The present invention relates to ionomeric compositions of thermoplastic and elastomeric polymers including polar polymers. The present invention also relates to the process for preparation of these compositions as well as manufactured articles obtainable therewith.
In view of their properties, the objects of the present invention have numerous applications.
An important application of the said compositions is the production of laminar products, i.e. sheets and films, that can be bonded by radio-frequency welding.
Polyolefinic compositions for laminar articles that can be bonded by radio-frequency welding are already known. For example, European patent application EP-A-688 821 describes polyolefinic compositions comprising:
With these compositions it is possible to produce laminar articles or sheets that do not have sufficient softness. Thus, the hardness of the aforementioned composition is equal to 32 points Shore D (corresponding to 92 points Shore A) (according to method ASTM D 2240).
The applicant has now found that it is possible to obtain polymeric compositions softer than those described in the aforesaid European patent application that can likewise be used for production of laminar and non-laminar articles, having good weldability with radio frequencies.
The polymeric compositions of the present invention give, as mentioned, manufactured articles with good weldability, which is equivalent or even better than that of the manufactured articles of the cited compositions known in the prior art.
The compositions of the present invention have, typically, a good balance of mechanical, physical-chemical and electric properties.
The said compositions, which are endowed with good mechanical properties, have in particular a good elastic recovery up to 100° C.
Many of the compositions of the present invention have, in addition, better antistatic properties than those described in the aforesaid patent application. Their good ability to disperse electrostatic charges means that these compositions can be used for making articles for which the said property is important, such as conductive soles, footwear for operating theatres and/or hospitals, sanitary articles and instruments (wheels for trolleys and conductive coatings).
As another advantageous characteristic, the compositions of the present invention exhibit reduced absorption of oily substances.
As a further advantageous characteristic, the compositions of the present invention display improved conductivity, conferring improved paintability by electrostatic means.
Accordingly, the present invention provides compositions of thermoplastic and elastomeric ionomeric polymers with hardness of less than 92 points Shore A, preferably equal to or less than 89 points (according to method ASTM D 2240). The polymeric moiety of the said compositions includes the following components (percentages by weight):
Preferably the said compositions have at least one of the following properties: tension set at 70° C. of less than 40%; elongation at break of at least 750%; absorption of oily substances (at 23° C. for 7 days) of 45% or less; volumetric resistivity of less than 6.5-104 Ωcm and peeling strength of or over 3 kg/cm3.
Examples of the said polyacrylic rubbers are the rubbers derived from ethyl acrylate, butyl acrylate, methoxy ethylacrylate, ethoxy ethylacrylate etc. The presence of monomers such as vinyl-chloroacetate, β-chloroethylvinyl ether, and alkyl glycidyl ether permits crosslinking reactions.
The aforesaid nitrile rubbers (acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer) have unsaturated bonds in the chain; however, it is also possible to use the corresponding hydrogenated (HNBR) and modified hydrogenated forms.
The aforesaid polar polymers (I) can also be used blended together in any proportions.
Crystalline polyolefin means a polymer that is insoluble in xylene at room temperature, i.e. at about 25° C., (according to the method described below) to an extent equal to or greater than 80 wt. %, more preferably 90%.
The crystalline polymer is preferably selected from the isotactic and syndiotactic polypropylenes, more specifically from the homopolymers of propylene and its random copolymers with ethylene and/or an α-olefin CH2═CHR, in which R is a C2-C8 alkyl radical.
Examples of the said α-olefins CH2═CHR, in which R is a C2-C8 alkyl radical, are butene-1, pentene-1,4-methylpentene-1, hexene-1 and octene-1. Butene-1 is particularly preferred.
The elastomeric polyolefin polymer of component (III) is preferably an ethylene-propylene random copolymer (EPM) or an unconjugated ethylene-propylene-diene random copolymer (EPDM), both of which are well known in the art. These elastomeric copolymers generally contain up to 75 wt. % of ethylene. The minimum quantity of ethylene is preferably 20 wt. %. The maximum quantity of ethylene is preferably less than 40 wt. %, and more preferably equal to or less than 38 wt. %.
