Shamrock Technologies Inc.

Other

Youssef Awad

Manshi Sui

Charles A Cody

William B Neuberg

Paul Carey

A method for treating polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE) in its reactor latex form to produce a dry submicron PTFE powder that remains stable without rheology modifiers, surfactants, wetting agents, pH adjusters or other stabilizing additives. Reactor latex PTFE formed during an emulsion polymerization process can be irradiated, with an electron beam or gamma rays, during or after the polymerization to form a product where the dry submicron PTFE powder is free-flowing, tends not to self-agglomerate and tends not to dust into the air upon handling so that the PTFE is readily dispersible when placed in a desired application system or medium.

Method for producing submicron polytetrafluoroethylene powder and products thereof

A method for producing submicron polytetrafluoroethylene ('PTFE') powder in a free-flowing, readily dispersible form. The irradiated PTFE starting material is placed in a desired solvent and undergoes grinding until the PTFE particles reach submicron size. The submicron particles are subsequently recovered from the solvent and dried to form a powder that may have particles less than 1.00 &#x3bc;m in size. The dry PTFE powder may then be readily dispersed to submicron size into a desired application system. The submicron PTFE powder of this method is free-flowing, readily dispersible in various application systems, tends not to 'dust' or self-agglomerate. Improved aqueous and organic dispersions of submicron PTFE particles may also be formed that display increased stability and require much less agitation than other processes of forming such dispersions. Such improved PTFE dispersions may be formed with or without the addition of surfactants, wetting agents, rheology modifiers, pH-adjusting agents, and the like.

Methods for producing submicron polytetrafluoroethylene powder and products thereof

The present invention provides compositions that are capable of being dispersed in a target medium. The compositions include characteristic use particles entrapped within a physical entrapment phase, wherein the physical entrapment phase is dispersible in the target medium. Accordingly, the compositions of the present invention physically prevent the agglomeration or self-association of the characteristic use particles. Also disclosed are processes for manufacturing compositions that are capable of being dispersed in a target medium.

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North Brunswick, NJ, United States of America

Youssef Awad