Polymer-Ceramic Core-Shell Powders for Agglomeration-Free High Loading
Find Innovative SolutionsGenerate Solutions
Solution Overview
Problem
Existing ceramic-polymer composites face challenges in achieving high ceramic content due to limitations in compounding technology, which can damage equipment and degrade polymers, and not all ceramics can be effectively cold sintered, leading to varying structural properties and suitability for end-use applications.
Innovation Solution
The development of polymer-ceramic core-shell particles with induced crystallinity, where the polymer shell exhibits both glass transition and melt temperatures, allowing for the formation of composites with high ceramic content through methods that include mixing, superheating, and precipitation to create uniform coatings, enabling molding without agglomeration and grinding.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Quantity of substance
If conventional compounding technology is used to increase ceramic filler content, then ceramic content can be increased, but equipment damage and polymer degradation occur
Solution Approach 1:
The invention divides the composite into core-shell particles where ceramic particles are individually coated with polymer shells. This segmentation prevents ceramic particle aggregation and reduces mechanical stress on equipment during processing, enabling higher ceramic content without equipment damage or polymer degradation.
Solution Approach 2:
The polymer shell acts as an intermediary between ceramic particles, providing a protective barrier that prevents direct contact between ceramic particles and equipment, thereby reducing wear and damage. The shell also protects the polymer matrix from degradation by distributing stress more uniformly.
2Loss of time
If cold sintering is used to process ceramic-polymer composites, then processing time is reduced, but not all ceramics can be effectively processed and structural properties vary
Solution Approach 1:
The invention changes the processing parameters by using a two-stage approach: first forming core-shell particles with polymer coating, then molding at controlled temperatures. This allows processing of various ceramic types (including those incompatible with cold sintering like alumina, zirconia, and silicon carbide) while maintaining consistent structural properties through the protective polymer shell.
3Quantity of substance
If high ceramic filler content is achieved in thermoplastic polymers, then ceramic content increases, but dispersion and distribution become highly dependent on multiple parameters and processing becomes challenging
Solution Approach 1:
The invention performs preliminary action by pre-coating ceramic particles with polymer shells before final composite formation. This pre-coating ensures uniform dispersion and distribution is achieved before molding, significantly reducing processing complexity and eliminating the need for extensive parameter optimization during final processing.
4Ease of manufacture
If ceramic particles are directly compounded with polymer, then processing is straightforward, but ceramic particle agglomeration occurs requiring additional grinding
Solution Approach 1:
The invention applies local quality by providing each ceramic particle with its own polymer shell coating. This localized polymer presence prevents agglomeration while maintaining processing simplicity, as the coated particles can be directly molded without additional grinding or dispersion steps.
Applied Scientific Principles
This section explains which scientific principles are used to turn an abstract innovation direction into a practical engineering solution.
Function Achieved in This Case
The method allows for the formation of ceramic-polymer composites with up to 90% ceramic content, reducing agglomeration and achieving uniform distribution, facilitating molding into parts with improved structural properties and suitability for various applications.
Implementation Method 1
the polymer shell exhibits induced crystallinity, and is selected from the group of polymers consisting of: polycarbonate (PC) copolymers, polyetherimide (PEI), polyetherimide (PEI) copolymers, polyphenylsulfone (PPSU), polyarylethersulfone (PAES), and polyether sulfones (PES)
Implementation Method 2
The induced crystallinity of the polymer shell is recognizable and characterized in that the polymer of the shell exhibits both a glass transition temperature (Tg) and a melt temperature (Tm)
Implementation Method 3
methods that include mixing, superheating, and precipitation to create uniform coatings
Data Source
AI summary
Ceramic-polymer powders comprising a plurality of core-shell particles, where: each of the core-shell particles comprises a core and a shell around the core; the core comprises a ceramic selected from the group of ceramics consisting of: Al2O3, Fe2O3, ZnO, ZrO2, and SiO2; and the shell comprises a polymer selected from the group of polymers consisting of: PC copolymers, polyetherimide (PEI), polyetherimide (PEI) copolymers, polyphenyl sulfone (PPSU), polyarylethersulfone (PAES), and poly ether sulfones (PES). In powder form, the core-shell particles are in a substantially dry powder form having a moisture content of less than 2% by weight.