KR20160019929A - Building insulation - Google Patents

Abstract

A building structure is provided that includes a building exterior defining the interior. The building structure includes a building insulation located adjacent a surface of the building exterior, interior, or combination thereof. The building insulation comprises a porous polymeric material formed from a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase comprising a matrix polymer. Microinclusion and nanocomposite additives may also be dispersed in the form of discrete domains in a continuous phase, wherein the pore net is defined as a material comprising a plurality of nanopores having an average cross-sectional dimension of less than or equal to about 800 nm.

Description

Building Insulation {BUILDING INSULATION}

Related application

This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application Serial No. 61 / 834,038, filed June 12, 2013, which application is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.

The present invention relates to building insulation.

Insulation materials are used in building structures for various purposes, such as for protection against heat transfer, moisture, noise, vibration, and the like. One type of building insulation is a non-permeable housewrap, which is used, for example, to construct wall and roof assemblies. In addition to preventing water from entering the building, such a house wrap is also generally breathable to the extent that it is permeable to gas, allowing the water vapor to be captured on the building surface rather than escaping from the insulation. Unfortunately, one of the common problems associated with existing multiple types of building insulation, such as house wrap, is generally not multifunctional. For example, a conventional breathable house wrap material is a flash spun polyolefin material commercially available from DuPont under the trade name Tyvek (R). While providing good moisture barrier performance, Tyvek® house wrap generally does not provide good thermal barriers. To this end, polymer foams are often used for thermal insulation purposes. However, these materials do not necessarily work well with breathable moisture barriers. Also, the gas foaming agent used to form the foam may elute over time and cause environmental problems.

Thus, there is now a need for improved insulation materials for use in building structures.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a building insulation for use in a residential or commercial building structure is disclosed. The building insulation comprises a porous polymeric material formed from a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase comprising a matrix polymer. The polymeric material exhibits a water vapor transmission rate of about 300 g / m ² -24 hours or more, a thermal conductivity of about 0.40 W / mK or less, and / or a hydrohead value of about 50 cm or more.

According to one embodiment of the present invention, a building insulation for use in a residential or commercial building structure is disclosed. The building insulation comprises a porous polymeric material formed from a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase comprising a matrix polymer. Microinclusion and nanocomposite additives are dispersed in the form of discrete domains in a continuous phase wherein the pore net is defined as a material comprising a plurality of nanopores having an average cross-sectional dimension of about 800 nm or less.

According to another embodiment, a building structure is disclosed that includes a building exterior defining the interior. The building structure further includes a building insulation as described herein, which is located adjacent a surface of the building exterior, interior, or combination thereof. For example, in one embodiment, the building insulation may be located adjacent a surface of a building contour, such as adjacent an exterior wall, a roof, or a combination thereof. If desired, the building insulation may also be located adjacent an outdoor cover (e.g., exterior wall siding). The building insulation may also be located adjacent a surface of the interior, such as adjacent to an interior wall, floor, ceiling, door, or combination thereof.

Other features and aspects of the invention are described in further detail below.

All possible disclosures of the invention including the best mode of the invention for a person of ordinary skill in the art are more specifically described in the remainder of the specification in which the accompanying drawings are referred to.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS Figure 1 is a partial representation of a building frame wall made of building panels, which may be formed in accordance with the present invention;
Figure 2 is the average cross-sectional dimension of the building panel of Figure 1 along line 2-2;
3 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a building structure in which the building insulation is positioned adjacent to an outer wall;
4 is a perspective view of an embodiment of a building structure in which the building insulation is positioned adjacent to an inner wall;
Figures 5 and 6 are SEM micrographs of the unstretched film of Example 7 (the film was cut parallel to the machine direction);
Figures 7 and 8 are SEM micrographs of the stretching film of Example 7 (the film was cut parallel to the machine direction orientation);
Figures 9 and 10 are SEM micrographs of the undrawn film of Example 8, which film was cut perpendicular to the machine direction in Figure 9 and parallel to the machine direction in Figure 10;
11 and 12 are SEM micrographs of the stretching film of Example 8 (the film was cut parallel to the machine direction);
13 is an SEM micrograph (x1, 000) of the fibers of Example 9 after freeze fracture in liquid nitrogen (polypropylene, polylactic acid and polyepoxide);
14 is an SEM micrograph (x5,000) of the fibers of Example 9 after freeze fracture in liquid nitrogen (polypropylene, polylactic acid and polyepoxide); And
15 is an SEM micrograph (x10,000) of the fiber surfaces of Example 9 (polypropylene, polylactic acid, and polyepoxides).
Repeated use of reference features in the present specification and drawings is intended to represent the same or similar features or elements of the invention.

