Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser – Synthetic resins – Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
Reexamination Certificate
2001-03-08
2003-05-27
Egwim, Kelechi (Department: 1713)
Synthetic resins or natural rubbers -- part of the class 520 ser
Synthetic resins
Processes of preparing a desired or intentional composition...
C524S105000, C524S109000, C524S114000, C524S567000, C524S570000, C524S583000, C524S585000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06569926
ABSTRACT:
The present invention relates to a polymer composition comprising a) a thermoplastic polymer, b) a polyfunctional epoxy compound and c) an imidazolidone compound. The invention relates also to a method of improving the gloss of such polymers, to the polymers themselves with improved gloss, and to the use of polyfunctional epoxy compounds and imidazolidones for improving gloss.
Uniformly glossy surfaces are a frequently desired property for the user/consumer because they both repel dirt better and give the product a more aesthetically pleasing appearance. A number of thermoplastics, such as polyolefins and polyvinyl chloride (PVC), that have been produced using alternative processing stabilisers, for example calcium and zinc stabilisers, and also recycled plastics materials, however, frequently have a low surface gloss.
The problem underlying the present invention is accordingly to provide gloss-improving compositions for thermoplastic polymers, especially polyolefins, for alternatively stabilised, halogen-containing polymers or recycled plastics materials, which compositions do not have an adverse effect on the thermal and weathering properties of those polymers.
Within the scope of the present invention, “alternative stabilisation of halogen-containing polymers” is to be understood as meaning that no lead, cadmium, barium or tin stabilisors are used.
In order to avoid barium-, lead- or cadmium-containing compounds, calcium/zinc soaps, for example, have been proposed; see in that connection, for example, “Taschenbuch der Kunststoff-Additive”, editors R. Gächter and H. Müller, (abbreviated hereinafter to “KA'e G&M”) Hanser Verlag, 3rd Edition, 1990, pages 308-309 and Kunststoff Handbuch PVC, Volumes 1 and 2, Beck/Braun, Carl Hanser Verlag, 2nd Edition, 1985/1986.
Surprisingly, it has been found that the above-mentioned problem is solved by the addition of at least one polyfunctional epoxy compound and at least one imidazolidone compound.
The present invention accordingly relates to a polymer composition comprising
a) a thermoplastic polymer,
b) at least one polyfunctional epoxy compound and
c) at least one imidazolidone compound.
The thermoplastic polymers may be in the form of virgin polymers or recycled materials. Within the scope of the present invention “recycled materials” is to be understood as both production scrap that is reprocessed and scrap polymer that is obtained from collected goods.
Suitable thermoplastic polymers are listed hereinbelow.
1. Polymers of mono- and di-olefins, for example polypropylene, polyisobutylene, polybutene-1, poly-4-methylpentene-1, polyisoprene or polybutadiene and also polymers of cycloolefins, e.g. of cyclopentene or norbornene; also polyethylene (which may optionally be crosslinked), e.g. high-density polyethylene (HDPE), high molecular weight high density polyethylene (HDPE-HMW), ultrahigh molecular weight high-density polyethylene (HDPE-UHMW), medium-density polyethylene (MDPE), low-density polyethylene (LDPE), linear low-density polyethylene (LLDPE), (VLDPE) and (ULDPE).
Polyolefins, that is to say polymers of monoolefins, as mentioned by way of example in the above paragraph, especially polyethylene and polypropylene, can be prepared according to various processes, especially using the following methods:
a) free-radically (usually at high pressure and high temperature).
b) by means of a catalyst, the catalyst usually containing one or more metals from group IVb, Vb, VIb or VIII. Such metals generally have one or more ligands, such as oxides, halides, alcoholates, esters, ethers, amines, alkyls, alkenyls and/or aryls, that may be either &pgr;- or &sgr;-coordinated. Such metal complexes may be free or supported on carriers, for example on activated magnesium chloride, titanium(III) chloride, aluminium oxide or silicon oxide. The catalysts may be soluble or insoluble in the polymerisation medium. The catalysts may be active on their own in the polymerisation, or further activators may be used, such as, for example, metal alkyls, metal hydrides, metal alkyl halides, metal alkyl oxides or metal alkyl oxanes, the metals being elements from group(s) Ia, IIa and/or IIIa. The activators may be modified, for example, with further ester, ether, amine or silyl ether groups. Such catalyst systems are usually termed Phillips, Standard Oil Indiana, Ziegler (-Natta), TNZ (DuPont), metallocene or single site catalysts (SSC).
