CA1160791A - Impact styrene polymer - Google Patents
Impact styrene polymerInfo
- Publication number
- CA1160791A CA1160791A CA000362807A CA362807A CA1160791A CA 1160791 A CA1160791 A CA 1160791A CA 000362807 A CA000362807 A CA 000362807A CA 362807 A CA362807 A CA 362807A CA 1160791 A CA1160791 A CA 1160791A
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- rubber
- stream
- alkenyl aromatic
- reactor
- solvent
- Prior art date
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Abstract
Abstract of the Disclosure Impact styrene polymers, prepared in stratified polymerizers wherein one polymerizing zone is recirculated and a solvent is employed, can have improved environmental stress crack re-sistance when an aliphatic hydrocarbon is utilized as solvent rather than an aromatic or cycloaliphatic solvent.
C-27,048
C-27,048
Description
1 16079 ~
1-- .
IMPROVED IMPACT STYRENE POLYMER
Impact resistant alkenyl aromatic resins such as polystyrene containing reinforcing rubber therein are highly desirable items of commerce and are used for r.lany end use applications. Oftentimes such impact resistant styrene polymer is employed ~o~ housings, liners, molded articles, vacuum formed.
articles and the like which are expose~ to oily contaminants. For example, a refrigerator liner may be vacuum formed from an impact resistant poly-styrene and give excellent service until the sur-face of the liner has ~een contaminated with a material such as butter. In general, it is rather difficult to prevent the occasional conta~t of an oily foodstuff with a refrigerator liner when the refriserator is used in the normal household manner.
Impact polystyrene in general is easily and quickly formed into such liners and has satisfactory resis-tance to physical abuse. In some instances, refrigerator liners have been prepared from a two-layer sheet where the principal component of the sheet is impact polystyrene and a thinner surface layer of a polymér which is more resistant to oils and ~-27,048 :,, 1 16079 ~
1-- .
IMPROVED IMPACT STYRENE POLYMER
Impact resistant alkenyl aromatic resins such as polystyrene containing reinforcing rubber therein are highly desirable items of commerce and are used for r.lany end use applications. Oftentimes such impact resistant styrene polymer is employed ~o~ housings, liners, molded articles, vacuum formed.
articles and the like which are expose~ to oily contaminants. For example, a refrigerator liner may be vacuum formed from an impact resistant poly-styrene and give excellent service until the sur-face of the liner has ~een contaminated with a material such as butter. In general, it is rather difficult to prevent the occasional conta~t of an oily foodstuff with a refrigerator liner when the refriserator is used in the normal household manner.
Impact polystyrene in general is easily and quickly formed into such liners and has satisfactory resis-tance to physical abuse. In some instances, refrigerator liners have been prepared from a two-layer sheet where the principal component of the sheet is impact polystyrene and a thinner surface layer of a polymér which is more resistant to oils and ~-27,048 :,, 1 16079 ~
-2-solvent is provided on the side which ultimately would be exposed to possible food or oil contami-nation.
It would be desirable if there were avail-able an improved impact resistant styrene polymer.
It would be desirable if there were avail-able an impact resistant styrene polymer having improved stress crack resistance.
It would also be desirable if there were an improved impact resistant styrene polymer which showed a reduced tendency toward cracking under ~tress when in the presence of an oily material.
These benefits ~nd advantages in accox-dance ~ith the present invention are achieved in a process for the preparation of an impact resistant al~enyl aromatic polymer wherein a stream is pro-vided, the stream containing a polymerizing alkenyl aromatic monomer, a reinforcing rubber dissolved therein, initiating polymerization of the alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of dissolved rubber to cause the rubber to form a plurality of rubber par~icles, therein subse~uently polymerizing an additional amount of the alkenyl aromatic mono~ler to form alkenyl aromatic resinous polymer having a desired amount of rubber dispersed therethrouyh as a plurality of particles, and subseguently re-moving from the stream at least a major portion of the unreacted al~enyl aromatic monomer and organic solvent, the improvement which comprises employing as the solvent an aliphatic hydroc~rbon composition C-27,048 1 16079 ~
selected from the C-6 to C-10 aliphatic hydrocarbons and mixtures thereof.
By the term "alkenyl aromatic monomer" i-meant an alkenyl aromatic compound having the general formu]a R
Ar-C-CH
wherein Ar represents an aromatic hydrocarbon radical, or an aromatic hydrocarbon radical of the benzene series, and R is hydrogen or the methyl radical and containing up to 12 carbon atoms. Examples of such alkenyl aromatic monomers are styrene, a-methyl-~tyrene, o-methylstyrene, m-methylstyrene, p-methyl-styrene, ar-ethylstyrene, ar-vinylxylene, ar-chloro-~tyrene or ar-bromostyrene, and the like. Such polymerizations may be catalyæed or uncatalyzed and conducted under conventional temperatures and conditions and are readily controlled as to the particle size of the rubber in accordance with the present invention. Comonomers polymerizable with the alkenyl arolnatic monomer and anhydride are methyl-methacrylate, methylacrylate, ethylmethacrylate, ethylacrylate, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile acrylic acid and the like. Beneficially, such monomers are employed in a proportion of from about 1 to 40 weight percent of the polymer composition, and advantageously from about 20 to 35 wei~ht per-cent of the polymer composition.
