Abstract: This invention relates to a a one-step process for making a polymer composite suspension for coating plastic films characterized in that a first polymer is synthesized in-situ optionally in the presence of other polymers and in the presence of clay. Preferably the polymer composite suspension comprises a) 1.0 to 11.0 wt % of clay or silane modified clay, b) 0.1 to 10.0 wt % of poly (acrylic acid), which is a copolymer of acrylic acid (AA) with at least one other monomer selected from 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), ?-carboxyethyl acrylate (?-CEA), methacrylamidoethyl ethylene urea (WAM II) and ethoxylated behenyl methacrylate (?-EM), c) 1.0 to 15.0 wt % of other polymers, preferably poly (vinyl alcohol) and d) 70 to 97 wt % of water or mixture of water with 2-propanol. The coating films made from the suspensions show good barrier capabilities against water vapor and oxygen can be used to make barrier layers on or within plastic films for packaging applications.

Abstract: A method of forming one or more composite structures is provided wherein one or more carbon structures is formed from a carbon source via a hydrothermal process. Said carbon source is a biomass material including glucose and glucosamine hydrochloride. In particular, the method further comprises introducing a seeding additive of potassium or phosphate salt, preferably monopotassium phosphate to the carbon source. The method includes introducing iron onto the carbon structures to form the one or more composite structures including carbon and iron.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming a layered silicate/polymer composite, the composite comprising individual exfoliated silicate layers separated in a continuous polymer matrix, wherein the polymer is a hydrophobic polymer, the method comprising: exfoliating sheet silicate in water to form a silicate suspension; replacing the water in the silicate suspension by an organic solvent to form a silicate/organic solvent suspension; contacting the silicate/organic solvent suspension with a solution of a hydrophobic polymer precursor in an organic solvent to form a silicate/polymer precursor suspension; coating the silicate/polymer precursor suspension on a substrate; removing the organic solvents; curing the hydrophobic polymer precursor of the coating of the silicate/polymer precursor; and annealing the cured coating to form the layered silicate/polymer composite on the substrate.

Abstract: The present disclosure relates to a clay-polyacrylate composite comprising layers of clay intercalated with polyacrylate, wherein the layers of clay comprises at least one organosilane coupling agent comprising an acrylate moiety; and wherein the polyacrylate comprises a first acrylate monomer and a second acrylate monomer having different solubility. A surfactant-free method of synthesizing the said clay-polyacrylate composite and a method for coating are also provided. In a preferred embodiment, the first acrylate monomer is a hydrophilic acrylate monomer, e.g. 2-hydroxyethyl acrylate, and the second acrylate monomer is a hydrophobic acrylate monomer, e.g. 2-ethylhexyl acrylate. The clay-acrylate composite can be used for forming a barrier coating, which exhibits low water and low oxygen permeability.

Abstract: A method of forming a titania-coated inorganic particle comprising the steps of (a) stirring a mixture of a titania precursor such as a titanium alkoxide and an inorganic particle such as a hollow glass particles in an organic solvent such as an alcohol for more than 1 h to cause adsorption of the titania precursor on the surface of the inorganic particle; and (b) adding water dropwise to the mixture under stirring to convert the titania precursor to titania which then forms a coating on the inorganic particle. A method for forming a paint formulation, a titania-coated inorganic particle, a paint formulation comprising a titania-coated inorganic particle and use of a titania-coated inorganic particle in a paint formulation is also described.

Abstract: This invention relates to a a one-step process for making a polymer composite suspension for coating plastic films characterized in that a first polymer is synthesized in-situ optionally in the presence of other polymers and in the presence of clay. Preferably the polymer composite suspension comprises a) 1.0 to 11.0 wt % of clay or silane modified clay, b) 0.1 to 10.0 wt % of poly (acrylic acid), which is a copolymer of acrylic acid (AA) with at least one other monomer selected from 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), ?-carboxyethyl acrylate (?-CEA), methacrylamidoethyl ethylene urea (WAM II) and ethoxylated behenyl methacrylate (?-FM), c) 1.0 to 15.0 wt % of other polymers, preferably poly (vinyl alcohol) and d) 70 to 97 wt % of water or mixture of water with 2-propanol. The coating films made from the suspensions show good barrier capabilities against water vapor and oxygen can be used to make barrier layers on or within plastic films for packaging applications.

Abstract: This invention relates to a a one-step process for making a polymer composite suspension for coating plastic films characterized in that a first polymer is synthesized in-situ optionally in the presence of other polymers and in the presence of clay. Preferably the polymer composite suspension comprises a) 1.0 to 11.0 wt % of clay or silane modified clay, b) 0.1 to 10.0 wt % of poly (acrylic acid), which is a copolymer of acrylic acid (AA) with at least one other monomer selected from 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), ?-carboxyethyl acrylate (?-CEA), methacrylamidoethyl ethylene urea (WAM II) and ethoxylated behenyl methacrylate (?-EM), c) 1.0 to 15.0 wt % of other polymers, preferably poly (vinyl alcohol) and d) 70 to 97 wt % of water or mixture of water with 2-propanol. The coating films made from the suspensions show good barrier capabilities against water vapor and oxygen can be used to make barrier layers on or within plastic films for packaging applications.

