US 12,473,482 B2
Nontoxic high temperature resistant hydrogels
Thomas P. Schuman, Rolla, MO (US); Baojun Bai, Rolla, MO (US); and Buddhabhushan Pundlik Salunkhe, Rolla, MO (US)
Assigned to The Curators of the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (US)
Appl. No. 18/251,852
Filed by The Curators of the University of Missouri, Columbia, MO (US)
PCT Filed Sep. 20, 2021, PCT No. PCT/US2021/047487
§ 371(c)(1), (2) Date May 4, 2023,
PCT Pub. No. WO2022/098412, PCT Pub. Date May 12, 2022.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/109,746, filed on Nov. 4, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2023/0407163 A1, Dec. 21, 2023
Int. Cl. C09K 8/42 (2006.01)
CPC C09K 8/426 (2013.01) 36 Claims
 
1. A composition useful for controlling fluid flow, said composition comprising a plurality of swellable particles, said particles comprising one or more crosslinkers interspersed among crosslinkable polymer chains, and wherein said one or more crosslinkers comprises divinylbenzene, wherein:
said one or more crosslinkers are capable of forming covalent bonds between the polymer chains; and
upon swelling, said particles exhibit less than about 50 percent decrease in volume after being exposed to a temperature of at least about 130° C. for at least about 1 hour.
 
11. A method of forming a composition useful for controlling fluid flow, said method comprising:
(a) polymerizing a plurality of monomers in the presence of one or more crosslinkers so as to form crosslinkable polymer chains; and
(b) drying and reducing the average particle size of the product resulting from (a) to yield a plurality of swellable particles comprising said one or more crosslinkers interspersed among said crosslinkable polymer chains, and wherein said one or more crosslinkers comprises divinylbenzene,
wherein:
said one or more crosslinkers are capable of forming covalent bonds with the polymer chains; and
upon swelling, said particles exhibit less than about 50 percent decrease in volume after being exposed to a temperature of at least about 130° C. for at least about 1 hour.