Suitable ruhbers for the practice of the present invention are diene rubbers or mixtures of diene rubbers; i.e., any rubbery polymers (a polymer having a glass temperature not higher than 0C., and preferably not higher than -20C., as determined by C-27,048 l 1~079~
ASTM Test D-746-52T~ of one or more conjugated 1,3 dienes; e.g., butadiene, isoprene, piperylene, chloroprene, etc. Such rubbers include homopolymers, interpol~ners and block copolymers of conjugated 1,3 dienes with up to an equal amount by weight of one or more copolymerizable monoethylenically un-saturated monomers, such as monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., styrene; an aralkylstyrene, cuch as the o-, m- and p-methylstyrenes, 2,4-di-methylstyrene, the ar-ethylstyrenes, p-tertbutyl-styrene, etc.; an ~-alkylstyrene, such as ~-methyl-styr~ne, ~-ethylstyrene, a-methyl-p-methylstyrene, etc.; vinyl naphthalene, etc.); ar-halo monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., the o-, m- and p-chloro-styrenes, 2,4-di-bromostyrene, 2-methyl-4-chloro-styrene, etc.); acrylonitrile; methacrylonitrile;
alkylacrylates (e.g., methylacrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, etc.); the corresponding alkyl methacrylates; acrylamides (e.g., acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-butyl acrylamide, etc.); unsat-urated ketones (e.g., vinyl methyl ketone, methyl i80pxopenyl ~.etone, etc.); a-olefins (e.g., ethylene, propylene, etc.); pyridines; vinyl esters (e.g., vinyl acctate, vinyl stearate, etc.); vinyl and ~5 vinylidene halides (e.g., the vinyl and vinylidene chlorides and bromides, etc.); and the like.
Although the rubber may contain up to about 2 percent of a cross-linking agent, based on the weight of ~he rubber forming monomer or monomers, cross-linking snay presellt problems in dissolving the rubber in the monosners for the graft polymeri-zation reaction, particularly for a mass or bulk polymerization reaction. In addition, excessive C 27,048 1 16~791 cross-linXing can result in loss of the rubbery ~haracteristics. The cross-linking agent can be any of the agents conventionally employed for cross--linking diene r~bers; e.g., divinylbenzene, di-allyl malleate, diallyl fumarate, diallyl adipate,allyl acrylate, allyl methacrylate, diacrylates and dimethacrylates of polyhydric alcohols; e.g., ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, etc.
A preferred group of rubbers are those consisting essentially of 65 to 100 percent by weight of butadiene and/or isoprene and up to 35 percent by weight of a monomer selected from the group con-~isting of alkenyl aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., ~tyrene) and unsaturated nitriles (e.g., acrylo-nitrile), or mixtures thereof. Particularly advan-tageous substrates are butadiene homopolymer or an interpolymer or A-B block copolymers of from 70 to 95 percent by weight butadiene and from 5 to 30 percent by weight of styrene.
~0 The rubbers or rubbery reinforcing agents employed in the present invention must also meet the following requirements: an inherent viscosity from about 0.9 to 2.5 and preferably 0.9 to 1.7 grams per deciliter (as determined at 25C employing 2S 0.3 grams of rubber per deciliter of toluene).
Advantageously, the amount of such rubbery reinforcing agent can be from 5 to 35 weight percen~ of the final product, and beneficially from 10 to 25 percent, and most advantageously from 15 to 25 percent.
C-27,0~8 ~ lS079 1 Suitable solvents for use in the practice of the present invention are aliphatic hydrocarbon ~olvents which are ~enerally nonreactive in th~
polymerizing system and have a solubility parameter of from about 6.0 to 7.7 and beneficially the solu-bility parameter is from about 7.0 to 7.6. Such solvents are generally used in a quantity such that in the polymerizing stream the solvent is present at a level of fxom about 2 to 20 weight percent based on the total weight of the stream, and pre-ferably from about 5 ~o 15 weight percent of the total weight of the stream. Such solvent may be a single compound or be a mixture of many compounds;
for example, V.M. & P naphtha, white gasoline normal octane, and various C-6 to C-10 mixtures such as B are sold under the trade designation of Isopar ~ and - I80par C by Exxon Corporation. Practical limitations in selecting a suitable aliphatic solvent are the ~apor pressure it will generate in the polyrnerizing 8ystem, and the ease with which it can be removed during the de-~olitilization of the polymerizing 8tream. When 10 weight percent ethyl ~enz~ne is employed as a solvent in a stream containing 8.75 weight percent of rubber commercially designated as Diene 55 and 81~25 weight percent styrene, phase inversion occurs at about 22.4 percent solids. When the ethyl benzene is replaced with 10 weight percent of Isopar C, the phase inversion point is 24.8 per-cent. The resultant rubber particles obtained with Isopar C which has a solubility parameter of 7.1 8how less occluded polystyrene than the particles obtained when ethyl benzene is employed as solvent.
It is believed that as the amount of occluded poly-styrene in the rubber particles is dec~eased for a ~ trad~ ~k C-27,048 l 16079~
fixed rubber content of the styrene polymer, environ-mental stress crack resistance is improved.
Polymerization of the polymerizable mix-ture may be accomplished by thermal polymerization generally between temperatures of 60~C to 170 and preferably from 70 to 140C, or alternately any free radical generating catalyst may be used in the practice of the invention, including actinic radiation.
