Filing Information

Inventor(s)	Zhihong Zhou · John Donald Payzant · Walter Van Woudenberg ·
Assignee(s)	Alberta Research Council Inc. · Nilex, Inc. ·  View assignee updates
Attorney/Agent(s)	Kurt D. Van Tassel · Deborah G. VandenHoff · Van Tassel & Associates ·
Primary Examiner	Helen L. Pezzuto ·
Application Number	US9579701
Filing date	05/26/2000
Issue date	08/26/2003
Predicted expiration date	07/16/2019
U.S. Classifications	524/789  · 524/790  · 524/447  · 442/63  · 524/445  ·
International Classifications	--
Kind Code	B1
International Classifications	524445 · 524447 · 524789 · 524790 · 442 63 ·
Related U.S. Application Data	This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/356,278, filed in the name of Zhou et al on Jul. 16, 1999, now abandoned.
Foreign Priority	CA2272828 - 05/26/1999 ·

Patent Family

Abstract

A reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite is produced by contacting a monomer/clay mixture with a reinforcing agent. The monomer/clay mixture comprises a monomer, a cross-linking agent and clay particles. An initiator means is used to initiate polymerization of the monomer/clay mixture, while the cross-linking agent concurrently acts to network oligomeric and polymeric species formed during polymerization to produce a networked polymer/clay alloy in the presence of the reinforcing agent. The networked polymer/clay alloy is intimately integrated with the reinforcing agent such that, on exposure to water, the networked polymer/clay alloy swells with substantially no clay separating from the composite.

Independent Claims | See all claims (57)

1. 1. A process for producing a reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite, comprising the steps of: (a) preparing a monomer/clay mixture by mixing at least a monomer, clay particles, a cross-linking agent, and a mixing fluid in a vessel; (b) contacting the monomer/clay mixture and a reinforcing agent; (c) exposing the monomer/clay mixture to a polymerization initiator means; and (d) polymerizing the monomer/clay mixture in the presence of the reinforcing agent so that a reinforced networked polymer/clay alloy composite is formed.
2. 22. A product produced by the process according to any one of the preceding claims.