optionally in the presence of other polymers and in the presence of clay. Preferably the polymer composite suspension comprises a) 1.0 to 11.0 wt % of clay or silane modified clay, b) 0.1 to 10.0 wt % of poly (acrylic acid), which is a copolymer of acrylic acid (AA) with at least one other monomer selected from 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), &#x3b2;-carboxyethyl acrylate (&#x3b2;-CEA), methacrylamidoethyl ethylene urea (WAM II) and ethoxylated behenyl methacrylate (&#x3b2;-FM), c) 1.0 to 15.0 wt % of other polymers, preferably poly (vinyl alcohol) and d) 70 to 97 wt % of water or mixture of water with 2-propanol. The coating films made from the suspensions show good barrier capabilities against water vapor and oxygen can be used to make barrier layers on or within plastic films for packaging applications. The invention also relates to methods for making silane modified clay usable in the process for making the suspensions.

The invention is directed to a nanostructured composite material comprising a mixture of at least one metal particle such as iron and a carbon material from biomass such as D-glucose, D-glucosamine hydrochloride or a-cyclodextrin. The invention is also directed to a composition comprising the composite material comprising the composite material and an inorganic salt, and a method for synthesizing the composite material comprising immersing the carbon material into a solution of metal ions, drying the impregnated carbon particle and subjecting the impregnated carbon particle to a carbothermal reduction process. The nanostructured composite material is useful as an oxygen scavenging layer in a multi-layer film which comprises the oxygen scavenging layer and an oxygen barrier layer that retards the permeation of oxygen from an external environment.

The present invention relates to a method for forming a layered silicate/polymer composite, the composite comprising individual exfoliated silicate layers separated in a continuous polymer matrix, wherein the polymer is a hydrophobic polymer, the method comprising: exfoliating sheet silicate in water to form a silicate suspension; replacing the water in the silicate suspension by an organic solvent to form a silicate/organic solvent suspension; contacting the silicate/organic solvent suspension with a solution of a hydrophobic polymer precursor in an organic solvent to form a silicate/polymer precursor suspension; coating the silicate/polymer precursor suspension on a substrate; removing the organic solvents; curing the hydrophobic polymer precursor of the coating of the silicate/polymer precursor; and annealing the cured coating to form the layered silicate/polymer composite on the substrate.

Layered silicate/polymer composite and a method of forming the same

This invention relates to a a one-step process for making a polymer composite suspension for coating plastic films characterized in that a first polymer is synthesized in-situ optionally in the presence of other polymers and in the presence of clay. Preferably the polymer composite suspension comprises a) 1.0 to 11.0 wt % of clay or silane modified clay, b) 0.1 to 10.0 wt % of poly (acrylic acid), which is a copolymer of acrylic acid (AA) with at least one other monomer selected from 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), &#x3b2;-carboxyethyl acrylate (&#x3b2;-CEA), methacrylamidoethyl ethylene urea (WAM II) and ethoxylated behenyl methacrylate (&#x3b2;-EM), c) 1.0 to 15.0 wt % of other polymers, preferably poly (vinyl alcohol) and d) 70 to 97 wt % of water or mixture of water with 2-propanol. The coating films made from the suspensions show good barrier capabilities against water vapor and oxygen can be used to make barrier layers on or within plastic films for packaging applications. The invention also relates to methods for making silane modified clay usable in the process for making the suspensions.

Growing community of inventors

Singapore, Singapore

Siew Yee Wong