It is preferable to incorporate a suitable catalyst system for polymerizing the monomer, such as ~e conventional monomer-soluble peroxy and perzao com-pounds. Exemplary catalysts are di-tert-butyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, lauroyl peroxide, oleyl peroxide, toluyl peroxide, di-tert-butyl diperphthalate, tert--butyl peracetate, tert-butyl perbenzoate, dicumyl peroxide, tert-butyl peroxide, isopropyl carbonate, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butylperoxy3hexane, 2,5--dimethyl-2,5 di(tert-butylperoxy) hexyne-3, tert~-butyl hydroperoxide, cumene hydroperoxide, p-methane hydroperoxide, cyclopentane hydroperoxide, dii~opropylbenzene hydroperoxide, p-tert-butyl-cumene hydropexoxide pinane hydroperoxide, 2,5-dimethyl-hexane-2,5-dihydroperoxide, 2,2'-azobisisobutyro-nitrile, e~c., and mixtures thereof.
2S The catalyst is generally included within the range of 0.001 to 1.0 percent by weight, and preferably on the order of O.OOS to 0.5 percent by weight of the polymerizable material depending upon the monomers and the desired polymerization cycle.
If desired, small amounts of antio~idants are included in the feed stream, such as alkylated phenols; e.g., 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, phosphites C-27,0g8 1 16079~
~uch as trinonyl phenyl phosphite and mixtures con-taining tri (mono and dinonyl phenyl) phosphites. Such materials in general may be added at any stage during polymerization.
Plastifiers or lubricants such as butyl stearate, polyethylene glycol, polybutenes and mineral ~il may also be added if desired. Polymers prepared in accordance with the present invention are well suited for extrusion into sheet or film. Such sheet is bene-ficially employed and thermally formed into containers, packages, refrigerator liners, housings and the like.
Alternatively the polymer is employed with benefit of injection molding of a wide variety of components such as containers, ducts, racks and the like.
The figure schematically depicts apparatus su;table for continuing polymerization in accordance with the present invention. In the Figure there is an apparatus generally designated by the numeral 10. The apparatus 10 comprises in cooperative combination a ~0 feed tank 11, connected to a first reactor 12 of a line or conduit 14 having a metering pump 15 therein. The reactor 12 has an agitator not shown driven by a motor 16.
The reactor 12 has an upper end adjacent motor 16 and a lower end remote from motor 16, a recirculation line or conduit 17 having a pump 18 therein is connected between the upper end and lower end of the reactor 12. A line or conduit 19 is connected to the lower end of reactor 12 and to an upper end of a generally like reactor 12A.
Reactor 12A has an agitator, not shown, driven by a motor 16A. The lower end of reactor 12A is connected by means of line 21 to an upper end of a third re-actor 12B, the reactor 12B which has an agitator is C-27,048 l 16079 1 _g_ driven by motor 16B. A discharge line 22 is connected to the bottom of reactor 12B and with a heat exchanger 23.
The heat exchanger 23B discharges to a devolatizer or chamber 24, the devolatizer has a lower outlet line 25 having a pump 26 therein and an overhead discharge line 27 having pump 28 therein. Flow direction polymerization apparatus is indicated by the arrowheads. The numerals 1 through 7 indicate individual temperature control zones thereof. The first reactor 12 has two temperature control zcnes thereof. The first reactor 12 has t~o temperature control zones 1 and 2, the second reactor has 3 and the third reactor two zones.
In operation of the apparatus for the practice of the method of the present invention, the polymerizable monomer, for example styrene, a desired quantity of reinforcing rubber diluent, the free radical initiator, and other optional additives are added to-the feed tank 11 to provide a homogeneous solution.
The ~eed pump 15 forwards the feed material tank 11 20 into the upper portion of the reactor 12 to fill the reactor 12. The pump 18 removes material from ~he bottom of the reactor 12 and returns it to the top of the reactor 12, making the reactor 12 a back-mixed reactor. The effluent from ~he reactor 12 passes through the line 19 into the reactor 12A in which generally plug flow is maintained. The effluent from the reactor 12A passes to the reactor 12B which is also of plug flow variety. Effluent from the reactor 12B
passes through the line 22 into a heat exchanger 23 where the polyrnerizing stream is heated to devolatilizing temperature and the stream discharges into devola-tilizing chamber 24. The pump 28 is a vacuum pump C-27,048 " 1 1~079~
which carries away all or almost all of the volatile materials remaining in the stream. Molten polymer is discharged therethrough the line 25 and the pump 26. In practice of the method of the present inven-tion employing apparatus such as illustrated in thefigure, generally it is desirable to maintain a solids level of from about 20 to 40 precent in the first or recirculated reactor. Discharge from the second reactor is from about 40 to 55 percPnt, and the discharge into the hea* exchanger 23 being at a level of from about 60 to 95 percent solids. In the first reactor a relatively high rate of agitation is maintained. The second reactor is operating at about one-half the shear rate of the first reactor lS and minimum agitation employed in the third reactor.
The method of the invention can also be readily practiced batch wise wherein a partial addition of the feed mixture is added with agitation at about the rate of the al]senyl aromatic monomer polymeri-zation. The rate of addition of the polymerizablefeed mixture containing rubber and the desired 801vent should be such that only gradual phase inversion occurs; that is, separation of the rubber particles in the polymerizing mass. It is desirable that after the addition of all of the feed mixture to the reactor, the solids be from about 25 to 35 percent.
The invention is further illustrated but not limited by the following examples:
Exam~le 1 A plurality of impact resistant poly- -styrenes were prepared employing various solven~s.
