Ordered particle structures and methods of making same

Abstract

Techniques and methods of formation of ordered mixtures of particles by “clustering”. Clustering comprises local “structuring” consisting of a large “host” and smaller “guest” particles by various techniques. Small amounts of polymer are coated onto solid particles by various means. In one embodiment, an ordered mixture is created wherein the material that is of lesser quantity is of small particle size (the “B” particles) and the “A” particles are of larger size. The “B” particles are then coated onto a single A particle. By creating this ordered structure, each composite particle has the proper or stoichiometric amount of all ingredients. This dry composite material produced is appropriately used in various applications such as pharmaceutical formulations in the form of tablets, capsules, oral suspensions, inhalant, parenteral formulations and the like; energetics manufacture such as but not limited to explosives, propellants and pyrotechnics; agricultural products including but not limited to fertilizers, herbicides and pesticides; nutritional supplements and the like.

1 . A method for preparing a composition comprising the steps of: 
 a. selecting at least two solid particulates; and    b. forming clusters of the at least two solid particulates in a stoichiometric ratio.    
   
   
       2 . The method according to  claim 1 , said clustering step comprising the further step of blending at least two different-sized particulates.  
   
   
       3 . The method according to  claim 1  said clustering step comprising coating at least one of said particulates with at least one product-specific polymer formulation.  
   
   
       4 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising the further step of selecting at least a first coating for a first of said particulates and at least a second coating for a second of said particulates.  
   
   
       5 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising the further step of coating said first and second particulates.  
   
   
       6 . The method according to  claim 5  comprising the further step of blending said coated first particulates with said coated second particulates.  
   
   
       7 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising the further step of clustering said first and second particles into locally structured assemblies.  
   
   
       8 . The method according to  claim 4  said first coating containing at least a first functional group and said second coating containing at least a second functional group, in which at least one of said functional groups in said first coating is reactive with at least one of said functional groups of said second coating, such that the respective coatings are chemically bonded.  
   
   
       9 . The method according to  claim 8 , wherein concentrations of the reactive functional groups are present in product-specific stoichiometric ratio.  
   
   
       10 . The method according to  claim 4 , said first coating having a composition which places it sufficiently apart in the triboelectric series scale from the second coating to provide for electrostatic attraction between the coated particulates when blended.  
   
   
       11 . The method according to  claim 4 , said first coating containing magnetic particles and said second coating containing nano-sized superparamagnetic particles which become magnets in the presence of the particles coated with the first coating.  
   
   
       12 . The method according to  claim 11 , said magnetic and superparamagnetic particles in the first and second coatings present in a stoichiometric ratio.  
   
   
       13 . The method according to  claim 3  comprising the further step of stabilizing said clusters by increasing the temperature of the clusters to a level above the first or second order transition of at least one coating.  
   
   
       14 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising the further step of stabilizing said clusters by applying to said clusters, and subsequently evaporating, a dilute polymer solution.  
   
   
       15 . The method according to  claim 1  comprising clustering particulates comprising coating small “guest” particulates with large “host” particulates with at least one polymerizable liquid.  
   
   
       16 . The method according to  claim 1 , comprising 
 a. selecting at least a first large particulate and at least a second particulate smaller than said first particulate;    b. coating said large particulate with a polymerizable fluid;    c. combining said smaller particulate with the coated large particulate such that said smaller particulate is included on the coating of the large particulate; and    d. polymerizing or crosslinking the coating to form coated clusters of large and small particulates.    
   
   
       17 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein said coating and combining steps are performed sequentially in a coating blender.  
   
   
       18 . The method according to  claim 3  said coating step employing a magnetically assisted coating device.  
   
   
       19 . The method according to  claim 18  said device comprising a magnetically assisted fluidized bed coater.  
   
   
       20 . The method according to  claim 3  said coating step comprising employing a tumbling bed coater.  
   
   
       21 . The method according to  claim 3  said coating step comprising employing a rotating fluidized bed coater.  
   
   
       22 . The method according to  claim 3  said coating step comprising employing a UV coating device.  
   
   
       23 . The method according to  claim 1  at least one of said particles comprising an energetic component.  
   
   
       24 . The method according to  claim 1  at least one of said particles comprising an active pharmaceutical ingredient.  
   
   
       25 . The method according to  claim 1  at least one of said particles comprising an active component of an agricultural product.  
   
   
       26 . A clustered composition comprising at least two particles present in stoichiometric ratio.  
   
   
       27 . The invention according to  claim 26 , comprising a first particle being larger in size than a second particle.  
   
   
       28 . The invention according to  claim 26 , at least one of said particles comprising an energetic material.  
   
   
       29 . The invention according to  claim 26 , at least one of said particles comprising an active pharmaceutical ingredient.  
   
   
       30 . The invention according to  claim 26 , at least one of said materials comprising an active component of an agricultural product.  
   
   
       31 . The invention according to  claim 26 , said particles comprising a fuel and an oxidizer.  
   
   
       32 . The invention according to  claim 26  said particles comprising aluminum powder and ammonium perchlorate.  
   
   
       33 . The invention according to  claim 26  at least one of said particulates comprising a coated particle.  
   
   
       34 . The invention according to  claim 26  at least one of said particulates comprising a granulate.  
   
   
       35 . The invention according to  claim 26  at least one of said particulates comprising a cluster of particles.  
   
   
       36 . The method according to  claim 1  at least one of said particulates comprising a granulate.  
   
   
       37 . The method according to  claim 1  at least one of said particulates comprising a coated particle.  
   
   
       38 . The method according to  claim 1  at least one of said particulates comprising a cluster of particles.  
   
   
       39 . The method according to  claim 16  wherein said coating and combining steps are performed sequentially in a magnetically assisted fluidized bed (TMA-FB).  
   
   
       40 . A process for manufacturing a pharmaceutical product comprising forming a cluster of at least two coated particulates present in a stoichiometric ratio.  
   
   
       41 . A process for manufacturing an agricultural product comprising forming a cluster of at least two polymer coated particulates present in a stoichiometric ratio.