Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K19/00—Liquid crystal materials
  • C09K19/04—Liquid crystal materials characterised by the chemical structure of the liquid crystal components, e.g. by a specific unit
  • C09K19/38—Polymers
  • C09K19/3804—Polymers with mesogenic groups in the main chain
  • C09K19/3809—Polyesters; Polyester derivatives, e.g. polyamides
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K19/00—Liquid crystal materials
  • C09K19/52—Liquid crystal materials characterised by components which are not liquid crystals, e.g. additives with special physical aspect: solvents, solid particles
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C09—DYES; PAINTS; POLISHES; NATURAL RESINS; ADHESIVES; COMPOSITIONS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; APPLICATIONS OF MATERIALS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR
  • C09K—MATERIALS FOR MISCELLANEOUS APPLICATIONS, NOT PROVIDED FOR ELSEWHERE
  • C09K19/00—Liquid crystal materials
  • C09K19/52—Liquid crystal materials characterised by components which are not liquid crystals, e.g. additives with special physical aspect: solvents, solid particles
  • C09K19/54—Additives having no specific mesophase characterised by their chemical composition

Definitions

• Foodstuff articles e.g., cookware and bakeware
• metals such as aluminum, copper, cast iron, or stainless steel.
• metal foodstuff articles tend to be relatively heavy, corrosive, and can produce loud and noisy sounds when handled.
• high performance polymers such as thermotropic liquid crystalline polymers
• One of the difficulties with these polymers is that their color is not readily altered by conventional means. This is particularly problematic for foodstuff articles in which a sleek and metallic-like appearance is often desired.
• a shaped part that comprises a liquid crystalline polymer composition.
• the liquid crystalline polymer composition defines a surface that has a metallic appearance.
• the polymer composition comprises a liquid crystalline polymer and a metallic pigment, and the metallic pigment includes a plurality of metal particles and a carrier resin.
• a foodstuff article that comprises a liquid crystalline polymer
• the liquid crystalline polymer composition defines a surface that has a metallic appearance.
• the polymer composition comprises a liquid crystalline polymer and a metallic pigment that contains a plurality of metal particles.
• FIG. 1 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a foodstuff article in the form of a saucepan, all or a portion of which may be formed from the polymer composition of the present invention
• FIG. 2 is a perspective view of one embodiment of a foodstuff article in the form of a cooking container, all or a portion of which may be formed from the polymer composition of the present invention
• FIG. 3 is a cross-sectional view of one embodiment of a foodstuff article in the form of a mug, all or a portion of which may be formed from the polymer composition of the present invention.
• the present invention is directed to a shaped part that is formed from a polymer composition that contains a liquid crystalline polymer and metallic pigment.
• the polymer composition and shaped parts formed therefrom can have a metallic-like appearance.
• the metallic-like compositions are particularly useful in "foodstuff articles.”
• the term “foodstuff generally refers to a substance (e.g., solid or liquid) that can be used or prepared as nourishment, including food and beverages.
• Foodstuff articles may serve a variety of purposes, such as cooking, baking, heating, storing, etc., and may include, for instance, beverage containers, food containers, cookware, bakeware, etc.
• the metallic-like appearance can also provide a signal to a user that the foodstuff article can be safely heated in an oven or stove.
• the metallic appearance can be characterized in a variety of different ways.
• the polymer composition and/or shaped parts formed therefrom may exhibit a specular gloss of about 10 gloss units or more, in some embodiments about 30 gloss units or more, in some embodiments about 45 gloss units or more, in some embodiments 50 gloss units or more, and in some embodiments, about 55 gloss units or more, as determined in accordance with ASTM D523-08 at a 60° angle using a gloss meter.
• the polymer composition and/or part may also have a grayish, metallic-like color similar to many metals, such as those made from cast iron, aluminum, carbon steel, stainless steel (i.e., steel alloy with approximately 10.5% to 1 1 % chromium content by mass), etc.
• a * Red/green axis, ranging from -100 to 100; positive values are reddish and negative values are greenish; and
• ⁇ _* is the luminosity value of a first color subtracted from the luminosity value of a second color
• Aa* is the red/green axis value of the first color subtracted from the red/green axis value of the second color
• Ab* is the yellow/blue axis value of the first color subtracted from the yellow/blue axis value of the second color.