C-27,0~8 l 16Q79~
The feed consisted of 7.2 parts by weight of a poly-butydiene rubber, sold under the trade designation of Diene-55, 63.2 parts styrene and 9.6 parts by weight of solvent. An apparatus generally as depicted in the figure was employed for the polymerization. The reactors each were elongated cylinders having a bar agitator extending almost full length; each of the cylindrical reactors had a volume of 72 cubic inches.
About 75 weight percent of the feed was introduced through the equivalent of line 14 and the remainder in-troduced into the equivalent of zone 4 of reactor 12a.
Effluent from the first stage was 35 weight percent ~olids and the agitator of the first stage rotated at about 110 revolutions per min~te. Effluent from the second stage was about 45 weight percent solids and the second stage agitator corresponding to the motor 16a rotated at about 65 revolutions per minute.
All parts are parts by weight unless other-wise specified.
The agitator in the third vessel corres-ponding to the vessel lOB rotated at 4 revolutions per minute, and the effluent entering line 22 was 70 percent solids. Temperatures in zones 1 through 7 were about 102, 117, 119, 118, 124, 133, 153C, respectively. The pump 18 provided a recirculation rate of about 225 percent per hour based on the volume of reactor 12. The feed mixture was fed at a rate of about 5~0 grams per hour. The heat ex-changer raised the temperature of the stream being processed to about 246C and the polymer stream was discharged into the devolatilizer 24 as a strand and the pressure within the devolatilizer was about 23 mm of mercury absolute. ~n each pol~nerization, it was attempted to obtain a rubber particle si~e C-27,04~
l 16079~
as determined by phase contrast microscopy of between about 2 and 5 microns and a rubber level of about 10 percent. The polymer was cooled, pelletized and sub-~eguently molded into test specimens. The weight avexage molecular weight of the polymers was determined by gel permeation chromatography. Particle size was determined by phase contrast microscopy. The environ-mental stress crack resistance was determined by coating a molded specimen with a 1 to 1 by weight mixture of cottonseed oil and oleic acid thickened with about 20 weight percent fumed silica based on the weight of oil plus acid. The test specimens were stressed to 1,000 pounds per square inch and the approximate time of breaking recorded. The results are set forth in the Table I.
C-27,0~8 1 ~0793 U t) V O ~ U
u~
O O O O O O O
~ O o o o o O o U~ O O o O O O O
O O O O O O ~q @~ N co ~) d' U~ ~ ~
~ ~ O
_I ~ ls~ ~1 ~1 0 0 u~ ~1 ~1 0 . . . . . . ~, .,1 o O
~n ~ ~ ~ ~
aJ
~ O ~R
_ N N ^ ~ ~1 N 0 0 ~:1 V O -- 0r~ 0 3 O ~l ~ a ~IJ ~I d~ N
U R, ~1 ~ O O o ~ ~ ~ a) o ~1 ~ I ~ ~ X ~ N~ 5 a ~ 0 ~ ~, ~ U
U ~C ,~::
0~ U
~ 5`1 0 ~Q ~
rl O r-l u~
~;~ 0 a ~ ~ h ~5 rl ~ h 0 ~ ~ o U N ; a -~ a a ~ ~ o .d u~ o~ cn o t~ C~ C ~ ~ U
~ 5 ~ o P~ 0 ~1 0 0 ~ ~
v~ ~a ~ o o o o o o o o ~ O P~
O C ~ co O O O O O O ~ ~ O ~ ~ r~
!~ ~ C ~.) C.C r-l 1:~ O O d~ ~ C O ~ Q, O ~I O 0 0 ~ O Ei a~ E~ r~
~ N N ~`J N ~ ~ O) N ~J r~
~ 0 ~ ~
l r~ U '~ ~ ~
r-/~r1 C.) C.~ ~ O ~r~
O
~ ~ ~ 0~4 -I
~' ~ r~ ~ ~ ~ ~U~ ~ ^ ^
~ a V~
C-27, 048 1 16079~
Footnote followinq Table I: Isopar-C is an isoparaf-finic hydrocarbon fraction with a narrow boiling range of about 97 to 105C; Aromatics, Vol. % 0.02; Satu-rates, Wt. % 2,3-dimethylpentane 3.5; 3-methylhexane 0.5; 2,2,4-trimethylpentane 84.4; 2,2,3-trimethylpen-tane 2.2; 2,3,4-trimethylpentane 1.6; 2,3,4-trimethyl-pentane 1.6; 2,3,3-trimethylpentane 1.0; 2,2,3-tri-methylbutane 2.3; methylcyclopentane 0.1; 2-methyl-hexane 0.6; 2-methylheptane 2.2.; 4-methylheptane 1.6;
total sulfur 1 ppm; peroxides 0 ppm; chlorides 1 ppm.
Isopar-E is an isoparaffinic fraction having a boiling range of about 115~ to 142~C.
C-27,04~
In a manner similar to the foregoing example, other resins of improved environmental ~tress crack resistance may be prepared employing principally aliphatic solvents boiling at a tem-perature from about 90C to about 260C.
As is apparent from the foxegoing speci-fication, the present invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modi-fications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding speci-fication and description. Fcr this reason, it is to be fully understood that all of the foregoing is intended to be merely illustrative and is not to be construed or interpreted as being restrictive or otherwise limiting of the present invention, excepting as it is set forth and defined in the hereto-appended claims.
