Building materials

Abstract

The present invention relates to building materials, particularly building materials for placement on the outside of buildings.

1 . A building material, comprising:
 a core comprising an intrinsically conductive polymer, and,   an outer layer, wherein the outer layer is metallic.   
     
     
         2 . The building material of  claim 1 , wherein the outer layer surrounds the core. 
     
     
         3 . The building material of  claim 1 , wherein the outer layer partially surrounds the core. 
     
     
         4 . The building material of  claim 1  wherein the intrinsically conductive polymer comprises an electrically conductive thermoplastic, a conductive thermoset plastic, a conductive elastomer, and/or a conductive polymer blend. 
     
     
         5 . The building material of  claim 1 , wherein the intrinsically conductive polymer comprises any one or more of polydiacetylene, polyacetylene, polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, polyisothianaphthene, polyheteroarylenvinylene, where heteroarylene can be thiophene, furan or pyrrole, poly-p-phenylene, polyphenylene-sulphide, polyperinaphthalene, polyphthalocyanine, and their derivatives formed from monomers substituted with side chains or groups, or their copolymers. 
     
     
         6 . The building material of  claim 1 , wherein the core comprising a conductive polymer further comprises a non-conductive material. 
     
     
         7 . The building material of  claim 4 , wherein the intrinsically conductive polymer is filled and/or mixed with conductive particles. 
     
     
         8 . The building material of  claim 7 , wherein the conductive particles are one or more of carbon black, graphite, graphene, carbon nanotubes and metal powders or fibers. 
     
     
         9 . The building material of  claim 1 , wherein the outer layer is zinc, copper, nickel, bronze, brass, solder, chrome, tin, lead, gold, silver or other metallic metal or alloy, or combination of metallic metal and/or alloy. 
     
     
         10 . (canceled) 
     
     
         11 . A method of making a building material, for use on the exterior of a building, the building material comprising a core comprising an intrinsically conductive polymer, and, an outer layer, wherein the outer layer is metallic, wherein the method comprises:
 forming a core comprising an intrinsically conductive polymer, and,   electroplating the outer layer over the core.   
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of electroplating the outer layer over the core is by electrochemical means. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the intrinsically conductive polymer is an electrically conductive thermoplastic, a conductive thermoset plastic, a conductive elastomer, or a conductive polymer blend. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the intrinsically conductive polymer comprises any one or more of polydiacetylene, polyacetylene, polypyrrole, polyaniline, polythiophene, polyisothianaphthene, polyheteroarylenvinylene, where heteroarylene can be thiophene, furan or pyrrole, poly-p-phenylene, polyphenylene-sulphide, polyperinaphthalene, polyphthalocyanine, and their derivatives formed from monomers substituted with side chains or groups, or their copolymers. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the core comprising a conductive polymer is formed by compression moulding, extrusion, intrusion or injection moulding. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the step of forming a core comprising a conductive polymer comprises the step of over moulding the conductive polymer over another material. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising the step of, after forming the core and before electroplating the outer layer over the core, working the core so that it adopts a suitable shape. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein electroplating the outer layer over the core by electrochemical means comprises:
 placing the core in a solution of metal ions, the core being configured to act as a cathode,   placing an anode comprising metal atoms, the metal atoms being for the outer layer, in the solution, and,   providing a voltage across the core and the anode so that there is a net movement of metal atoms from the anode to the cathode to form the outer layer.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method comprises the further step of affixing a blocking structure to the core, prior to electroplating, so as to prevent formation of an outer layer at one or more positions on the core. 
     
     
         20 . (canceled) 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 11 , further comprising a working step after electroplating the core to work the outer layer into a desired shape. 
     
     
         22 . A building material obtainable by a method according to  claim 11 . 
     
     
         23 .- 24 . (canceled)