• each ⁇ unit is approximately equal to a "just noticeable" difference between two colors and is therefore a good measure for an objective device-independent color specification system that may be used for the purpose of expressing differences in color.
• ring B is a substituted or unsubstituted 6-mennbered aryl group (e.g., 1 ,4- phenylene or 1 ,3-phenylene), a substituted or unsubstituted 6-mennbered aryl group fused to a substituted or unsubstituted 5- or 6-membered aryl group (e.g., 2,6-naphthalene), or a substituted or unsubstituted 6-membered aryl group linked to a substituted or unsubstituted 5- or 6-membered aryl group (e.g., 4,4- biphenylene); and
• Yi and Y 2 are independently O, C(O), NH, C(O)HN, or NHC(O), wherein at least one of Yi and Y 2 are C(O).
• Aromatic dicarboxylic repeating units may be employed that are derived from aromatic dicarboxylic acids, such as terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, diphenyl ether-4,4'-dicarboxylic acid, 1 ,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 2,7-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 4,4'- dicarboxybiphenyl, bis(4-carboxyphenyl)ether, bis(4-carboxyphenyl)butane, bis(4- carboxyphenyl)ethane, bis(3-carboxyphenyl)ether, bis(3-carboxyphenyl)ethane, etc., as well as alkyl, alkoxy, aryl and halogen substituents thereof, and
• aromatic dicarboxylic acids may include, for instance, terephthalic acid (“TA”), isophthalic acid (“IA”), and 2,6- naphthalenedicarboxylic acid (“NDA”).
• TA terephthalic acid
• IA isophthalic acid
• NDA 2,6- naphthalenedicarboxylic acid
• repeating units derived from aromatic dicarboxylic acids typically constitute from about 5 mol.% to about 60 mol.%, in some embodiments from about 10 mol.% to about 55 mol.%, and in some embodiments, from about 15 mol.% to about 50% of the polymer.
• repeating units may also be employed in the polymer.
• repeating units may be employed that are derived from aromatic diols, such as hydroquinone, resorcinol, 2,6- dihydroxynaphthalene, 2,7-dihydroxynaphthalene, 1 ,6-dihydroxynaphthalene, 4,4'- dihydroxybiphenyl (or 4,4'-biphenol), 3,3'-dihydroxybiphenyl, 3,4'- dihydroxybiphenyl, 4,4'-dihydroxybiphenyl ether, bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)ethane, etc., as well as alkyl, alkoxy, aryl and halogen substituents thereof, and combinations thereof.
• aromatic diols may include, for instance,
• repeating units derived from aromatic diols typically constitute from about 1 mol.% to about 30 mol.%, in some embodiments from about 2 mol.% to about 25 mol.%, and in some embodiments, from about 5 mol.% to about 20% of the polymer.
• Repeating units may also be employed, such as those derived from aromatic amides (e.g., acetaminophen (“APAP”)) and/or aromatic amines (e.g., 4- aminophenol (“AP”), 3-aminophenol, 1 ,4-phenylenediamine, 1 ,3- phenylenediamine, etc.).
• aromatic amides e.g., APAP
• aromatic amines e.g., AP
• repeating units derived from aromatic amides (e.g., APAP) and/or aromatic amines (e.g., AP) typically constitute from about 0.1 mol.% to about 20 mol.%, in some embodiments from about 0.5 mol.% to about 15 mol.%, and in some embodiments, from about 1 mol.% to about 10% of the polymer.
• the polymer may contain one or more repeating units derived from non-aromatic monomers, such as aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydroxycarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, diols, amides, amines, etc.
• non-aromatic monomers such as aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydroxycarboxylic acids, dicarboxylic acids, diols, amides, amines, etc.
• the polymer may be "wholly aromatic” in that it lacks repeating units derived from non-aromatic (e.g., aliphatic or cycloaliphatic) monomers.
• the liquid crystalline polymer may be formed from repeating units derived from 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (“HBA”) and terephthalic acid (“TA”) and/or isophthalic acid (“IA”), as well as various other optional constituents.
