Thermoplastic energy absorbing composites and methods of preparation thereof

1. An energy absorbing composite comprising: a thermoplastic resin, a core-shell polymer comprising a dilatant in the core of the core-shell polymer, a compatibilizer, a reinforcing filler, and optionally an antioxidant.

2. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin is selected from the group consisting of polycarbonate (PC), polyamide (PA), thermoplastic polyester, thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU), acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), polyethylene (PE), ethylene vinyl acetate co-polymer (EVA), polypropylene (PP), and combinations thereof.

3. The composite of claim 2 , wherein the dilatant is polyborodimethylsiloxane (PBDMS), the reinforcing filler is fumed silica, E-glass fiber, wollastonite, quartz, hydrophobic fumed silica, diatomaceous earth, or calcium carbonate, and the antioxidant is a phenolic antioxidant.

4. The composite of claim 3 , wherein the thermoplastic resin; the dilatant; the compatibilizer, the reinforcing filler, and the antioxidant are present in the composite in a weight ratio between 100:10:1:1:0.5 to 100:40:3:12:1.5, respectively.

5. The composite of claim 4 , further comprising a siloxane cross linker, wherein the thermoplastic resin and cross linker are present in the composite in a weight ratio between 100:1 to 100:5.

6. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the dilatant is a silicone polymer, a hydroxyl terminated dialkylsiloxane polymer, a borate cross-linked hydroxyl terminated dialkylsiloxane polymer, a silicone polymer comprising borated polydimethylsiloxane, polyborodimethylsiloxane (PBDMS), or a combination thereof.

7. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the reinforcing filler is selected from the group consisting of fumed silica, E-glass fiber, wollastonite, quartz, hydrophobic fumed silica, diatomaceous earth, calcium carbonate, and combinations thereof.

8. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the compatibilizer is selected from the group consisting of poly (ethylene-co-methyl acrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (EGMA), glycidyl methacrylate (GMA), triethoxyvinylsilane, and maleic anhydride (MA).

9. The composite of claim 1 , further comprising a siloxane cross linker.

10. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin, the dilatant, the compatibilizer, the reinforcing filler, and the antioxidant are present in the composite in a weight ratio between 100:1:0.01:0.02:0 to 100:120:3:20:2, respectively.

11. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin, the dilatant, the compatibilizer, the reinforcing filler, and the antioxidant are present in the composite in a weight ratio between 100:10:1:1:0.5 to 100:40:3:12:1.5, respectively.

12. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the dilatant is a silicon polymer, a hydroxyl terminated dialkylsiloxane polymer, a borate cross-linked hydroxyl terminated dialkylsiloxane polymer, a silicone polymer comprising borated polydimethylsiloxane, polyborodimethylsiloxane (PBDMS), or a combination thereof.

13. The composite of claim 12 , wherein the thermoplastic resin is polycarbonate, thermoplastic polyurethane, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS), styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS), polyethylene, ethylene vinyl acetate co-polymer, or combinations thereof.

14. The composite of claim 12 , wherein the shell comprises a hydrophobic polymer comprising repeating units selected from the group consisting of an alkyl methacrylate, an alkyl acrylate, polystyrene, allyl methacrylate, and combinations thereof.

15. The composite of claim 14 , wherein the hydrophobic polymer present in the shell of the core-shell polymer and the PBDMS present in the core of the core-shell polymer are present in the composite in a weight ratio between 1:1 and 5:1, respectively.

16. The composite of claim 15 , wherein the core-shell polymer comprising PBDMS is present in the composite in a weight percentage up 50% by weight.

17. The composite of claim 1 , wherein the core-shell polymer has an average diameter between 50 nm and 10 μm.

18. A method of preparing the composite of claim 1 , the method comprising: melt mixing the thermoplastic resin, the core-shell polymer comprising the dilatant in the core of the core-shell polymer, the compatibilizer, the reinforcing filler, and optionally the antioxidant thereby forming the composite.

19. The method of claim 18 , further comprising the step of mixing the dilatant, hydrophobic monomers, and a radical initiator thereby forming the core-shell polymer.