Claims
- 1. A method of making an extrudable polymer composition comprising polyacrylonitrile comprising:
- (a) providing a free-flowing particulate polymer comprising polyacrylonitrile having a water content between about 0 percent and about 2 percent by weight;
- (b) providing a liquid fugitive plasticizer, and
- (c) mixing and fusing the particulate polymer and the plasticizer and fusing and extruding the fused mixture all at a temperature between about 140.degree. C. and about 180.degree. C.
- 2. A method according to claim 1 wherein the polyacrylonitrile polymer comprises a chain-extended polymer having a molecular weight less than about 100,000 and having a low degree of cross-linking.
- 3. A method according to claim 1 wherein the fugitive plasticizer comprises ethylene carbonate, propylene carbonate or mixtures thereof.
- 4. A method according to claim 3 wherein the fugitive plasticizer comprises ethylene carbonate.
- 5. A method according to claim 3 wherein the fugitive plasticizer comprises propylene carbonate.
- 6. A method according to claim 3 wherein the fugitive plasticizer comprises about 50:50 by weight ethylene carbonate:propylene carbonate.
- 7. A method according to claim 3 wherein the extruding comprises:
- extruding the fused polymer composition to form film, fiber, pellets or shaped articles.
- 8. A method according to claim 3 wherein the extruding comprising:
- extruding a profile shape which is suitable for being thermoformed into shaped articles.
- 9. A method according to claim 3 further comprises:
- blow molding the extruded fused polymer composition to produce shaped articles.
RELATED APPLICATION
This application is a continuation-in-part of U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/822,288, filed Jan. 21, 1992 of Merz et al., now U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,590, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference.
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Continuation in Parts (1)
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Number |
Date |
Country |
Parent |
822288 |
Jan 1992 |
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