Other polyolefin elastomers that can be used are, for example, the copolymers of ethylene with α-olefins CH2═CHR, in which R is a C1-C8 alkyl group, containing at least 20 wt. %, preferably from 20 to 70%, of a C3-C10 α-olefin (according to 13C-NMR analysis) and with Mw/Mn ratio less than 4, preferably less than 3.
Preferred examples of the aforesaid ethylene/CH2═CHR α-olefin copolymers are the copolymers of ethylene with a comonomer selected from butene-1 and octene-1. In the latter, the content of comonomer preferably varies from 20 to 45 wt. %. Preferably the said copolymers have density less than 0.89 g/ml.
The aforesaid elastomeric polyolefin polymers can be mixed with other elastomers, different from those of component (I). Preferred examples of these other elastomers are:
As mentioned, the aforesaid elastomeric polyolefin polymers can also be used blended together or with other elastomers in any proportions. Blends containing from 50 to 99 wt. %, more preferably from 65 to 99 wt. % of the said EPM or EPDM rubbers are preferred; the complement to 100 in the said blends consists of the elastomeric polymers listed above.
For the purposes of the present invention, the thermoplastic and elastomeric polymeric compositions consisting of the aforesaid components (II) and (III) described in the published European patent application No. 472946 are particularly suitable for being used together with component (I). These compositions, called heterophasic compositions hereinafter, comprise (percentages by weight):
The total quantity of ethylene in the heterophasic composition is generally between 15 and 35 wt. %. Furthermore, the intrinsic viscosity of copolymer (C) is generally between 1.5 and 4 dl/g.
In the ethylene-propylene copolymer or the ethylene-propylene-C4-C10 α-olefin copolymer of component (B), the quantity of ethylene or the combination of ethylene and C4-C10 α-olefin is typically greater than 55 wt %, preferably from 75 to 98 wt. %, more preferably from 80 to 95 wt. %, based on the total weight of component (B). In the ethylene-propylene-C4-C10 α-olefin copolymer the C4-C10 α-olefin content is preferably from 1 to 10 wt %.
If present, the aforementioned dienes are contained in the elastomeric polymer preferably in quantities of 1-10 wt. %. Preferred examples are butadiene, 1,4-hexadiene, 1,5-hexadiene and ethylidene-norbomene-1.
The said heterophasic composition can be prepared by mixing components (A), (B) and (C) in the fluid state, i.e. above their softening or melting point, or by sequential polymerization in two or more stages in the presence of a highly stereospecific Ziegler-Natta catalyst. Examples of processes of sequential polymerization are described in the cited published European patent application No. 472946. When the heterophasic copolymer (I) is prepared by sequential polymerization, component (B) is present in quantities greater than or equal to 1 wt. %. When the said component (B) is present, it is preferable that the weight ratio (B)/(C) should be less than 0.4. Furthermore, it is preferable that the percentage by weight of component (C) or of the sum of components (B) and (C) relative to the heterophasic copolymer (I) should be between 50 and 90%, and especially between 65 and 80%.
Generally the said heterophasic composition has a flexural modulus below 150 MPa and withstands IZOD impact at −40° C. In addition, it is preferably endowed with the following properties: yield strength between 3 and 20 MPa; tensile strength at break and elongation at break respectively between 10 and 20 MPa and greater than 300%; tension set, at 75% elongation, between 20 and 50%, and Shore D hardness between 30 and 40 points.
In general the polymers (I) are preferably present in the aforesaid compositions in the form of dispersed particles with diameter from 0.05 to 0.7 micrometers, measured by electron microscopy. The shape of these particles is usually spheroidal.
In addition to the aforementioned components, the compositions of the present invention can contain the additives usually employed in the field of polymers, such as stabilizers, pigments and fillers.
The compositions according to the present invention are obtained by applying, to the mixtures of components (I)-(III), the methods known in the art for preparing ionomeric polymers.