• HBA 4-hydroxybenzoic acid
• TA terephthalic acid
• IA isophthalic acid
• the repeating units derived from 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (“HBA”) may constitute from about 5 mol.% to about 70 mol.%, in some
• the repeating units derived from terephthalic acid (“TA”) and/or isophthalic acid (“IA”) may likewise constitute from about 5 mol.% to about 40 mol.%, in some embodiments from about 10 mol.% to about 35 mol.%, and in some embodiments, from about 15 mol.% to about 35% of the polymer.
• liquid crystalline polymer may be formed from repeating units derived from 4-hydroxybenzoic acid (“HBA”), 4'-biphenol
• BP BP
• HQ hydroquinone
• HNA 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid
• NDA 2,6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid
• TA terephthalic acid
• IA isophthalic acid
• APAP acetaminophen
• repeating units derived from HNA, NDA, IA, TA, and/or APAP may each constitute from about 1 mol.% to about 35 mol.%, in some embodiments from about 2 mol.% to about 30 mol.%, and in some embodiments, from about 3 mol.% to about 25 mol.% when employed.
• the liquid crystalline polymer may be prepared by initially introducing the aromatic monomer(s) used to form the ester repeating units (e.g., aromatic
• the vessel employed for the reaction is not especially limited, although it is typically desired to employ one that is commonly used in reactions of high viscosity fluids.
• a reaction vessel may include a stirring tank-type apparatus that has an agitator with a variably-shaped stirring blade, such as an anchor type, multistage type, spiral-ribbon type, screw shaft type, etc., or a modified shape thereof.
• Further examples of such a reaction vessel may include a mixing apparatus commonly used in resin kneading, such as a kneader, a roll mill, a Banbury mixer, etc.
• the reaction may proceed through the acetylation of the monomers as known the art. This may be accomplished by adding an acetylating agent (e.g., acetic anhydride) to the monomers.
• acetylation is generally initiated at temperatures of about 90°C. During the initial stage of the acetylation, reflux may be employed to maintain vapor phase temperature below the point at which acetic acid byproduct and anhydride begin to distill. Temperatures during acetylation typically range from between 90°C to 150°C, and in some
• the vapor phase temperature typically exceeds the boiling point of acetic acid, but remains low enough to retain residual acetic anhydride.
• acetic anhydride vaporizes at temperatures of about 140°C.
• providing the reactor with a vapor phase reflux at a temperature of from about 1 10°C to about 130°C is particularly desirable.
• an excess amount of acetic anhydride may be employed. The amount of excess anhydride will vary depending upon the particular acetylation conditions employed, including the presence or absence of reflux. The use of an excess of from about 1 to about 10 mole percent of acetic anhydride, based on the total moles of reactant hydroxyl groups present is not uncommon.
• Acetylation may occur in in a separate reactor vessel, or it may occur in situ within the polymerization reactor vessel.
• one or more of the monomers may be introduced to the acetylation reactor and subsequently transferred to the polymerization reactor.
• one or more of the monomers may also be directly introduced to the reactor vessel without undergoing pre-acetylation.
• a catalyst may be optionally employed, such as metal salt catalysts (e.g., magnesium acetate, tin(l) acetate, tetrabutyl titanate, lead acetate, sodium acetate, potassium acetate, etc.) and organic compound catalysts (e.g., N-methylimidazole).
• metal salt catalysts e.g., magnesium acetate, tin(l) acetate, tetrabutyl titanate, lead acetate, sodium acetate, potassium acetate, etc.
• organic compound catalysts e.g., N-methylimidazole
• the reaction mixture is generally heated to an elevated temperature within the polymerization reactor vessel to initiate melt polycondensation of the reactants.
• Polycondensation may occur, for instance, within a temperature range of from about 225°C to about 400°C, in some embodiments from about 250°C to about 395°C, and in some embodiments, from about 280°C to about 380°C.