C 27,048
It would be desirable if there were avail-able an improved impact resistant styrene polymer.
It would be desirable if there were avail-able an impact resistant styrene polymer having improved stress crack resistance.
It would also be desirable if there were an improved impact resistant styrene polymer which showed a reduced tendency toward cracking under ~tress when in the presence of an oily material.
These benefits ~nd advantages in accox-dance ~ith the present invention are achieved in a process for the preparation of an impact resistant al~enyl aromatic polymer wherein a stream is pro-vided, the stream containing a polymerizing alkenyl aromatic monomer, a reinforcing rubber dissolved therein, initiating polymerization of the alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of dissolved rubber to cause the rubber to form a plurality of rubber par~icles, therein subse~uently polymerizing an additional amount of the alkenyl aromatic mono~ler to form alkenyl aromatic resinous polymer having a desired amount of rubber dispersed therethrouyh as a plurality of particles, and subseguently re-moving from the stream at least a major portion of the unreacted al~enyl aromatic monomer and organic solvent, the improvement which comprises employing as the solvent an aliphatic hydroc~rbon composition C-27,048 1 16079 ~
selected from the C-6 to C-10 aliphatic hydrocarbons and mixtures thereof.
By the term "alkenyl aromatic monomer" i-meant an alkenyl aromatic compound having the general formu]a R
Ar-C-CH
wherein Ar represents an aromatic hydrocarbon radical, or an aromatic hydrocarbon radical of the benzene series, and R is hydrogen or the methyl radical and containing up to 12 carbon atoms. Examples of such alkenyl aromatic monomers are styrene, a-methyl-~tyrene, o-methylstyrene, m-methylstyrene, p-methyl-styrene, ar-ethylstyrene, ar-vinylxylene, ar-chloro-~tyrene or ar-bromostyrene, and the like. Such polymerizations may be catalyæed or uncatalyzed and conducted under conventional temperatures and conditions and are readily controlled as to the particle size of the rubber in accordance with the present invention. Comonomers polymerizable with the alkenyl arolnatic monomer and anhydride are methyl-methacrylate, methylacrylate, ethylmethacrylate, ethylacrylate, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile acrylic acid and the like. Beneficially, such monomers are employed in a proportion of from about 1 to 40 weight percent of the polymer composition, and advantageously from about 20 to 35 wei~ht per-cent of the polymer composition.
Suitable ruhbers for the practice of the present invention are diene rubbers or mixtures of diene rubbers; i.e., any rubbery polymers (a polymer having a glass temperature not higher than 0C., and preferably not higher than -20C., as determined by C-27,048 l 1~079~
ASTM Test D-746-52T~ of one or more conjugated 1,3 dienes; e.g., butadiene, isoprene, piperylene, chloroprene, etc. Such rubbers include homopolymers, interpol~ners and block copolymers of conjugated 1,3 dienes with up to an equal amount by weight of one or more copolymerizable monoethylenically un-saturated monomers, such as monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., styrene; an aralkylstyrene, cuch as the o-, m- and p-methylstyrenes, 2,4-di-methylstyrene, the ar-ethylstyrenes, p-tertbutyl-styrene, etc.; an ~-alkylstyrene, such as ~-methyl-styr~ne, ~-ethylstyrene, a-methyl-p-methylstyrene, etc.; vinyl naphthalene, etc.); ar-halo monovinylidene aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., the o-, m- and p-chloro-styrenes, 2,4-di-bromostyrene, 2-methyl-4-chloro-styrene, etc.); acrylonitrile; methacrylonitrile;
alkylacrylates (e.g., methylacrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, etc.); the corresponding alkyl methacrylates; acrylamides (e.g., acrylamide, methacrylamide, N-butyl acrylamide, etc.); unsat-urated ketones (e.g., vinyl methyl ketone, methyl i80pxopenyl ~.etone, etc.); a-olefins (e.g., ethylene, propylene, etc.); pyridines; vinyl esters (e.g., vinyl acctate, vinyl stearate, etc.); vinyl and ~5 vinylidene halides (e.g., the vinyl and vinylidene chlorides and bromides, etc.); and the like.
Although the rubber may contain up to about 2 percent of a cross-linking agent, based on the weight of ~he rubber forming monomer or monomers, cross-linking snay presellt problems in dissolving the rubber in the monosners for the graft polymeri-zation reaction, particularly for a mass or bulk polymerization reaction. In addition, excessive C 27,048 1 16~791 cross-linXing can result in loss of the rubbery ~haracteristics. The cross-linking agent can be any of the agents conventionally employed for cross--linking diene r~bers; e.g., divinylbenzene, di-allyl malleate, diallyl fumarate, diallyl adipate,allyl acrylate, allyl methacrylate, diacrylates and dimethacrylates of polyhydric alcohols; e.g., ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, etc.
A preferred group of rubbers are those consisting essentially of 65 to 100 percent by weight of butadiene and/or isoprene and up to 35 percent by weight of a monomer selected from the group con-~isting of alkenyl aromatic hydrocarbons (e.g., ~tyrene) and unsaturated nitriles (e.g., acrylo-nitrile), or mixtures thereof. Particularly advan-tageous substrates are butadiene homopolymer or an interpolymer or A-B block copolymers of from 70 to 95 percent by weight butadiene and from 5 to 30 percent by weight of styrene.