The compositions according to the present invention are therefore obtained, for example, by mixing the components (I)-(III) and, optionally other components used, in the presence of functionalized unsaturated monomers and radical initiators; this product from mixing is then further mixed with a metal compound.
The polymers are mixed in the molten state, according to any one of the known techniques, preferably working in an atmosphere of inert gas, for example nitrogen.
The aforesaid mixing operations can be carried out using internal mixers (for example Banbury) or single-screw (for example Buss) or twin-screw (for example Werner) extruders. The temperature of mixing of the polymers in the molten state is preferably between 170 and 250° C.
The ionomeric form of the polymers of the compositions of the present invention is obtained by salification of the polar functional groups present in the polymers with ions of metals generally belonging to Group I or II of the Periodic Table.
In the composition of the present invention, the polymers functionalized with polar groups are graft copolymers in which the polymers of components (I)-(II), and any polymers optionally added, make up the main chain of the graft copolymer, whereas the side chains of the graft copolymer are derived from monomers containing at least one polar functional group selected from the carboxyls and their derivatives, such as anhydrides and esters. Examples of the aforesaid monomers with one or two or more functional groups are the acids of the vinyl monomers, among which those preferred are acrylic and methacrylic acids, methacrylic, itaconic and citraconic, maleic and fumaric acids, and the corresponding anhydrides and esters.
The graft copolymers used in the present invention can be prepared according to known methods.
As already mentioned, one method of carrying out the graft reaction consists, for example, in grafting the aforesaid functionalized monomers on the polymers in the presence of radical initiators. With appropriate selection of the quantities of the aforesaid monomers with functional groups that are added to the polymer to be modified, a polymer modified with functionalized monomers and having the composition described above is obtained. This modification occurs when appropriate quantities of free radical initiator are used (for example peroxides, such as dicumyl peroxide and 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butylperoxy)hexane). The reaction of grafting is preferably carried out in an inert atmosphere, for example in nitrogen.
An alternative method of preparation of the graft copolymer consists in first preparing an additive composed of a polymeric matrix, monomers with a functional group and free radical initiators. Then the said additive is mixed with the mixture of polymers, and any other organic substances optionally used, working as described previously until the reaction of grafting takes place.
It is preferable for the aforesaid polymeric matrix to consist of the same polymers as are to be grafted.
The graft copolymer obtained previously is then mixed with the said metal compound. The metal in the said compound is preferably selected from sodium, lithium, potassium, zinc, magnesium and calcium; the last three in this list are the most preferred.
The metal compound used in the process for preparing ionomeric polymers is, for example, an oxide, a hydroxide or a salt, such as carbonate or preferably an organic salt such as acetate or acetylacetonate, or mixtures of the said compounds.
The quantities of functional groups grafted onto the polymer and of metal ions give the desired degree of crosslinking.
In the composition of the present invention, the aforesaid functionalized unsaturated monomers are preferably present in an amount between 0.1 and 25 wt. %, more preferably between 0.2 and 10 wt. %, based on the weight of the polymeric mass. The said polar groups are neutralized from 1 to 100% with ions of the said metals.
The ionomeric polymer of the present invention is found to be partially crosslinked. The definition “partially crosslinked” means a degree of crosslinking, generally, equal to or less than 20%, preferably not less than 5%. The degree of crosslinking is expressed in terms of content of gel relative to the weight of polymer soluble in hot xylene (135° C.) after crosslinking. The gel corresponds to the polymer moiety that becomes insoluble on account of crosslinking.
The compositions of the present invention are suitable for the preparation of manufactured articles produced by various known processes, for example by extrusion, calendering, thermoforming, injection and compression moulding, and blow-moulding.
