Patent ID: 6083559
Filing Date: 2000-07-04
Classification: C01B,C08K,F16C

Abstract:
A method of exfoliating a phyllosilicate comprising:contacting the phyllosilicate, having a moisture content of at least about 4% by weight, with an intercalant monomer and a carrier for said intercalant monomer, said intercalant monomer having an aromatic ring functionality, to form an intercalating composition, comprising the phyllosilicate, the intercalant monomer, and a carrier for the intercalant monomer, wherein the intercalating composition comprises at least about 2% by weight of said intercalant monomer, based on the dry weight of the phyllosilicate, to achieve intercalation of said monomer between said adjacent phyllosilicate platelets in an amount sufficient to space said adjacent phyllosilicate platelets a distance of at least about 5 .ANG., and to bond the intercalant monomer to a platelet surface through a bonding mechanism selected from the group consisting of ionic complexing: electrostatic complexing; chelation; hydrogen bonding; dipole/dipole; van der Waals forces; and any combination thereof without an onium ion or silane coupling agent; andseparating the platelets of the intercalated phyllosilicate.