The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document.
The patent badge is an abbreviated version of the USPTO patent document. The patent badge covers the following: Patent number, Date patent was issued, Date patent was filed, Title of the patent, Applicant, Inventor, Assignee, Attorney firm, Primary examiner, Assistant examiner, CPCs, and Abstract. The patent badge does contain a link to the full patent document (in Adobe Acrobat format, aka pdf). To download or print any patent click here.
Patent No.:
Date of Patent:
Oct. 15, 2002
Filed:
Dec. 21, 2000
Michael Alexandre, Ougrée, BE;
Philippe G. Dubois, Ciplet, BE;
Robert J. E. G. Jerome, Sart-Jalhay, BE;
Miguel Garcia-Marti, Blankenberge, BE;
Tao Sun, Midland, MI (US);
Juan M. Garces, Midland, MI (US);
Dean M. Millar, Midland, MI (US);
Alexander Kuperman, Midland, MI (US);
The Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI (US);
Abstract
The present invention is a nanocomposite which is a dispersion of nanofiller particles derived from layered metal oxides or metal oxide salts. The nanocomposite is advantageously prepared by first swelling an untreated clay in water, then removing the water to form an organophilic clay that is dispersible in non-polar organic solvents. The organophilic clay can then be treated with an alkyl aluminoxane and subsequently a catalyst to form a complex that promotes olefin or styrenic polymerization and platelet dispersion. The nanocomposite can be prepared directly by in situ polymerization of the olefin or the styrene at the nanofiller particles without shear, without an ion exchange step, and without the need to incorporate polar substituents into the polyolefin or polystyrene.