As already stated, these compositions are easily workable in the form of laminar products, i.e. sheets and films. Sheets are products with thickness equal to or greater than 100 μm, whereas films are products with thickness less than 100 μm. Both sheets and films can be single-layer or multilayer. The single layer of the single-layer laminar product or at least one layer of the multilayer laminar product consists substantially of the compositions of the present invention. In the case of multilayer sheets or films, the layers that do not consist of the compositions of the present invention can consist of olefinic polymers, for example homopolymers or copolymers, especially random, of ethylene or propylene.
In general, the aforesaid laminar products can be prepared by known techniques, such as extrusion and calendering.
To obtain best results in radio-frequency welding of the aforementioned laminar products, it is preferable to preheat the electrodes to temperatures from 40 to 75° C.
The compositions of the present invention are also suitable for the production of foamed articles. These articles are produced in accordance with known technologies, as described for example in international patent application WO 99/15584.
The following examples are given for the purpose of illustrating, but not limiting, the present invention.
Tests were carried out on the compositions of the present invention for evaluating their characteristics and properties; the methodology of these tests is described below.
The test specimen is welded to itself using a high-frequency welding set, operating at 27.12 MHz and equipped with a pinch roll with micrometer limit stop, and a heatable electrode.
The welding conditions are as follows:
The potentiometer used is set to position 6 of the potentiometer scale (scale from 1 to 10), unless stated otherwise.
The composition is obtained by sequential polymerization in the presence of a highly stereospecific Ziegler-Natta catalyst with high yield supported on MgCl2.
Components listed in Table 1, in the quantities shown there, except the zinc oxide master, are mixed in a Brabender internal mixer operating at 60 rpm and a temperature of 190° C. The zinc oxide master is introduced after 4 minutes from the start of mixing. Mixing continues for a further 3 minutes.
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety is composed of 16 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), 30 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and 54 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The melt index of the resultant mixture is 1.2 g/10 min.
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 2.
A modified heterophasic composition obtained by reaction of 97 parts by weight of heterophasic composition (1) with 3 parts by weight of additive is used. The aforesaid mixes are mixed in a nitrogen atmosphere at 200° C. in a single-screw Brabender extruder.
The additive consists of 94 parts by weight of the said heterophasic composition (1), 5 parts by weight of maleic anhydride and 1 part by weight of 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-bis(tert-butylperoxy)hexane.
90 parts by weight of the said heterophasic composition are mixed with 10 parts by weight of Ternyl B27 polyamide in a single-screw Brabender extruder. Mixing is carried out at a temperature of 240° C. in a nitrogen atmosphere.
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 2.
Example 1 is repeated except that neither the additive nor the zinc oxide master is used. The components used and the respective amounts are shown in Table 1.
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety consists of about 15 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), 31 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and 54 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 2.
Example 1 is repeated, except that the amounts of the polymers are varied, as indicated in Table 1.
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety consists of about 20.5 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), 26.5 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and 53 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 2.
Example 1 is repeated, except that a Buss 70 mixer is used, operating at 190° C. and 200 rpm. The amounts of the components are shown in Table 1.
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety consists of about 40 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), 23 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and 37 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 2.
The components indicated in Table 1 are mixed in a single-screw Brabender extruder operating at 100 rpm and at a temperature of 200° C.
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety consists of about 21 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), about 30 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and about 49 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 2.
1)Fraction calculated from the polymeric moiety not yet crosslinked.
2)Hardness Shore D (points).
3)Roll pressure: 4 bar; welding time: 5 seconds.
4)Electrode dimensions: 1.4 × 4 cm; potentiometer scale: 8; welding time: 8 seconds.
In a Brabender extruder, and operating in the conditions of Example 4, 50% of the composition of Example 3 is mixed with 50% of heterophasic composition (1). The components of the mixture and their amounts are as indicated in Table 3.
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety consists of about 20 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), about 31 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and about 49 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 4.
Example 5 is repeated, except that the heterophasic composition added in the Brabender extruder is already in ionomeric form obtained by reacting 90 p/w of heterophasic composition (1) with 5 p/w of additive (94 p/w of heterophasic composition (1) with 5 p/w of maleic anhydride and 1 p/w of peroxide) and 5 p/w of Rhenogran® ZnO-80. The components of the final mixture and their amounts are indicated in Table 3.
