Patents by Inventor Caitlin C. O'Brien

Caitlin C. O'Brien has filed for patents to protect the following inventions. This listing includes patent applications that are pending as well as patents that have already been granted by the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO).

  • Water swellable polymer materials comprising particulate core and water swellable R.A.F.T polymer shell
    Patent number: 9255198
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of preparing an aqueous dispersion of polymer encapsulated particulate material, the method comprising: providing a dispersion of the particulate material in a continuous aqueous phase, the dispersion comprising RAFT agent as a stabiliser for the particulate material; and polymerising ethylenically unsaturated monomer under the control of the RAFT agent to form polymer at the surface of the dispersed particulate material, thereby providing the aqueous dispersion of polymer encapsulated particulate material; wherein polymerisation of the ethylenically unsaturated monomer comprises: (a) polymerising a monomer composition that includes ionisable ethylenically unsaturated monomer so as to form a base responsive water swellable RAFT polymer layer that encapsulates the particulate material; and (b) polymerising a monomer composition that includes non-ionisable ethylenically unsaturated monomer so as to form an extensible, water and base permeable RAFT polymer layer that encapsulate
    Type: Grant
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Date of Patent: February 9, 2016
    Assignee: The University of Sydney
    Inventors: Matthew P. Baker, Timothy W. Davey, Brian S. Hawkett, Duc N. Nguyen, Caitlin C. O'Brien, Christopher H. Such
  • WATER SWELLABLE POLYMER MATERIALS
    Publication number: 20130087736
    Abstract: The invention provides a method of preparing an aqueous dispersion of polymer encapsulated particulate material, the method comprising: providing a dispersion of the particulate material in a continuous aqueous phase, the dispersion comprising RAFT agent as a stabiliser for the particulate material; and polymerising ethylenically unsaturated monomer under the control of the RAFT agent to form polymer at the surface of the dispersed particulate material, thereby providing the aqueous dispersion of polymer encapsulated particulate material; wherein polymerisation of the ethylenically unsaturated monomer comprises: (a) polymerising a monomer composition that includes ionisable ethylenically unsaturated monomer so as to form a base responsive water swellable RAFT polymer layer that encapsulates the particulate material; and (b) polymerising a monomer composition that includes non-ionisable ethylenically unsaturated monomer so as to form an extensible, water and base permeable RAFT polymer layer that encapsul
    Type: Application
    Filed: December 1, 2010
    Publication date: April 11, 2013
    Applicant: THE UNIVERSITY OF SYDNEY
    Inventors: Matthew P. Baker, Timothy W. Davey, Brian S. Hawkett, Duc N. Nguyen, Caitlin C. O'Brien, Christopher H. Such