~0 The rubbers or rubbery reinforcing agents employed in the present invention must also meet the following requirements: an inherent viscosity from about 0.9 to 2.5 and preferably 0.9 to 1.7 grams per deciliter (as determined at 25C employing 2S 0.3 grams of rubber per deciliter of toluene).
Advantageously, the amount of such rubbery reinforcing agent can be from 5 to 35 weight percen~ of the final product, and beneficially from 10 to 25 percent, and most advantageously from 15 to 25 percent.
C-27,0~8 ~ lS079 1 Suitable solvents for use in the practice of the present invention are aliphatic hydrocarbon ~olvents which are ~enerally nonreactive in th~
polymerizing system and have a solubility parameter of from about 6.0 to 7.7 and beneficially the solu-bility parameter is from about 7.0 to 7.6. Such solvents are generally used in a quantity such that in the polymerizing stream the solvent is present at a level of fxom about 2 to 20 weight percent based on the total weight of the stream, and pre-ferably from about 5 ~o 15 weight percent of the total weight of the stream. Such solvent may be a single compound or be a mixture of many compounds;
for example, V.M. & P naphtha, white gasoline normal octane, and various C-6 to C-10 mixtures such as B are sold under the trade designation of Isopar ~ and - I80par C by Exxon Corporation. Practical limitations in selecting a suitable aliphatic solvent are the ~apor pressure it will generate in the polyrnerizing 8ystem, and the ease with which it can be removed during the de-~olitilization of the polymerizing 8tream. When 10 weight percent ethyl ~enz~ne is employed as a solvent in a stream containing 8.75 weight percent of rubber commercially designated as Diene 55 and 81~25 weight percent styrene, phase inversion occurs at about 22.4 percent solids. When the ethyl benzene is replaced with 10 weight percent of Isopar C, the phase inversion point is 24.8 per-cent. The resultant rubber particles obtained with Isopar C which has a solubility parameter of 7.1 8how less occluded polystyrene than the particles obtained when ethyl benzene is employed as solvent.
It is believed that as the amount of occluded poly-styrene in the rubber particles is dec~eased for a ~ trad~ ~k C-27,048 l 16079~
fixed rubber content of the styrene polymer, environ-mental stress crack resistance is improved.
Polymerization of the polymerizable mix-ture may be accomplished by thermal polymerization generally between temperatures of 60~C to 170 and preferably from 70 to 140C, or alternately any free radical generating catalyst may be used in the practice of the invention, including actinic radiation.
It is preferable to incorporate a suitable catalyst system for polymerizing the monomer, such as ~e conventional monomer-soluble peroxy and perzao com-pounds. Exemplary catalysts are di-tert-butyl peroxide, benzoyl peroxide, lauroyl peroxide, oleyl peroxide, toluyl peroxide, di-tert-butyl diperphthalate, tert--butyl peracetate, tert-butyl perbenzoate, dicumyl peroxide, tert-butyl peroxide, isopropyl carbonate, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butylperoxy3hexane, 2,5--dimethyl-2,5 di(tert-butylperoxy) hexyne-3, tert~-butyl hydroperoxide, cumene hydroperoxide, p-methane hydroperoxide, cyclopentane hydroperoxide, dii~opropylbenzene hydroperoxide, p-tert-butyl-cumene hydropexoxide pinane hydroperoxide, 2,5-dimethyl-hexane-2,5-dihydroperoxide, 2,2'-azobisisobutyro-nitrile, e~c., and mixtures thereof.
2S The catalyst is generally included within the range of 0.001 to 1.0 percent by weight, and preferably on the order of O.OOS to 0.5 percent by weight of the polymerizable material depending upon the monomers and the desired polymerization cycle.
If desired, small amounts of antio~idants are included in the feed stream, such as alkylated phenols; e.g., 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, phosphites C-27,0g8 1 16079~
~uch as trinonyl phenyl phosphite and mixtures con-taining tri (mono and dinonyl phenyl) phosphites. Such materials in general may be added at any stage during polymerization.
Plastifiers or lubricants such as butyl stearate, polyethylene glycol, polybutenes and mineral ~il may also be added if desired. Polymers prepared in accordance with the present invention are well suited for extrusion into sheet or film. Such sheet is bene-ficially employed and thermally formed into containers, packages, refrigerator liners, housings and the like.
Alternatively the polymer is employed with benefit of injection molding of a wide variety of components such as containers, ducts, racks and the like.
The figure schematically depicts apparatus su;table for continuing polymerization in accordance with the present invention. In the Figure there is an apparatus generally designated by the numeral 10. The apparatus 10 comprises in cooperative combination a ~0 feed tank 11, connected to a first reactor 12 of a line or conduit 14 having a metering pump 15 therein. The reactor 12 has an agitator not shown driven by a motor 16.
The reactor 12 has an upper end adjacent motor 16 and a lower end remote from motor 16, a recirculation line or conduit 17 having a pump 18 therein is connected between the upper end and lower end of the reactor 12. A line or conduit 19 is connected to the lower end of reactor 12 and to an upper end of a generally like reactor 12A.
Reactor 12A has an agitator, not shown, driven by a motor 16A. The lower end of reactor 12A is connected by means of line 21 to an upper end of a third re-actor 12B, the reactor 12B which has an agitator is C-27,048 l 16079 1 _g_ driven by motor 16B. A discharge line 22 is connected to the bottom of reactor 12B and with a heat exchanger 23.