• one suitable technique for forming the liquid crystalline polymer may include charging precursor monomers and acetic anhydride into the reactor, heating the mixture to a temperature of from about 90°C to about 150°C to acetylize a hydroxyl group of the monomers (e.g., forming acetoxy), and then increasing the temperature to from about 225°C to about 400°C to carry out melt polycondensation. As the final polymerization temperatures are approached, volatile byproducts of the reaction (e.g., acetic acid) may also be removed so that the desired molecular weight may be readily achieved.
• the reaction mixture is generally subjected to agitation during polymerization to ensure good heat and mass transfer, and in turn, good material homogeneity.
• the rotational velocity of the agitator may vary during the course of the reaction, but typically ranges from about 10 to about 100 revolutions per minute ("rpm"), and in some embodiments, from about 20 to about 80 rpm.
• the polymerization reaction may also be conducted under vacuum, the application of which facilitates the removal of volatiles formed during the final stages of polycondensation.
• the vacuum may be created by the application of a suctional pressure, such as within the range of from about 5 to about 30 pounds per square inch (“psi”), and in some embodiments, from about 10 to about 20 psi.
• the molten polymer may be discharged from the reactor, typically through an extrusion orifice fitted with a die of desired configuration, cooled, and collected. Commonly, the melt is
• melt polymerized polymer may also be subjected to a subsequent solid-state polymerization method to further increase its molecular weight.
• Solid-state polymerization may be
• the solid-state polymerization reactor vessel can be of virtually any design that will allow the polymer to be maintained at the desired solid-state polymerization temperature for the desired residence time. Examples of such vessels can be those that have a fixed bed, static bed, moving bed, fluidized bed, etc.
• the temperature at which solid-state polymerization is performed may vary, but is typically within a range of from about 250°C to about 350°C.
• the polymerization time will of course vary based on the temperature and target molecular weight. In most cases, however, the solid-state polymerization time will be from about 2 to about 12 hours, and in some embodiments, from about 4 to about 10 hours.
• the resulting liquid crystalline polymer may also have a high number average molecular weight (M n ) of about 2,000 grams per mole or more, in some embodiments from about 4,000 grams per mole or more, and in some embodiments, from about 5,000 to about
• the intrinsic viscosity of the polymer which is generally proportional to molecular weight, may also be relatively high.
• the intrinsic viscosity may be about about 4 deciliters per gram ("dL/g") or more, in some embodiments about 5 dL/g or more, in some embodiments from about 6 to about 20 dL/g, and in some embodiments from about 7 to about 15 dL/g.
• Intrinsic viscosity may be determined in accordance with ISO-1628-5 using a 50/50 (v/v) mixture of pentafluorophenol and hexafluoroisopropanol, as described in more detail below.
• the metallic pigment of the polymer composition generally includes a plurality of metal particles.
• the particles may have any desired shape, such as a granular, flake (scaly), etc.
• the particles are desirably in the form of flakes.
• Such flake-shaped particles may have a relatively high aspect ratio (e.g., average length or diameter divided by average thickness), such as about 4:1 or more, in some embodiments about 8:1 or more, and in some embodiments, from about 10:1 to about 2000:1 .
• the average length or diameter of the particles may, for example, range from about 1 micrometer to about 100 micrometers, in some embodiments from about 5 micrometers to about 50 micrometers, and in some embodiments, from about 10 micrometers to about 30 micrometers.
• the average thickness may likewise be about 5 micrometers or less, in some embodiments from about 10 nanometers to about 2 micrometers, and in some embodiments, from about 50 nanometers to about 1 micrometer.
• the metal employed in the particles may be a base metal, such as aluminum, zinc, iron, magnesium, copper, nickel, etc., as well as alloys thereof. Particularly suitable are aluminum particles.
• metal particles typically constitute from about 50 wt.% to about 95 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 60 wt.% to about 90 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 70 wt.% to about 85 wt.% of the masterbatch, and the carrier resin typically constitutes from about 5 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 10 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, and in some
• Suitable carrier resins for use in the present invention may be low molecular weight waxes, such as vegetable waxes (e.g., carnauba wax, candelilla wax, etc.), animal waxes (e.g., beeswax), modified natural waxes (e.g., paraffin waxes), montan ester waxes, polyolefin waxes, amide waxes, etc.
