Aluminum metallic nanoparticle-polymer nanocomposites for energy storage

Abstract

A nanoparticle composition comprising a substrate comprising aluminum nanoparticles, an Al 2 O 3 component coating said aluminum nanoparticles, and a metallocene catalyst component coupled to the Al 2 O 3 component; and a polyolefin component coupled to said substrate.

We claim: 
     
         1 . A solid nanoparticle composition comprising a substrate comprising a metal nanoparticle component and a metal oxide component; and a metallocene olefin polymerization catalyst component coupled to said metal oxide component of said substrate, wherein said metal oxide component is homogenously dispersed throughout said nanocomposite composition. 
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1  wherein said metallocene component is EBIZrCl 2 . 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 1  in a polyolefin matrix. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 3  wherein the polyolefin is polypropylene. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 4  wherein the metal nanoparticles are aluminum nanoparticles. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 5  wherein the metal oxide component is Al 2 O 3 . 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 6  wherein the metal nanoparticles are coated by the metal oxide component. 
     
     
         8 . A composite comprising a nano-dimensioned substrate comprising aluminum nanoparticles homogenously dispersed throughout said substrate, an Al 2 O 3  component coating said aluminum nanoparticles, and a metallocene catalyst component; and a polyolefin component coupled to said substrate. 
     
     
         9 . The composite of  claim 8  wherein said polyolefin component is selected from C 2  to about C 12  polyalkylenes, substituted C 2  to about C 12  polyalkylenes, and copolymers thereof. 
     
     
         10 . The composite of  claim 8  wherein said metallocene component is EBIZrCl 2 . 
     
     
         11 . The composite of  claim 10  wherein said polyolefin component is isotactic polypropylene. 
     
     
         12 . The composite of  claim 10  having an energy density of about 14 J/cm 3 . 
     
     
         13 . The composite of  claim 10  wherein the Al nanoparticle volume fraction is from between 0.100 and 0.125. 
     
     
         14 . The composite of  claim 13  wherein the composite maintains a permittivity of at least about 6 in the 1 MHz-7 GHz frequency range. 
     
     
         15 . The composite of  claim 8  wherein the Al nanoparticles are from 50-150 nm in diameter. 
     
     
         16 . A commodity material composition comprising a polyolefin component and a nano-dimensioned substrate component dispersed therein, said substrate component comprising a metal nanoparticle component, an Al 2 O 3  component, and a metallocene catalyst component. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 16  wherein said substrate dispersion is substantially homogenous on a nanoscale dimension. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 16  wherein said polyolefin component is selected from C 2  to about C 12  polyalkylenes, substituted C 2  to about C 12  polyalkylenes, and copolymers thereof. 
     
     
         19 . The composition of  claim 16  wherein the metal nanoparticle component is an aluminum nanoparticle component. 
     
     
         20 . The composition of  claim 19  as a thin film in an insulator device.