Composites Comprising Nanoparticles

20 Pages·2013·2.14 MB·English

US 20100291374A1
(19) United States
(12) Patent Application Publication (10) Pub. No.: US 2010/0291374 A1
Akarsu et al. (43) Pub. Date: Nov. 18, 2010
(54) COMPOSITES COMPRISING cation No. 12/468,719, ?led on May 19, 2009, Con
NANOPARTICLES tinuation-in-part of application No. 12/ 607,281, ?led
on Oct. 28, 2009.
(75) Inventors: Murat Akarsu, Tucson, AZ (US);
(60) Provisional application No. 60/934,247, ?led on Jun.
Anoop AgraWal, Tucson, AZ (US)
12, 2007, provisional application No. 61/054,235,
?led on May 19, 2008, provisional application No.
Correspondence Address:
61/110,530, ?led on Oct. 31, 2008.
LAWRENCE R. OREMLAND, RC.
5055 E. BROADWAY BLVD., SUITE C-214 Publication Classi?cation
TUCSON, AZ 85711 (US)
(51) Int. Cl.
B32B 5/16 (2006.01)
(73) Assignee: AJ J ER LLC, Tucson, AZ (US)
B29B 9/00 (2006.01)
B29B 9/12 (2006.01)
(21) Appl. No.: 12/843,799
(52) U.S. Cl. ............................ .. 428/328; 264/5; 977/950
(22) Filed: Jul. 26, 2010 (57) ABSTRACT
This invention discloses composite materials utilizing high
Related US. Application Data
refractive index materials, their manufacturing methods and
(63) Continuation-in-part of application No. 12/ 136,407, their use. Some of the preferred applications are in LED
?led on Jun. 10, 2008, Continuation-in-part of appli packaging and as deformable ?llers in polymers.
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COMPOSITES COMPRISING emitting diodes (LEDs) is speci?cally discussed in greater
NANOPARTICLES detail in this disclosure. Similarly, many other applications
can use composites Where highly dispersed nanoparticles are
RELATED APPLICATION/CLAIM OF PRIORITY present in a matrix, and one Way of characterizing the degree
of dispersion is by optical clarity, Where higher optical clarity
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part (CIP) of
or lack of haZiness correlates With better dispersion.
each of the following applications:
[0009] Many of the electrical and optical applications
[0002] (a) US. patent application Ser. No. 12/136,407,
require that these composite materials should be free of Water
?led Jun. 10, 2008 (published as 20080311380) and
soluble ions to reduce corrosion and elevated temperature
related to provisional application 60/934,247 ?led on
degradation. For these applications, the ions in the ionic spe
Jun. 12, 2007;
cies are hydrophobic. Many nanoparticle formation pro
[0003] (b) US. patent application Ser. No. 12/468,719
cesses from inorganic materials use Wet-chemical methods
?led on May 19, 2009 (published as US 20100039690)
that employ acids, bases and metal compounds to catalyZe the
and related to provisional application 61/054,235, ?led
reactions. This contaminates the nanoparticles With Water
on May 19, 2008, and
soluble ionic impurities or unWanted metal ions. Methods to
[0004] (c) US. patent application Ser. No. 12/607,281,
make nanoparticles free of these impurities are disclosed.
?led on Oct. 28, 2009 (published as 20100044640) and
[0010] One may also use the high index composites (?rst
related to provisional application 61/110,530 ?led Oct.
composite) of this invention as high index ?ller material by
31, 2008.
adding to another matrix material (second matrix) of a loWer
GOVERNMENT RIGHTS index to make a neW composite (second composite) Which is
opaque. This is similar to increasing the hiding poWer of
[0005] This invention Was made With US Government sup polymers and paints by incorporating high index ?llers in
port under contract DE-SC0001309 aWarded by the Depart them. The high index composite ?llers of this invention could
ment of Energy. The Government has certain rights in this
be used as ?llers so that these are deformable during use or
invention. processing and replace rigid high index metal oxide ?llers.
[0006] All of the applications referenced above are incor From a processing perspective, substitutes for the hard inor
porated by reference herein.
ganic ?llers that are deformable may alloW a better viscosity
control, decreasing Wear and tear on processing equipment
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
and alloW more control on mechanical properties While
[0007] The present invention relates to forming composites imparting other bene?ts. When the ?rst composite material of
of ionic materials and nanoparticles and their applications. high index is dispersed in the second matrix, the particles of
The ionic materials comprise ionic liquids and ionic poly the ?rst composite material may be added as distinct particles
mers, and nanoparticles comprise of metals and metal com or may melt and phase separate in a desired siZe and form. The
pounds. This invention also includes novel processes for particle siZe of the ?rst composite material is controlled in the
forming nanoparticles Which have negligible Water soluble second composite to give high light scattering or opaqueness
ionic impurities and can be used to form the composites of or hiding poWer as compared to these properties of the second
this invention. These composites and the ionic materials matrix alone. First composite may be thermoset or a thermo
could be used in a variety of applications including optical, plastic. The second matrix may also be either, but if it is a
electronic and electrochemical devices and components. thermoset, it is crosslinked only after the ?rst composite is
added. Processing characteristics (eg high shear, high cool
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION ing rates, etc.) and other ingredients such as surfactants may
be used to control the particle siZe of the ?rst thermoplastic
[0008] In many optical applications high refractive index
composite in the second composite. Concepts to make second
materials are required to achieve a desired performance. We
composites are disclosed.
discovered that When nanoparticles are dispersed in a matrix,
the presence of ionic materials help in obtaining a better SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
dispersion of these nanoparticles Which improves the perfor
mance of the composite. This discovery may be used to make [0011] In accordance With the purposes of the present
high refractive index (RI) materials (or composites) Where invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, the
high refractive index nanoparticles are dispersed in loWer present invention provides methods of forming high refrac
index matrices comprising ionic materials, e. g., ionic liquids. tive index composite materials that are formed by Well dis
The superior dispersion results in optically clear composites persed high index nanoparticles in a matrix and also forming
Where the RI of the composite is higher than the RI of the of nanoparticles With loW Water soluble ionic impurities or
matrix. For some applications the optical clarity of these unWanted metal impurities. This application also discloses
composites is important, Which means loW haZe and absence methods to make high refractive index ionic liquids that are
hydrophobic. Speci?c applications Where these composites
of coloration. Some of the applications Where high refractive
index materials can be used fruitfully are optical elements and ionic liquids can be used for LED encapsulation and other
(lenses, beam splitters, Waveguides), optical coatings, ?ber applications are also disclosed.
optic applications, scintillators, displays, light emitting diode
packaging, optical communication and optical computing. BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
The high index materials may also be used in electrochemical [0012] FIG. lilncrease in light extraction capability With
systems, such as electrolytes for electrochromic devices, increasing encapsulant index for a LED;
Where the RI of the electrodes and the electrolytes is matched [0013] FIG. 24Calculation results of the composite RI as a
to decrease light loss at the interface. The use of high index function of volume % of nanoparticles (With an RI of 2.4) and
encapsulants to increase the light extraction ef?ciency in light the matrix RI;