The heat exchanger 23B discharges to a devolatizer or chamber 24, the devolatizer has a lower outlet line 25 having a pump 26 therein and an overhead discharge line 27 having pump 28 therein. Flow direction polymerization apparatus is indicated by the arrowheads. The numerals 1 through 7 indicate individual temperature control zones thereof. The first reactor 12 has two temperature control zcnes thereof. The first reactor 12 has t~o temperature control zones 1 and 2, the second reactor has 3 and the third reactor two zones.
In operation of the apparatus for the practice of the method of the present invention, the polymerizable monomer, for example styrene, a desired quantity of reinforcing rubber diluent, the free radical initiator, and other optional additives are added to-the feed tank 11 to provide a homogeneous solution.
The ~eed pump 15 forwards the feed material tank 11 20 into the upper portion of the reactor 12 to fill the reactor 12. The pump 18 removes material from ~he bottom of the reactor 12 and returns it to the top of the reactor 12, making the reactor 12 a back-mixed reactor. The effluent from ~he reactor 12 passes through the line 19 into the reactor 12A in which generally plug flow is maintained. The effluent from the reactor 12A passes to the reactor 12B which is also of plug flow variety. Effluent from the reactor 12B
passes through the line 22 into a heat exchanger 23 where the polyrnerizing stream is heated to devolatilizing temperature and the stream discharges into devola-tilizing chamber 24. The pump 28 is a vacuum pump C-27,048 " 1 1~079~
which carries away all or almost all of the volatile materials remaining in the stream. Molten polymer is discharged therethrough the line 25 and the pump 26. In practice of the method of the present inven-tion employing apparatus such as illustrated in thefigure, generally it is desirable to maintain a solids level of from about 20 to 40 precent in the first or recirculated reactor. Discharge from the second reactor is from about 40 to 55 percPnt, and the discharge into the hea* exchanger 23 being at a level of from about 60 to 95 percent solids. In the first reactor a relatively high rate of agitation is maintained. The second reactor is operating at about one-half the shear rate of the first reactor lS and minimum agitation employed in the third reactor.
The method of the invention can also be readily practiced batch wise wherein a partial addition of the feed mixture is added with agitation at about the rate of the al]senyl aromatic monomer polymeri-zation. The rate of addition of the polymerizablefeed mixture containing rubber and the desired 801vent should be such that only gradual phase inversion occurs; that is, separation of the rubber particles in the polymerizing mass. It is desirable that after the addition of all of the feed mixture to the reactor, the solids be from about 25 to 35 percent.
The invention is further illustrated but not limited by the following examples:
Exam~le 1 A plurality of impact resistant poly- -styrenes were prepared employing various solven~s.
C-27,0~8 l 16Q79~
The feed consisted of 7.2 parts by weight of a poly-butydiene rubber, sold under the trade designation of Diene-55, 63.2 parts styrene and 9.6 parts by weight of solvent. An apparatus generally as depicted in the figure was employed for the polymerization. The reactors each were elongated cylinders having a bar agitator extending almost full length; each of the cylindrical reactors had a volume of 72 cubic inches.
About 75 weight percent of the feed was introduced through the equivalent of line 14 and the remainder in-troduced into the equivalent of zone 4 of reactor 12a.
Effluent from the first stage was 35 weight percent ~olids and the agitator of the first stage rotated at about 110 revolutions per min~te. Effluent from the second stage was about 45 weight percent solids and the second stage agitator corresponding to the motor 16a rotated at about 65 revolutions per minute.
All parts are parts by weight unless other-wise specified.
The agitator in the third vessel corres-ponding to the vessel lOB rotated at 4 revolutions per minute, and the effluent entering line 22 was 70 percent solids. Temperatures in zones 1 through 7 were about 102, 117, 119, 118, 124, 133, 153C, respectively. The pump 18 provided a recirculation rate of about 225 percent per hour based on the volume of reactor 12. The feed mixture was fed at a rate of about 5~0 grams per hour. The heat ex-changer raised the temperature of the stream being processed to about 246C and the polymer stream was discharged into the devolatilizer 24 as a strand and the pressure within the devolatilizer was about 23 mm of mercury absolute. ~n each pol~nerization, it was attempted to obtain a rubber particle si~e C-27,04~
l 16079~
as determined by phase contrast microscopy of between about 2 and 5 microns and a rubber level of about 10 percent. The polymer was cooled, pelletized and sub-~eguently molded into test specimens. The weight avexage molecular weight of the polymers was determined by gel permeation chromatography. Particle size was determined by phase contrast microscopy. The environ-mental stress crack resistance was determined by coating a molded specimen with a 1 to 1 by weight mixture of cottonseed oil and oleic acid thickened with about 20 weight percent fumed silica based on the weight of oil plus acid. The test specimens were stressed to 1,000 pounds per square inch and the approximate time of breaking recorded. The results are set forth in the Table I.
