1. A process for the preparation of a composite polymeric material containing nanometric inorganic inclusions comprising:
mixing a polymer and a thermolytic precursor to provide a homogeneous dispersion of said precursor and said polymer; and
heating said homogeneous dispersion to provide a molten polymer and thermolytic fission of said precursor to form the nanometric inorganic inclusions dispersed in the molten polymer, wherein said mixing and said heating occur simultaneously in a single thermomixing and fission step, and wherein said thermomixing and fission step comprises a first heating and mixing stage at a first temperature lower than the fission temperature of the thermolytic precursor and a second heating and fission stage at a second temperature equal or higher than the fission temperature of the thermolytic precursor.
2. The process according to claim 1, wherein said mixing includes dispersing said thermolytic precursor through a solution in said polymer to provide said homogeneous dispersion.
3. The process according to claim 1, wherein said composite polymeric material is a formed article and the process further comprises subjecting said molten polymer comprising said inclusions to thermoforming.
4. The process according to claim 3, wherein said heating and said thermoforming occur simultaneously.
5. The process according to claim 3, wherein said thermoforming is an extrusion step.
6. The process according to claim 3, wherein said thermoforming is an injection molding step.
7. The process according to claim 3, wherein said thermoforming is a calendering step.
8. The process according to claim 3, wherein said thermoforming is a compression molding step.
9. The process according to claim 3, wherein said thermoforming is a roto-molding step.
10. The process according to claim 3, wherein said thermoforming is a powder injection molding step.
11. The process according to claim 3, wherein said thermoforming includes a molding step with thixotropic forming.
12. The process according to claim 3, wherein said thermoforming is a spinning step.
13. The process according to claim 1, wherein said thermolytic precursor is a metallic mercaptide.
14. The process according to claim 13, wherein said metallic mercaptide is a mercaptide of gold, silver, copper, palladium, cobalt, platinum, nickel, cadmium, zinc, iron, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, or osmium or a mixture thereof.
15. The process according to claim 14, wherein said metallic mercaptide comprises an organic residue.
16. The process according to claim 15 wherein the organic residue is an aliphatic, substituted aliphatic, arylic, substituted arylic, arylalkylic, substituted arylalkylic, alkylarylic residue or substituted alkylarylic residue.
17. The process according to claim 15, wherein said organic residue is an alkylic residue of general formula CmH2m+1, where m is an integer between 4 and 100, inclusive.
18. The process according to claim 16, wherein said organic residue is sulphur resinate, o-methyl phenyl, m-methyl phenyl, p-methyl phenyl, phenyl, p-ter-butyl phenyl, o-methyl-p-ter-butyl phenyl, pinenyl, isopropyl, sec-butyl, 1-methylheptyl, 1-methyldodecyl, 1-methyloctadodecyl, \u03b1-methyl benzyl, \u03b1-butyl benzyl, \u03b1-undecyl benzyl, tert-dodecyl, tert-amyl, tert-octyl or tert-butyl.
19. The process according to claim 17 wherein m is an integer between 6 and 20 inclusive.
20. The process according to claim 1, wherein said thermolytic precursor is a powdered precursor.
21. The process according to claim 1, wherein said polymer is in a granular form or powdered.
22. The process according to claim 1, wherein said polymer is a thermoformable polymer chosen in the group consisting of polyolefins, rubbers, polystyrenes, polyacrylates, polyacrylics, polyamides, polycarbonates, polychlorinates, saturated and unsaturated polyesters, polyethers, polyfluorinated, polyketones, polyoxides, polymethacrylates, polymers containing sulphides, vinyl polymers, thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyimides, polyarylates, polyaldehydes, cellulose, mixtures and copolymers thereof.
23. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polymer is in an expanded form.
24. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polymer has regular taxis.
25. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polyolefins are chosen from the group consisting of polyethylene with low, medium and high density, polyethylene with high and ultra high molecular weight, linear polyethylene, cross-linked polyethylene, polyisobutylene, polymethylpentene, polypropylene, polybutene.
26. The process according to claim 22, wherein said rubbers are polyisoprene, polybutadiene, polychloroprene, poly(ethylene-co-propylene), or poly(butadiene acrylonitrile).
27. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polystyrenes are polystyrene, poly(styrene-co-butadiene), poly(styrene-co-acrylonitrile), poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride), poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene), poly(acrylonitrile-ethylene chloride-styrene), poly(acrylonitrile-ethylenepropilendiene-styrene), poly(acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate) or poly(styrene-co-methyl methacrylate).
28. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polyarylates are polyacrylate, poly(acrylonitrile-butadiene-acrylate), poly(n-butyl acrylate), polyisopropylacrylate, polyethylacrylate, or polymethylacrylate.
29. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polyacrylic are polyacrylonitrile, poly(acrylonitrile-methylmethacrylate) or polyacryl ether ketone.
30. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polyamides are polyamide 6, polyamide 11, polyamide 12, polyamide 46, polyamide 66, polyamide 68, polyamide 69, polyamide 610, polyamide 612, poly(m-phenylene isophthalamide), polyphthalamide, poly(1,4-phenyldiamine), polyacrylamide, polyarylamide or polyamidimide.
31. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polychlorinates are polyvinylchloride, chlorinated polyvinylchloride, polyvinylidenechloride, chlorinated polyethylene, chlorinated polypropylene or polychlorotrifluorethylene.
32. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polyesters are polybutyleneterephthalate, polyethylenephthalate, polycyclic exandimethylene terephthalate, polyethyleneisophthalate or polyethyleneterephthalate.
33. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polyethers are polyetherimide, polyether ketone, polyoxymethylene, polyphenylenoxide or polyphenylether.
34. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polyfluorinated are polyvinyl fluoride or polyvinylidene fluoride.
35. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polymer is polyether ketone.
36. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polyoxides are ethylene polyoxide or propylene polyoxide.
37. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polymethacrylates are polybenzyl methacrylates, polybutyl methacrylate, polycyclic exyl methacrylate, polyethyl methacrylate, polyisobutyl methacrylate, polyisopropyl methacrylate, polymethyl methacrylate, polyphenyl methacrylate or poly(n-propyl methacrylate).
38. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polymers containing sulphides are polysulphone, polyphenylenesulfur, or polyether sulphone.
39. The process according to claim 22, wherein said vinyl polymers are polyvinyl acetate, polyvinyl butyryl, polyvinyl alcohol, polyvinyl chloride acetate, polyvinylidenacetate or polyvinyl carbazole.
40. The process according to claim 22, wherein said polymer is a phenol formaldehyde resin.
41. The process according to claim 1, wherein said thermolytic precursor is mixed with said polymer in an amount between about 0.1% and 60% by weight with respect to the total weight of the thermolytic precursor and the polymer used.
42. The process according to claim 41, wherein said thermolytic precursor is mixed with said polymer in an amount between about 1% and 20% by weight with respect to the total weight of the thermolytic precursor and the polymer.
43. A process of preparing a composite polymeric material comprising:
providing a homogeneous dispersion by mixing a polymer and a metallic precursor; and
decomposing the metallic precursor to an element metal by heating the homogeneous dispersion, wherein said mixing and said heating occur simultaneously in a single thermomixing and fission step, and wherein said thermomixing and fission step comprises a first heating and mixing stage at a first temperature lower than the fission temperature of the thermolytic precursor and a second heating and fission stage at a second temperature equal or higher than the fission temperature of the thermolytic precursor.
44. The process of claim 43 wherein the mixing step including mixing the polymer in a first solvent with the metallic precursor in a second solvent.
45. The process of claim 44 wherein the first solvent and the second solvent are the same.
46. The process of claim 43 wherein the heating step includes:
a first step of melting the polymer without decomposing the metallic precursor; and
a second step of decomposing the metallic precursor to the element metal.
47. The process of claim 43 wherein the metallic precursor is a metallic mercaptide of formula Me(SR)n, wherein:
Me is gold, silver, copper, palladium, cobalt, platinum, nickel, cadmium, zinc, iron, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium or osmium;
R is an organic residue; and
n is 1, 2, 3 or 4.
