Patent ID: 8158243

Claim:
An article comprising a polymer-organoclay composite prepared by a method comprising: combining a solvent and an unexfoliated organoclay to form a first mixture, wherein the organoclay comprises alternating inorganic silicate layers and organic layers, and has an initial spacing between the silicate layers, and further wherein the organoclay comprises a quaternary phosphonium or pyridinum cation of formula (2), formula (3), formula (4) or formula (5): wherein Ar 1 , Ar 2 , Ar 3 and Ar 4 are independently C 6 - 50 aromatic radicals; “a” is a number from 1 to about 200; “c” is a number from 0 to 3; R 1 is independently at each occurrence a halogen atom, a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 5 -C 20 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 2 -C 20 aromatic radical; and R 2 is a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 5 -C 20 cycloaliphatic radical, a C 6 - 50 aromatic radical, or a polymer chain, wherein Ar 12 , Ar 13 , Ar 14 and Ar 15 are independently C 6 -C 50 aromatic radicals; and Ar 16 is a C 6 -C 200 aromatic radical, or a polymer chain comprising at least one aromatic group, wherein Ar 6 , Ar 7 , and Ar 8 are independently C 6 -C 50 aromatic radicals; “b” is a number from 0 to 2; R 3 is independently at each occurrence a halogen atom a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 5 -C 20 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 2 -C 20 aromatic radical; and Ar 11 is a C 6 -C 200 aromatic radical, or a polymer chain comprising at least one aromatic group, wherein Ar 6 , Ar 7 , and Ar 8 are independently C 6 - 50 aromatic radicals; “b” is a number from 0 to 2; “d” is a number from 0 to 4; R 3 and R 4 are independently at each occurrence a halogen atom, a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 5 -C 20 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 6 -C 20 aromatic radical; Z is a bond, a divalent C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a divalent C 5 -C 20 cycloaliphatic radical, a divalent C 6 -C 20 aromatic radical, an oxygen linking group, a sulfur linking group, a SO 2 linking group, or a Se linking group; and Ar 9 is a C 10 -C 200 aromatic radical, or a polymer chain comprising at least one aromatic group; exposing the first mixture to an energized condition of a sufficient intensity and duration to increase the initial spacing of the inorganic silicate layers, to form a second mixture; contacting the first or second mixture with a polymer precursor; polymerizing the polymer precursor to form a polymer; and removing at least a portion of the solvent from the second mixture, wherein the inorganic silicate layers remain separated by the polymer after removal of the solvent.