A method for drying and optionally functionalizing a synthetic phyllosilicate and the synthetic phyllosilicates obtained by and/or obtainable by said method.

An antimicrobial exfoliated vermiculite composite material is synthesized by impregnating the interlayers of exfoliated vermiculite through cation exchange and surface absorption with at least one of the following metal species: copper, silver, zinc, and manganese. Alternately, the antimicrobial material is synthesized by impregnating interlayers of unexfoliated vermiculite with said metal species and exfoliating the product thereafter. The metal species can be in ionic state, nanometer particles, and in the form of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal phosphates, metal silicates, metal borides, metal sulfides, metal halides, metal hydrides, metal nitrates, metal carbonates, and metal sulfadiazines. Any mixture of these metal species in the exfoliated vermiculite can provide protection against a broad spectrum of pathogens. This antimicrobial material in any desired form, in whole or as an additive, can effectively self-decontaminate various materials or products as the antimicrobial metal ions slowly diffuse to the surface of the products.

An antimicrobial exfoliated vermiculite composite material is synthesized by impregnating the interlayers of exfoliated vermiculite through cation exchange and surface absorption with at least one of the following metal species: copper, silver, zinc, and manganese. Alternately, the antimicrobial material is synthesized by impregnating interlayers of unexfoliated vermiculite with said metal species and exfoliating the product thereafter. The metal species can be in ionic state, nanometer particles, and in the form of metal oxides, metal hydroxides, metal nitrides, metal carbides, metal phosphates, metal silicates, metal borides, metal sulfides, metal halides, metal hydrides, metal nitrates, metal carbonates, and metal sulfadiazines. Any mixture of these metal species in the exfoliated vermiculite can provide protection against a broad spectrum of pathogens. This antimicrobial material in any desired form, in whole or as an additive, can effectively self-decontaminate various materials or products as the antimicrobial metal ions slowly diffuse to the surface of the products.

A composition comprising synthetic mineral particles, such as silicate or phyllosilicate mineral particles, is presented. The composition can be prepared by a process in which a hydrogel precursor of the synthetic mineral particles is produced by a coprecipitation reaction between at least one compound comprising silicon, such as sodium metasilicate, and at least one compound comprising at least one metal element, such as a dicarboxylate salt of the formula M(R.sub.1COO).sub.2, wherein R.sub.1 is H or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. The coprecipitation reaction also takes place in the presence of at least one carboxylate salt of formula R.sub.2COOM wherein M is Na or K, and R.sub.2 is H or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

A composition comprising synthetic mineral particles, such as silicate or phyllosilicate mineral particles, is presented. The composition can be prepared by a process in which a hydrogel precursor of the synthetic mineral particles is produced by a coprecipitation reaction between at least one compound comprising silicon, such as sodium metasilicate, and at least one compound comprising at least one metal element, such as a dicarboxylate salt of the formula M(R.sub.1COO).sub.2, wherein R.sub.1 is H or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms. The coprecipitation reaction also takes place in the presence of at least one carboxylate salt of formula R.sub.2COOM wherein M is Na or K, and R.sub.2 is H or an alkyl group having 1 to 4 carbon atoms.

A sheet including exfoliated clay minerals, having a density of 1.6 g/cm.sup.3 or less and a compression ratio of 20% or more.

A sheet including exfoliated clay minerals, having a density of 1.6 g/cm.sup.3 or less and a compression ratio of 20% or more.

The invention relates to a process for delamination of a layered silicate in an aqueous medium, wherein in a first step a layered silicate is treated with a delamination agent, and in a second step the thus treated layered silicate is contacted with an aqueous medium, whereby the delamination agent is a compound having exactly one positively charged atom, the positively charged atom being selected from the group consisting of nitrogen and phosphorous; contains n.sub.f functional groups selected from the group consisting of hydroxyl groups, ether groups, sulfonic acid ester groups and carboxylic acid ester groups, n.sub.f being a number from 3 to 10; comprises a total number of carbon atoms n.sub.c being from 4 to 12; has a ratio n.sub.c/(1+n.sub.f) from 1 to 2, wherein n.sub.c is the total number of carbon atoms of the delamination agent and n.sub.f is the total number of functional groups in the delamination agent as defined under ii.; contains n.sub.t atoms selected from the group consisting of carbon, nitrogen, phosphorous, oxygen and sulfur, n.sub.t being 9; and wherein the delamination agent is used to treat the layered silicate in an amount of at least equal to the cation exchange capacity of the layered silicate. The invention further relates to the thus produced delaminated layered silicates, their use in the production of composite and coating material and as a barrier material. Moreover, the invention relates to compositions containing the thus produced delaminated layered silicates.

A process for delamination of a layered silicate in an aqueous medium includes treating a synthetic or naturally occurring 2:1 clay mineral layered silicate with a delamination agent, and contacting the treated layered silicate with an aqueous medium. An amount of the delamination agent used to treat the layered silicate can be at least equal to the cation exchange capacity of the layered silicate. A delaminated layered silicate can be obtained from the process and provided in a dispersion, a composite, or a barrier.

Disclosed is a substantially flat nanosheet with a first side and a second side, the first side having substantially different properties than the second side. The nanosheet may have self-assembly properties under certain anisotropic conditions such as phase separation boundaries, sheer stresses, friction, temperature gradients, viscosity, density, and/or combinations therein.