Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
Reexamination Certificate
1999-07-08
2001-03-20
Dawson, Robert (Department: 1712)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
C524S586000, C524S513000, C524S537000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06204313
ABSTRACT:
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to blends of thermoplastic polymers, and more particularly to flame retardant blends having improved high temperature properties.
Improvement of the flame retardant properties of thermoplastic polymers such as polycarbonates has long been a goal of polymer compounders. Compounds containing phosphorus have been used in compositions with thermoplastic polymers to improve their flame resistance properties. Among the phosphorus compounds useful for this purpose are the bis(diaryl phosphate) esters of dihydroxyaromatic compounds, as illustrated by resorcinol bis(diphenyl phosphate), hydroquinone bis(diphenyl phosphate), and bisphenol A bis(diphenyl phosphate). Certain water soluble phosphoramides have also been used in the textile industry as flame retardant finishes for fabrics.
Phosphorus-containing compounds, however, often have undesirable effects on other physical properties of thermoplastic polymers. For example, phosphorus-containing compounds frequently have undesirable effects on the high temperature properties of polycarbonate and polycarbonate-containing blends, especially those blends also containing addition polymers such as acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene copolymers (hereinafter referred to as “ABS copolymers”). Said undesirable effects may be demonstrated by a pronounced decrease in glass transition temperature (Tg) of one or more polymer phases. In addition, other physical properties of the blends, such as ductility, are sometimes adversely affected and may require improvement.
There are increasing demands from key industries, such as the electronics and computer industries, for polymer compositions possessing both flame retardant properties and higher heat resistance. Such compositions must also retain other key physical properties, such as adequate flow and impact strength, for applications such as computer housings, computer monitor housings, and printer housings. Another increasing demand is for materials that are rated in the Underwriter's Laboratory UL-94 test protocol as V-0, V-1, or V-2. It is therefore apparent that new resin compositions that meet these and other demands continue to be sought.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
The present invention meets that above-described needs by providing resin compositions comprising the following and any reaction products thereof:
a) at least one polyestercarbonate comprising structural units of the formula I:
wherein D is a divalent aromatic radical; and repeating or recurring structural units of the formula II:
—O—R1—O—D— (II)
wherein D has the meaning previously ascribed to it and R1 is at least one divalent moiety selected from those of the formulae III ans IV
b) at least one addition polymer; and
c) at least one phosphoryl compound of the formula V:
wherein Q is oxygen or sulfur; and R2, R3, and R4 are each independently an alkyloxy, alkylthio, aryloxy, or arylthio residue, or an aryloxy or arylthio residue containing at least one alkyl or halogen substitution, or mixture thereof; or an amine residue.
The present invention also provides articles made from the resin compositions. Furthermore, the present invention provides methods to make resin compositions having improved heat and/or processability over compositions known in the art.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
In one embodiment, the composition of the present invention comprises a polyestercarbonate comprising structural units of the formula I:
wherein D is a divalent aromatic radical; and repeating or recurring units of the formula II:
—O—R
1
—O—D— (II)
wherein D has the meaning previously ascribed to it and R
1
is at least one divalent moiety selected from those of the formulae III and IV:
The polyestercarbonates which find use in the instant invention and the methods for their preparation are well known in the art as disclosed in, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,030,331; 3,169,121; 3,207,814; 4,194,038; 4,156,069; 4,238,596; 4,238,597; 4,487,896; 4,506,065, and in copending application Ser. No. 09/416,529, filed Oct. 12, 1999, and assigned to the same assignee as the instant application, all of which are hereby incorporated by reference. Among the properties characterizing these polymers is a relatively high distortion temperature under load (DTUL) as well as a relatively high impact strength as measured by a notched Izod test protocol.