C-27,0~8 1 ~0793 U t) V O ~ U
u~
O O O O O O O
~ O o o o o O o U~ O O o O O O O
O O O O O O ~q @~ N co ~) d' U~ ~ ~
~ ~ O
_I ~ ls~ ~1 ~1 0 0 u~ ~1 ~1 0 . . . . . . ~, .,1 o O
~n ~ ~ ~ ~
aJ
~ O ~R
_ N N ^ ~ ~1 N 0 0 ~:1 V O -- 0r~ 0 3 O ~l ~ a ~IJ ~I d~ N
U R, ~1 ~ O O o ~ ~ ~ a) o ~1 ~ I ~ ~ X ~ N~ 5 a ~ 0 ~ ~, ~ U
U ~C ,~::
0~ U
~ 5`1 0 ~Q ~
rl O r-l u~
~;~ 0 a ~ ~ h ~5 rl ~ h 0 ~ ~ o U N ; a -~ a a ~ ~ o .d u~ o~ cn o t~ C~ C ~ ~ U
~ 5 ~ o P~ 0 ~1 0 0 ~ ~
v~ ~a ~ o o o o o o o o ~ O P~
O C ~ co O O O O O O ~ ~ O ~ ~ r~
!~ ~ C ~.) C.C r-l 1:~ O O d~ ~ C O ~ Q, O ~I O 0 0 ~ O Ei a~ E~ r~
~ N N ~`J N ~ ~ O) N ~J r~
~ 0 ~ ~
l r~ U '~ ~ ~
r-/~r1 C.) C.~ ~ O ~r~
O
~ ~ ~ 0~4 -I
~' ~ r~ ~ ~ ~ ~U~ ~ ^ ^
~ a V~
C-27, 048 1 16079~
Footnote followinq Table I: Isopar-C is an isoparaf-finic hydrocarbon fraction with a narrow boiling range of about 97 to 105C; Aromatics, Vol. % 0.02; Satu-rates, Wt. % 2,3-dimethylpentane 3.5; 3-methylhexane 0.5; 2,2,4-trimethylpentane 84.4; 2,2,3-trimethylpen-tane 2.2; 2,3,4-trimethylpentane 1.6; 2,3,4-trimethyl-pentane 1.6; 2,3,3-trimethylpentane 1.0; 2,2,3-tri-methylbutane 2.3; methylcyclopentane 0.1; 2-methyl-hexane 0.6; 2-methylheptane 2.2.; 4-methylheptane 1.6;
total sulfur 1 ppm; peroxides 0 ppm; chlorides 1 ppm.
Isopar-E is an isoparaffinic fraction having a boiling range of about 115~ to 142~C.
C-27,04~
In a manner similar to the foregoing example, other resins of improved environmental ~tress crack resistance may be prepared employing principally aliphatic solvents boiling at a tem-perature from about 90C to about 260C.
As is apparent from the foxegoing speci-fication, the present invention is susceptible of being embodied with various alterations and modi-fications which may differ particularly from those that have been described in the preceding speci-fication and description. Fcr this reason, it is to be fully understood that all of the foregoing is intended to be merely illustrative and is not to be construed or interpreted as being restrictive or otherwise limiting of the present invention, excepting as it is set forth and defined in the hereto-appended claims.
C 27,048
Claims (5)
PROPERTY OR PRIVILEGE IS CLAIMED ARE DEFINED AS FOLLOWS:
1. In a process for the preparation of an impact resistant alkenyl aromatic polymer wherein a stream is provided, the stream containing a poly-merizing alkenyl aromatîc monomer, a reinforcing rubber dissolved therein, initiating polymerization of the alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of dissolved rubber and a free radical catalyst to cause the rubber to form a plurality of rubber particles, therein subsequently polymerizing an additional amount of the alkenyl aromatic monomer to form alkenyl aromatic resinous polymer having a desired amount of rubber dispersed therethrough as a plurality of particles, and subsequently removing from the stream at least a major por-tion of the unreacted alkenyl aromatic monomer and organic solvent, the improve-ment which comprises employing as the solvent an aliphatic hydrocarbon composi-tion selected from the C-6 to C-10 aliphatic hydrocarbons and mixtures thereof having a solubility parameter of from about 6.0 to 7.7, wherein the quantity of solvent in the polymerizing stream is present at a level of from 2 to 20 weight percent based on the total weight of the stream.
2. The process of Claim 1 wherein the aliphatic aromatic monomer is styrene.
3. The process of Claim 1 wherein the aliphatic hydrocarbon composition has a solubility parameter of from about 6 to about 7.7.
4. The process of Claim 3 wherein the solubility parameter is from about 7.0 to 7.7.
5. The method of Claim 1 wherein poly-merization occurs between temperatures of from about 60°C to about 170°C.
C-27,048
C-27,048
Priority Applications (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000362807A CA1160791A (en) | 1980-10-20 | 1980-10-20 | Impact styrene polymer |
Applications Claiming Priority (1)
| Application Number | Priority Date | Filing Date | Title |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000362807A CA1160791A (en) | 1980-10-20 | 1980-10-20 | Impact styrene polymer |
Publications (1)
| Publication Number | Publication Date |
|---|---|
| CA1160791A true CA1160791A (en) | 1984-01-17 |
Family
ID=4118203
Family Applications (1)
| Application Number | Title | Priority Date | Filing Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| CA000362807A Expired CA1160791A (en) | 1980-10-20 | 1980-10-20 | Impact styrene polymer |
Country Status (1)
| Country | Link |
|---|---|
| CA (1) | CA1160791A (en) |
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5973079A (en) * | 1998-02-06 | 1999-10-26 | Nova Chemicals (International ) S.A. | Large particle generation |
-
1980
- 1980-10-20 CA CA000362807A patent/CA1160791A/en not_active Expired
Cited By (1)
| Publication number | Priority date | Publication date | Assignee | Title |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| US5973079A (en) * | 1998-02-06 | 1999-10-26 | Nova Chemicals (International ) S.A. | Large particle generation |
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