2. Mixtures of the polymers mentioned under 1), for example mixtures of polypropylene with polyisobutylene, polypropylene with polyethylene (e.g. PP/HDPE, PP/LDPE) and mixtures of different types of polyethylene (e.g. LDPE/HDPE).
3. Copolymers of mono- and di-olefins with one another or with other vinyl monomers, such as, for example, ethylene/propylene copolymers, linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and mixtures thereof with low density polyethylene (LDPE), propylene/butene-1 copolymers, propylene/isobutylene copolymers, ethylene/butene-1 copolymers, ethylene/hexene copolymers, ethylene/methylpentene copolymers, ethylene/heptene copolymers, ethylene/octene copolymers, propylene/butadiene copolymers, isobutylene/isoprene copolymers, ethylene/alkyl acrylate copolymers, ethylene/alkyl methacrylate copolymers, ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers and copolymers thereof with carbon monoxide, or ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers and salts thereof (ionomers), and also terpolymers of ethylene with propylene and a diene, such as hexadiene, dicyclopentadiene or ethylidenenorbornene; and also mixtures of such copolymers with one another and with polymers mentioned under 1), for example polypropylene-ethylene/propylene copolymers, LDPE-ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers, LDPE-ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers, LLDPE-ethylene/vinyl acetate copolymers, LLDPE-ethylene/acrylic acid copolymers and alternating or random polyalkylene-carbon monoxide copolymers and mixtures thereof with other polymers, such as, for example, polyamides.
4. Hydrocarbon resins (for example C
5
-C
9
) including hydrogenated modifications thereof (for example tackifier resins) and mixtures of polyalkylenes and starch.
5. Polystyrene, poly(p-methylstyrene), poly(&agr;-methylstyrene).
6. Copolymers of styrene or &agr;-methylstyrene with dienes or acrylic derivatives, such as, for example, styrene/butadiene, styrene/acrylonitrile, styrene/alkyl methacrylate, styrene/butadiene/alkyl acrylate and methacrylate, styrene/maleic anhydride, styrene/acrylonitrile/methyl acrylate; high-impact-strength mixtures consisting of styrene copolymers and another polymer, such as, for example, a polyacrylate, a diene polymer or an ethylene/propylene/diene terpolymer; and also block copolymers of styrene, such as, for example, styrene/butadiene/styrene, styrene/isoprene/styrene, styrene/ethylene-butylene/styrene or styrene/ethylene-propylene/styrene.
7. Graft copolymers of styrene or &agr;-methylstyrene, such as, for example, styrene on polybutadiene, styrene on polybutadiene/styrene or polybutadiene/acrylonitrile copolymers, styrene and acrylonitrile (or methacrylonitrile) on polybutadiene; styrene, acrylonitrile and methyl methacrylate on polybutadiene; styrene and maleic anhydride on polybutadiene; styrene, acrylonitrile and maleic anhydride or maleimide on polybutadiene; styrene and maleimide on polybutadiene, styrene and alkyl acrylates or alkyl methacrylates on polybutadiene, styrene and acrylonitrile on ethylene/propylene/diene terpolymers, styrene and acrylonitrile on polyalkyl acrylates or polyalkyl methacrylates, styrene and acrylonitrile on acrylate/butadiene copolymers, and mixtures thereof with the copolymers mentioned under 6), such as those known, for example, as so-called ABS, MBS, ASA or AES polymers.
8. Halogen-containing polymers, such as, for example, polychloroprene, chlorinated rubber, chlorinated and brominated copolymers of isobutylene/isoprene (halobutyl rubber) chlorinated or chlorosulfonated polyethylene, copolymers of ethylene and chlorinated ethylene, epichlorohydrin homo- and co-polymers, especially polymers of halogen-containing vinyl compounds, such as, fo
Malzacher Kornelia
Pfaendner Rudolf
Ciba Specialty Chemicals Corporation
Crichton David R.
Egwim Kelechi
Stevenson Tyler A.
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