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:
Mar. 10, 2009
Filed:
Jul. 18, 2005
Weiqing Weng, Houston, TX (US);
Caiguo Gong, Pearland, TX (US);
Anthony Jay Dias, Houston, TX (US);
Robert Norman Webb, Kingwood, TX (US);
James Peter Stokes, Houston, TX (US);
Weiqing Weng, Houston, TX (US);
Caiguo Gong, Pearland, TX (US);
Anthony Jay Dias, Houston, TX (US);
Robert Norman Webb, Kingwood, TX (US);
James Peter Stokes, Houston, TX (US);
ExxonMobile Chemical Patents Inc., Houston, TX (US);
Abstract
The present invention is a process to produce a nanocomposite of a elastomer and organic clay, e.g. an exfoliated clay, suitable for use as an air barrier. The process can include the steps of: (a) contacting a solution () of butyl rubber in an organic solvent with a halogen () to form a halogenated butyl rubber solution (); (b) neutralizing the halogenated butyl rubber solution; (c) functionalizing at least a portion () of the halogenated butyl rubber; (d) mixing a dispersion () of clay with the functionalized butyl rubber () to form a masterbatch () comprising a polymer-clay nanocomposite; (e) combining the masterbatch () with the rest of the halogenated butyl rubber solution () to form a second mixture (); (e) recovering the nanocomposite from the second mixture (). The nanocomposite so formed has improved air barrier properties and is suitable for use as a tire innerliner or innertube.