48. The process of claim 47 wherein R is an aliphatic, substituted aliphatic, aryl, substituted aryl, arylalkyl, substituted arylalkyl, alkylaryl residue or substituted alkylaryl.
49. The process of claim 48 wherein R is represented by formula CmH2m+1, wherein m is an integer between 4 and 100, inclusive.
50. The process of claim 43 wherein the metal precursor is present in the homogeneous dispersion at a concentration of about 0.1 to about 60% by weight.
51. The process of claim 43 wherein the metal precursor is present in the homogeneous dispersion at a concentration of about 1 to about 20% by weight.
52. The process of claim 43 further comprising thermoforming the composite polymeric material having the element metal dispersed in the polymer.
53. The process of claim 52 wherein the mixing, the heating and the thermoforming take place concurrently.
54. A process for the preparation of a composite polymeric material containing nanometric inorganic inclusions comprising:
mixing a polymer and a thermolytic precursor to provide a homogeneous dispersion of said precursor and said polymer;
heating said homogeneous dispersion to provide a molten polymer and thermolytic fission of said precursor to form the nanometric inorganic inclusions dispersed in the molten polymer, wherein said composite polymeric material is a formed article; and
subjecting said molten polymer comprising said inclusions to thermoforming, wherein said thermoforming includes a calendering step, a roto-molding step, or a spinning step.
55. The process according to claim 54, wherein said thermolytic precursor is a metallic mercaptide.
56. The process according to claim 55, wherein said metallic mercaptide is mercaptides of gold, silver, copper, palladium, cobalt, platinum, nickel, cadmium, zinc, iron, rhodium, iridium, ruthenium, osmium or mixtures thereof.
The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.
1. A power supply regulator, comprising:
a comparator having first and second inputs and an output, the first input of the comparator adapted to sense a current flow through a switch, the second input of the comparator adapted to sense a variable current limit value; and
a controller coupled to the output of the comparator and to the switch to control switching of the switch to regulate an output of a power supply in response a feedback signal, wherein the controller disables the switch if the sensed current flow through the switch is greater than the sensed variable current limit value, wherein the variable current limit value is set to a first variable current limit value by the controller in response to an input line voltage of the power supply if there is not an over current condition during a first switching cycle that occurs after a skipped switching cycle of the switch, and wherein the variable current limit value is set to a second variable current limit value by the controller in response to the input line voltage if there is the over current condition during the first switching cycle that occurs after the skipped switching cycle.
2. The power supply regulator of claim 1, wherein the first current limit value is greater than the second current limit value.
3. The power supply regulator of claim 1, wherein the first current limit value corresponds to a nominal or relatively low input line voltage of the power supply.
4. The power supply regulator of claim 1, wherein the second current limit value corresponds to a relatively high input line voltage of the power supply.
5. The power supply regulator of claim 1, wherein the first switching cycle that occurs after the skipped switching cycle of the switch corresponds to a discontinuous conduction mode of operation of the power supply.
6. The power supply regulator of claim 1, wherein energy in an energy transfer element of the power supply goes to zero during the skipped switching cycle of the switch.
7. The power supply regulator of claim 1 wherein the over current condition occurs when the current through the switch exceeds the variable current limit value before a maximum on time of the switch occurs during a switching cycle of the switch.
8. The power supply regulator of claim 1 further comprising an integrated circuit including the controller.
9. The power supply regulator of claim 8 wherein the integrated circuit further includes the switch.
10. A method, comprising:
switching a switch to regulate an output of a power supply;
adjusting a variable current limit value in response to an input line voltage of the power supply; and
limiting a current through the switch to the variable current limit value.
11. The method of claim 10 wherein limiting the current through the switch includes limiting the current to a first current limit value if the input line voltage is a nominal or relatively low voltage.
12. The method of claim 11 wherein limiting the current through the switch includes limiting the current to a second current limit value if the input line voltage is a relatively high voltage.
13. The method of claim 10 further comprising identifying a nominal or relatively low input line voltage if there is not an over current condition during a first switching cycle that occurs after a skipped switching cycle of the switch.
14. The method of claim 13 further comprising identifying a relatively high input line voltage if there is an over current condition during a first switching cycle that occurs after a skipped switching cycle of the switch.