In this mixture, the polymeric moiety consists of about 20 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), about 31 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and about 49 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 4.
Example 5 is repeated, except that in the Brabender extruder the 10% of heterophasic composition (1) is replaced with 10% of elastomeric polymer Engage® 8180. The components of the final mixture and their amounts are shown in Table 3.
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety consists of about 20 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), about 27 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and about 53 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 4.
Example 5 is repeated, except that in the Brabender extruder the heterophasic composition (1) is replaced with 75% of an ionomeric elastomeric thermoplastic (obtained by reacting 50 p/w of heterophasic composition (1), 40 pfw of elastomeric polymer Engage® 8180. 5 p/w of additive and 5 p/w of zinc oxide master). The polar polymer used in the form of powder (Sunigum® P7395) in Example 5 is replaced with a polar polymer used in the form of a granular composition containing 85 wt. % of polar polymer (Sunigum® G7687).
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety consists of about 26 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), about 16 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and about 58 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 4.
1)In powder.
2)In the form of granular composition containing 85 wt. % of polar polymer.
1)Fraction calculated from the polymeric moiety not yet crosslinked.
2)Roll pressure: 4 bar; welding time: 5 seconds.
3)Electrode dimensions: 1.4 × 4 cm; potentiometer scale: 8; welding time: 8 seconds.
1)Electrode dimensions: 1.4 × 4 cm; potentiometer scale: 8; welding time: 8 seconds.
2)Does not weld.
Example 1 is repeated, except that 40% of polar elastomeric polymer Zetpol® 2000L is used instead of the polymer Sunigum® P7387. The components used and the respective amounts are indicated in Table 6.
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety consists of about 41 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), about 22 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and about 37 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 6.
Example 9 is repeated, except that both the additive and the zinc oxide master are omitted. The amounts of the polymers used are given in Table 6.
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety consists of about 40 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), 23.4 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and 36.6 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 6.
Example 1 is repeated, except that the rubber Zeoforte® ZSC 2095 is used instead of the polymer Sunigum P7387. The components used and the respective amounts are shown in Table 6.
In the mixture thus obtained, the polymeric moiety consists of about 37 wt. % of polar polymer of type (I), about 24 wt. % of crystalline polyolefin and about 39 wt. % of elastomeric polymer of type (III).
The properties of the mixture are shown in Table 7.
1)Fraction calculated from the polymeric moiety not yet crosslinked.
2)Values expressed in 1014.
3)The heterophasic composition (1) has an absorption in oil (ASTM 3) of 56% at 23° C. for 7 days.
4)The heterophasic composition (1) has an absorption in oil (ASTM 3) of 226% at 70° C. for 3 days.
Number | Date | Country | Kind |
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MI2000A0646 | Mar 2000 | IT | national |
This application is the U.S. national phase of International Application PCT/EP01/03111, filed Mar. 19, 2001.
Filing Document | Filing Date | Country | Kind | 371c Date |
---|---|---|---|---|
PCTEP01/03111 | 5/19/2001 | WO | 00 | 11/26/2001 |
Publishing Document | Publishing Date | Country | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
WO0172893 | 10/4/2001 | WO | A |
Number | Name | Date | Kind |
---|---|---|---|
5380785 | Ngoc et al. | Jan 1995 | A |
5998019 | Rosenbaum et al. | Dec 1999 | A |
6207761 | Smith et al. | Mar 2001 | B1 |
6448335 | Braga et al. | Sep 2002 | B1 |
Number | Date | Country |
---|---|---|
0472946 | Mar 1992 | EP |
0588029 | Mar 1994 | EP |
0688821 | Dec 1995 | EP |
0849324 | Jun 1998 | EP |
9915584 | Apr 1999 | WO |
Number | Date | Country | |
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20030040582 A1 | Feb 2003 | US |