Abstract: There is provided a conductive fibrous material comprising a plurality of carbonaceous fibers, wherein each carbonaceous fiber is fused to at least one other fiber. The carbonaceous fibers may be fused at fiber-to-fiber contact points by a polymer. The process of making the conductive fibrous material comprises mixing a phenolic polymer with a second polymer to form a polymer solution, preparing phenolic fibers having nano- or micro-scale diameters by electrospinning the polymer solution, and subsequent carbonization of the obtained phenolic fibers, thereby generating carbonaceous fibers, wherein each carbonaceous fiber is fused to at least one other fiber. The conductive fibrous material may be useful in electrode materials for energy storage devices.

Abstract: A method of preparing a fiber-reinforced polymer composite is provided. The method includes (a) providing a swollen clay material; (b) chemically modifying a surface of the swollen clay material with an organosilane to form a silane-modified clay material; (c) intercalating the silane-modified clay material with a binder to form an intercalated clay material; and (d) melt compounding the intercalated clay material with a mixture comprising a polymer and fiber to form the fiber-reinforced polymer composite. A fiber-reinforced polymer composite is also provided.

Abstract: The invention is directed to a nanostructured composite material comprising a mixture of at least one metal particle such as iron and a carbon material from biomass such as D-glucose, D-glucosamine hydrochloride or a-cyclodextrin. The invention is also directed to a composition comprising the composite material comprising the composite material and an inorganic salt, and a method for synthesizing the composite material comprising immersing the carbon material into a solution of metal ions, drying the impregnated carbon particle and subjecting the impregnated carbon particle to a carbothermal reduction process. The nanostructured composite material is useful as an oxygen scavenging layer in a multi-layer film which comprises the oxygen scavenging layer and an oxygen barrier layer that retards the permeation of oxygen from an external environment.

Abstract: A method of preparing a fiber-reinforced polymer composite is provided. The method includes (a) providing a swollen clay material; (b) chemically modifying a surface of the swollen clay material with an organosilane to form a silane-modified clay material; (c) intercalating the silane-modified clay material with a binder to form an intercalated clay material; and (d) melt compounding the intercalated clay material with a mixture comprising a polymer and fiber to form the fiber-reinforced polymer composite. A fiber-reinforced polymer composite is also provided.

Abstract: This invention relates to a a one-step process for making a polymer composite suspension for coating plastic films characterized in that a first polymer is synthesized in-situ optionally in the presence of other polymers and in the presence of clay. Preferably the polymer composite suspension comprises a) 1.0 to 11.0 wt % of clay or silane modified clay, b) 0.1 to 10.0 wt % of poly (acrylic acid), which is a copolymer of acrylic acid (AA) with at least one other monomer selected from 2-ethylhexyl acrylate (EHA), ?-carboxyethyl acrylate (?-CEA), methacrylamidoethyl ethylene urea (WAM II) and ethoxylated behenyl methacrylate (?-EM), c) 1.0 to 15.0 wt % of other polymers, preferably poly (vinyl alcohol) and d) 70 to 97 wt % of water or mixture of water with 2-propanol. The coating films made from the suspensions show good barrier capabilities against water vapor and oxygen can be used to make barrier layers on or within plastic films for packaging applications.

Abstract: There is provided an aqueous composite coating solution comprising a polymer matrix, a metal oxide immobilized onto an inorganic filler and optionally an additional UV absorber. The coating solution can be used to prepare barrier coatings shielding the substrate from UV radiation, moisture and oxygen. There is also provided a process for making such aqueous using titanium dioxide immobilized on clay in the composite materials. Protective layers obtained from coating using the composite polymer solutions are also provided.

Abstract: There is provided a conductive fibrous material comprising a plurality of carbonaceous fibers, wherein each carbonaceous fiber is fused to at least one other fiber. The carbonaceous fibers may be fused at fiber-to-fiber contact points by a polymer. The process of making the conductive fibrous material comprises mixing a phenolic polymer with a second polymer to form a polymer solution, preparing phenolic fibers having nano- or micro-scale diameters by electrospinning the polymer solution, and subsequent carbonization of the obtained phenolic fibers, thereby generating carbonaceous fibers, wherein each carbonaceous fiber is fused to at least one other fiber. The conductive fibrous material may be useful in electrode materials for energy storage devices.

Abstract: A method of preparing a fiber-reinforced polymer composite is provided. The method includes (a) providing a swollen clay material; (b) chemically modifying a surface of the swollen clay material with an organosilane to form a silane-modified clay material; (c) intercalating the silane-modified clay material with a binder to form an intercalated clay material; and (d) melt compounding the intercalated clay material with a mixture comprising a polymer and fiber to form the fiber-reinforced polymer composite. A fiber-reinforced polymer composite is also provided.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a method for forming a layered silicate/polymer composite, the composite comprising individual exfoliated silicate layers separated in a continuous polymer matrix, wherein the polymer is a hydrophobic polymer, the method comprising: exfoliating sheet silicate in water to form a silicate suspension; replacing the water in the silicate suspension by an organic solvent to form a silicate/organic solvent suspension; contacting the silicate/organic solvent suspension with a solution of a hydrophobic polymer precursor in an organic solvent to form a silicate/polymer precursor suspension; coating the silicate/polymer precursor suspension on a substrate; removing the organic solvents; curing the hydrophobic polymer precursor of the coating of the silicate/polymer precursor; and annealing the cured coating to form the layered silicate/polymer composite on the substrate.

Abstract: There is provided a barrier layer comprising silicate chemically coupled to a polymer matrix. There is also provided a process for making the barrier layer and uses thereof.