Spherical particles comprising nanoclay-filled-polymer and methods of production and uses thereof

1. A method comprising:

providing a mixture comprising:

(a) a nanoclay-filled-polymer composite comprising a nanoclay dispersed in a thermoplastic polymer,

(b) a carrier fluid that is immiscible with the thermoplastic polymer of the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite,

(c) optionally, a thermoplastic polymer not filled with a nanoclay, and

(d) optionally, an emulsion stabilizer;

shearing the mixture at a temperature at or greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polymer of the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite and the thermoplastic polymer not filled with the nanoclay, when included, to disperse the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite as droplets in the carrier fluid;

cooling the mixture to below the melting point or softening temperature to form nanoclay-filled-polymer particles containing exfoliated clay platelets dispersed in the thermoplastic polymer; and

separating the nanoclay-filled-polymer particles from the carrier fluid.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein at least 90 wt % of the nanoclay is dispersed in the thermoplastic polymer as the exfoliated clay platelets.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoclay comprises a quaternary ammonium compound.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite is formed by melt mixing the nanoclay with the thermoplastic polymer for about 5 minutes to about 1 hour at about 125° C. to about 250° C.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite comprises about 80 wt % to about 99.9 wt % of the thermoplastic polymer, and about 0.05 wt % to about 20 wt % of the nanoclay, based on the total weight of the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite.

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein the emulsion stabilizer is present and comprises a plurality of nanoparticles, the plurality of nanoparticles comprising a plurality of oxide nanoparticles.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the plurality of oxide nanoparticles comprises silica nanoparticles.

8. The method of claim 7 , wherein the silica nanoparticles are present at a silica nanoparticle content ranging from about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt %, based on a total weight of the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid is present at a weight ratio with respect to the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite ranging from 50:50 to 90:10.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the carrier fluid is polydimethylsiloxane.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite has an elongation at break ranging from about 200% to about 600%.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite has a tensile strength ranging from about 10 MPa to about 30 MPa.

13. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite has a molecular weight ranging from about 20 kD to about 500 kD.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the nanoclay-filled-polymer particles have a D50 ranging from about 20 μm to about 80 μm with a diameter span of about 2 or less.

15. The method of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer of the nanoclay-filled-polymer composite comprises a polyamide, a polyolefin, and/or a polyurethane.

16. The method of claim 15 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer not filled with the nanoclay comprises a polyamide, a polyolefin, and/or a polyurethane.