New Nanoscale Additives

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Overview Researchers at Trinity College Dublin have developed a novel process for the preparation of polymer composites reinforced with nanoclays modified with carbon nanotubes or nanowires. The clay modification process in this invention is used as a method to ‘open up’ nanotube bundles before compounding. This makes the dispersion of nanotubes in polymers much easier and efficient than today’s existing processes. These modified clays can reinforce a wide range of polymers in conventional processing techniques such as injection-moulding, blow-moulding and extrusion. The invention is expected to be applied to wide range of products requiring improved material properties in injection-moulded components, thin films, coatings and fibres. Typical uses span from specialty plastics in disc drive to the automotive industry. Advantages The modified clays have significantly higher thermal stabilities than commercially available nanoclays and therefore can be processed at higher temperatures. While commercially available nanoclays are nonconductive, these nanotubes modified polymers have conductivity in the range 0.2 – 9.1 Sm-1 . Material properties can be tuned to match product requirements. HDPE composites prepared with modified nanoclays show increased thermal properties (by up to 55oC). Polycarbonate nanocomposites prepared with modified nanoclays show an improvement in the nano-hardness by 50- 80% compared with virgin polycarbonate. Development Stage These clays have been demonstrated at lab scale to readily disperse in a range of thermoplastics resins e.g. HDPE, LLDPE, PET, Polystyrene and polycarbonate and may be adapted to render them compatible with further polymer substrates. Principal Inventors Prof. Werner Blau, Dr. P. Ramesh Babu - both from Trinity College Dublin, Ireland. Patent  A PCT patent application (WO 2007/119231 A1) has been filed. Trinity College Ref WB01-052-01