• the waxes may, for example, have a weight-average molecular weight of from about 1 ,000 to about 30,000 grams per mole, in some embodiments from about 1 ,500 to about
• the drop point or ring/ball softening point may likewise be from about 80°C to about 165°C, in some embodiments from about 90°C to about
• polyethylene waxes are particularly suitable.
• a polyethylene wax may be employed that is a homopolymer of ethylene or a copolymer of ethylene with an a- olefin comonomer, such as propene, 1 -butene, 1 -hexene, 1 -octene, 1 -octadecene, styrene, etc.
• Such waxes may be prepared in the presence of a Ziegler-Natta or metallocene catalyst as is known in the art.
• a wax e.g., polyolefin wax
• the number of such groups can be quantified by a measurement known as the "acid value", which represents the mass of potassium hydroxide (KOH) in milligrams required to neutralize one gram of the resin and may be determined in accordance with ISO 21 14:2000.
• Waxes with a relatively low acid value are typically nonpolar in nature. Nevertheless, if desired, the wax employed in the polymer composition may also be chemically modified so that it is polar in nature. Such polar waxes may be obtained using techniques known in the art, such as by oxidizing a nonpolar wax with a gas (e.g., air) or by grafting a polar monomer (e.g., ⁇ , ⁇ - unsaturated carboxylic acids) to a nonpolar wax.
• a gas e.g., air
• a polar monomer e.g., ⁇ , ⁇ - unsaturated carboxylic acids
• the relative concentration of the metallic pigment and the liquid crystalline polymer may be selectively controlled in the present invention to achieve the desired metallic appearance without adversely impacting the thermal and mechanical properties of the polymer composition.
• the metallic pigment is typically employed in an amount of from about 1 wt.% to about 25 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 3 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 5 wt.% to about 15 wt.%, based on the weight of liquid crystalline polymers employed in the composition.
• the metal particles may, for instance, be employed in an amount of from about 0.5 wt.% to about 20 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 1 wt.% to about 15 wt.%, and in some
• the carrier resin may be employed in an amount of from about 0.2 wt.% to about 15 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 0.3 wt.% to about 6 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 0.5 wt.% to about 3 wt.%, based on the weight of liquid crystalline polymers employed in the composition.
• the carrier resin may also constitute from about 0.1 wt.% to about 10 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 0.2 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 0.4 wt.% to about 2 wt.% of the entire polymer composition.
• Liquid crystalline polymers typically constitute from about 50 wt.% to about 98 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 60 wt.% to about 95 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 65 wt.% to about 85 wt.% of the polymer composition.
• the antioxidant can help decompose peroxides and hydroperoxides into stable, nonradical products.
• the polymer composition may produce a lower amount of aldehydes and/or ketones (e.g., 2-butanone, 2-pentanone, 4-heptanone, etc.) than a polymer composition that is free of the organophosphorous antioxidant, but is otherwise identical.
• trivalent organophosphorous compounds e.g., phosphites or phosphonites
• phosphites or phosphonites are particularly useful in the present invention.
• n 0 or 1 ;
• Y is -O-, -S-, -CH(Ri 5 )- or -CeH 4 -, where Ri 5 is hydrogen, d- 6 alkyl, or COOR 6 and R 6 is CMS alkyl.
• m may be 1 so that the compound is a diphosphonite compound.
• the diphosphonite compound may have the following general formula (x):
• the organophosphorous antioxidant may be formed entirely of a diphosphonite compound, such as described above.
• the antioxidant may contain a mixture of diphosphonite compounds with monophosphonites and/or phosphites.
• diphosphonite compounds typically constitute from about 50 wt.% to about 99 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 70 wt.% to about 95 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 75 wt.% to 90 wt.% of the organophosphorous antioxidant.
• organophosphorous antioxidants may constitute from about 0.05 wt.% to about 5 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 0.1 wt.% to about 3 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 0.4 wt.% to about 1 .5 wt.%, based on the weight of liquid crystalline polymers employed in the composition.
• the organophosphorous compounds may likewise constitute from about 0.01 wt.% to about 4 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 0.1 wt.% to about 1 .5 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 0.2 wt.% to about 1 wt.% of the entire polymer composition.