The polyestercarbonates may generally be termed copolyesters containing carbonate groups, carboxylate groups, and aromatic carbocyclic groups in the polymer chain, in which at least some of the carboxylate groups and at least some of the carbonate groups are bonded directly to ring carbon atoms of the aromatic carbocyclic groups. These polyester-carbonates are, in general, prepared by reacting at least dihydric phenol, at least one difunctional carboxylic acid or reactive derivative of the acid such as the acid dihalide, and a carbonate precursor.
Suitable dihydric phenols for preparing polyestercarbonates include those represented by the formula VI:
HO—D—OH (VI)
wherein D is a divalent aromatic radical. Preferably, D has the structure of formula VII;
wherein A represents an aromatic group such as phenylene, biphenylene, naphthylene, etc. E may be an alkylene or alkylidene group such as methylene, ethylene, ethylidene, propylene, propylidene, isopropylidene, butylene, butylidene, isobutylidene, amylene, amylidene, isoamylidene, etc. Where E is an alkylene or alkylidene group, it may also consist of two or more alkylene or alkylidene groups connected by a moiety different from alkylene or alkylidene, such as an aromatic linkage; a tertiary amino linkage; an ether linkage; a carbonyl linkage; a silicon-containing linkage; or a sulfur-containing linkage such as sulfide, sulfoxide, sulfone, etc.; or a phosphorus-containing linkage such as phosphinyl, phosphonyl, etc. In addition, E may be a cycloaliphatic group (e.g., cyclopentylidene, cyclohexylidene, 3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexylidene, methylcyclo-hexylidene, 2-[2.2.1]-bicycloheptylidene, neopentylidene, cyclopentadecylidene, cyclododecylidene, adamantylidene, etc.); a sulfur-containing linkage, such as sulfide, sulfoxide or sulfone; a phosphorus-containing linkage, such as phosphinyl, phosphonyl; an ether linkage; a carbonyl group; a tertiary nitrogen group; or a silicon-containing linkage such as silane or siloxy. R
5
represents hydrogen or a monovalent hydrocarbon group such as alkyl, aryl, aralkyl, alkaryl, or cycloalkyl. Y
1
may be an inorganic atom such as halogen (fluorine, bromine, chlorine, iodine); an inorganic group such as nitro; an organic group such as R
5
above, or an oxy group such as OR; it being only necessary that Y
1
be inert to and unaffected by the reactants and reaction conditions used to prepare the polyestercarbonate. The letter m represents any integer from and including zero through the number of positions on A
1
available for substitution; p represents an integer from and including zero through the number of positions on E available for substitution; t represents an integer equal to at least one; s is either zero or one; and u represents any integer including zero.
In the dihydric phenol compound in which D is represented by formula VII above, when more than one Y substituent is present, they may be the same or different. The same holds true for the R
5
substituent. Where s is zero in formula VII and u is not zero, the aromatic rings are directly joined with no intervening alkylidene or other bridge. The positions of the hydroxyl groups and Y
1
on the aromatic nuclear residues A
1
can be varied in the ortho, meta, or para positions and the groupings can be in vicinal, asymmetrical or symmetrical relationship, where two or more ring carbon atoms of the hydrocarbon residue are substituted with Y
1
and hydroxyl groups.
Some illustrative, non-limiting examples of dihydric phenols of formula VI include the dihydroxy-substituted aromatic hydrocarbons disclosed by name or formula (generic or specific) in U.S. Pat. No. 4,217,438, which is incorpora
Bastiaens Jos Herman Peter
Campbell John Robert
Govaerts Luc Carlos
Brown S. Bruce
Dawson Robert
General Electric Company
Johnson Noreen C.
Peng Kuo-Liang
LandOfFree
Flame retardant polymer blends, and method for making does not yet have a rating. At this time, there are no reviews or comments for this patent.
If you have personal experience with Flame retardant polymer blends, and method for making, we encourage you to share that experience with our LandOfFree.com community. Your opinion is very important and Flame retardant polymer blends, and method for making will most certainly appreciate the feedback.
Profile ID: LFUS-PAI-O-2475800