• other antioxidants may also be employed in combination with the organophosphorous antioxidants. Sterically hindered phenolic
• antioxidant(s) may, for instance, be employed to help entrap any peroxy radicals generated by reaction of the carrier resin with oxygen.
• phenolic antioxidants include, for instance, calcium bis(ethyl 3,5-d i-tert-butyl-4- hydroxybenzylphosphonate) (Irganox® 1425); terephthalic acid, 1 ,4-dithio-,S,S- bis(4-tert-butyl-3-hydroxy-2,6-dimethylbenzyl) ester (Cyanox® 1729); triethylene glycol bis(3-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-5-methylhydrocinnamate); hexamethylene bis(3,5- di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyhydrocinnamate (Irganox® 259); 1 ,2-bis(3,5,di-tert-butyl-4- hydroxyhydrocinnamoyl)hydrazide (Irganox® 1024); 4,4'-di
• sterically hindered phenolic antioxidants may constitute from about 0.1 wt.% to about 3 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 0.2 wt.% to about 2 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 0.5 wt.% to about 1.5 wt.% of the polymer composition.
• mineral fillers typically constitute from about 5 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 10 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 15 wt.% to about 30 wt.% of the composition.
• clay minerals may be employed, such as talc (Mg 3 Si 4 Oio(OH) 2 ), halloysite (AI 2 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 ), kaolinite (AI 2 Si 2 O 5 (OH) 4 ), illite ((K,H 3 O)(AI,Mg,Fe) 2 (Si,AI) 4 Oi 0 [(OH) 2 ,(H 2 O)]), montmorillonite
• clay minerals in lieu of, or in addition to, clay minerals, other mineral fillers may also be employed, such as calcium silicate, aluminum silicate, mica, diatomaceous earth, wollastonite, alumina, silica, titanium dioxide, calcium carbonate, and so forth. Mica, for instance, may be particularly suitable. There are several chemically distinct mica species with considerable variance in geologic occurrence, but all have essentially the same crystal structure.
• the term "mica” is meant to generically include any of these species, such as muscovite (KAI 2 (AISi 3 )Oi 0 (OH) 2 ), biotite (K(Mg,Fe) 3 (AISi 3 )Oi 0 (OH) 2 ), phlogopite (KMg 3 (AISi 3 )Oi 0 (OH) 2 ), lepidolite (K(Li,AI) 2-3 (AISi 3 )Oi 0 (OH) 2 ), glauconite (K,Na)(AI,Mg,Fe) 2 (Si,AI) 4 Oio(OH) 2 ), etc., as well as combinations thereof.
• muscovite K(AISi 3 )Oi 0 (OH) 2
• biotite K(Mg,Fe) 3 (AISi 3 )Oi 0 (OH) 2
• phlogopite KMg 3 (AISi 3 )Oi 0 (OH) 2
• Fibers may also be employed as a filler material to further improve the mechanical properties.
• Such fibers generally have a high degree of tensile strength relative to their mass.
• the ultimate tensile strength of the fibers is typically from about 1 ,000 to about 15,000 Megapascals ("MPa"), in some embodiments from about 2,000 MPa to about 10,000 MPa, and in some embodiments, from about 3,000 MPa to about 6,000 MPa.
• Suitable fibers may include those formed from carbon, glass, ceramics (e.g., alumina or silica), aramids (e.g., Kevlar® marketed by E. I.
• Fibers are particularly suitable, such as E-glass, A- glass, C-glass, D-glass, AR-glass, R-glass, S1 -glass, S2-glass, etc., and mixtures thereof.
• fibrous fillers typically constitute from about 5 wt.% to about 50 wt.%, in some embodiments from about 10 wt.% to about 40 wt.%, and in some embodiments, from about 15 wt.% to about 30 wt.% of the composition.
• the components of the polymer composition are generally blended together to form the polymer composition.
• Blending may occur at a temperature at or near the melting temperature of the liquid crystalline polymer, such as at a temperature of from about 225°C to about
• the components may be melt blended within an extruder that includes at least one screw rotatably mounted and received within a barrel (e.g., cylindrical barrel).
• the extruder may be a single screw or twin screw extruder.
• one or more distributive and/or dispersive mixing elements may be employed within the mixing and/or melting sections of the extruder.
• Suitable distributive mixers for single screw extruders may include, for instance, Saxon, Dulmage, Cavity Transfer mixers, etc.
• suitable dispersive mixers may include Blister ring,
• the mixing may be further improved by using pins in the barrel that create a folding and reorientation of the polymer melt, such as those used in Buss Kneader extruders, Cavity Transfer mixers, and Vortex Intermeshing Pin mixers.
• the resulting polymer composition may be shaped into any of a variety of different parts using techniques as is known in the art, such as injection molding, compression molding, blow molding, thermoforming, etc.
• the parts may be molded using a one-component injection molding process in which dried and preheated plastic granules are injected into the mold.
• Various different types of articles may be made from shaped parts and/or polymer compositions of the present invention. Although any suitable shaped part can be formed, the polymer composition of the present invention is particularly well suited for producing foodstuff articles, such as noted above.
• any portion of the mug 10 may generally be formed from the polymer composition of the present invention, such as the bottom wall 12, sidewall 18, and/or handle 40.
• the entire mug is formed from the polymer composition of the present invention so that it has a metallic appearance.
• Foodstuff articles used for food preparation are also particularly well adapted for use with a shaped part formed from the polymer composition of the present invention.
• the polymer composition of the present invention may, for instance, be used to produce all or a portion of cookware (e.g., cooking utensils, beverage containers, braising pans, roasting pans, casserole pans, dutch ovens, frying pans, skillets, wonder pots, griddles, saucepans, saute pans, stockpots, woks, etc.) and/or bakeware (e.g., cake pan, sheet pan, cookie sheet, jelly-roll pan, muffin pan, pie pan, bun pan, bread pan, etc.).
• cookware e.g., cooking utensils, beverage containers, braising pans, roasting pans, casserole pans, dutch ovens, frying pans, skillets, wonder pots, griddles, saucepans, saute pans, stockpots, woks, etc.
• bakeware e
• the polymer composition of the present invention may be used to form a handle, cover, or lid of cookware or bakeware.
• the polymer composition may be used to form a cooking surface of the cookware or bakeware.
• Fig. 1 one embodiment of cookware 10 is shown that contains a handle 12 connected to a cooking vessel 15.
• the polymer composition of the present invention may be used to form all or a portion of the handle 12 and/or vessel 15. In the embodiment illustrated in Fig.
• the cookware is in the form of a saucepan; however, it should be understood that a wide variety of other cookware articles may also be employed.
• a cooking container 200 is shown that contains a lid 204 that is configured to be disposed over a base 210.
• the polymer composition of the present invention may be used to form all or a portion of the lid 204 and/or the base 210.
• Glycolube® P penentaerythritol tetrastearate
• A-C® 629 oxidized polyethylene homopolymer
• Licowax® PP 1302 metalocene polypropylene wax
• Licomont® NAV 101 sodium soap of montanic acids
• Licowax® PE 520 polyethylene wax
• Hostanox® P-EPQ disphosphonite
• Metallic liquid crystalline polymer samples are formed from various combinations of Vectra® E950iSX (liquid crystalline polymer), mica, Hostanox® P- EPQ (disphosphonite antioxidant), and aluminum pigments.
• MS MP15 20B aluminum flakes encapsulated in polyolefin wax, Eckart GmbH
• Sparkle Silvet® 880-20-E aluminum flakes encapsulated in polyethylene wax, Silberline Mfg. Co, Inc.
• aluminum flakes encapsulated in Licowax® PE 520 are employed as aluminum pigments.
• the constituents and concentrations of each of the samples are set forth below in Table 2.
• the samples are also injected molded into the shape of a mug.
• the injection molded mugs are put in an oven, covered with a lid, and baked for 5 hours at 250°C. At the end of the 5 hours, the mugs are taken out of the oven and allowed to cool for 24 hours at room temperature. The lids are removed long enough to test the lids for odor as indicated above. The results are set forth below in Table 3.

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