Hereinafter, one or more examples will be described in detail with respect to various embodiments of the present invention described below. Each example is provided for the purpose of illustrating the invention rather than limiting the invention. In fact, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art that various modifications and variations can be made in the present invention without departing from the spirit or scope of the invention. For example, additional embodiments may be obtained using features illustrated or described as part of one embodiment in another embodiment. It is therefore intended that the present invention include all such modifications and variations as fall within the scope of the appended claims and their equivalents.

Briefly, the present invention relates to a building insulation comprising a porous polymeric material (e.g., film, fibrous material, etc.). As used herein, the term "building insulation" refers to any object, including, but not limited to, insulation, sound insulation, impact insulation (e.g., against vibration), fire insulation, moisture insulation, Means any object in the building used as a thermal insulation material. The building insulation may be located within a residential or commercial building structure and may be adjacent to the surface of the building exterior and the surface is a physical separator between the indoor and outdoor environments of the building and may be, for example, a frame, roof, Windows, and skylights. Also, the building insulation may be located adjacent to an interior surface of a building such as an interior wall, an interior door, a floor, a ceiling, and the like.

Regardless of the specific location in which the building insulation is used, the porous polymeric material of the present invention may perform a plurality of insulation functions in the building and, in some cases, even eliminate the need for certain types of existing insulation . For example, the polymeric material is from about 15% to about 80%, in some embodiments, from about 20% to about 70% per cm ³ of the material, in some embodiments from about 30% to about 60 per cm ³ of porous, and the material Defines a network that can consist of%. The presence of such high pore volume allows the polymer material to have permeability to water vapor in general, allowing such vapors to escape from the building surface during use and limit the likelihood of water damage over time. Permeability of the material of the water vapor, the water vapor proportion of the relatively high water vapor permeability (water vapor transmission rate), which is transmitted through a material as measured in units of 24 hours per gram (g / m ^2/24 hours) per square meter ( " WVTR ").≪ / RTI > For example, a polymeric material, such as ASTM E96 / 96M-12, procedure B or INDA test procedure IST-70.4, as measured according to (01), in approximately 300g / m ² -24 hours or more, in some embodiments about 500g / m ² -24 hours or more, in some embodiments, may refer to about 1,000g / m ² -24 hours or more, about 3,000 to about WVTR of 15,000g / m ² -24 hours in some embodiments. In addition to allowing steam to pass through, the relatively high pore volume of the material can also lower the density of the material, thereby making it possible to use a lighter, more flexible material that still achieves good adiabatic performance. In one embodiment, the composition comprises no more than about 1.2 g / cm ³ , in some embodiments no more than about 1.0 g / cm ³ , in some embodiments from about 0.2 g / cm ³ to about 0.8 g / cm ³ , It may have a relatively low density of about 0.1g / cm ³ to 0.5g / cm ^3. By virtue of such low density, lighter materials may still be formed which still achieve good heat resistance.

Despite being very porous and approximately permeable to water vapor, the present inventors nevertheless contemplate that a fornetwork is considered a " closed-cell " and that a twisty path is not defined between a substantial portion of the pores I found that it might be. Such a structure can help limit the flow of fluid through the polymeric material and is substantially impermeable to fluids (e.g., liquid water), allowing the material to insulate the surface from water infiltration. In this regard, as measured in accordance with ATTCC 127-2008, the polymeric material may be relatively relatively high, such as at least about 50 cm, in some embodiments at least about 100 cm, in some embodiments at least about 150 cm, and in some embodiments from about 200 cm to about 1000 cm It may have a high head value.

A large portion of the pores in the polymeric material may also have a " nanoscale " size (" nanopore "), e.g., an average cross-sectional dimension of about 800 nm or less, in some embodiments about 1 to about 500 nm, To about 450 nm, in some embodiments from about 5 to about 400 nm, and in some embodiments from about 10 to about 100 nm. The term " cross-sectional dimension " generally refers to the characteristic dimension (e.g., width or diameter) of a pore that is substantially perpendicular to its major axis (e.g., length) and is typically substantially perpendicular to the direction of stress applied during drawing, . Such nanopores may comprise, for example, at least about 15 vol%, in some embodiments at least about 20 vol%, in some embodiments at least about 30 vol% to about 100 vol%, and in some embodiments at least about 40 vol% % To about 90% by volume. The presence of such a high degree of nanopore can substantially reduce the thermal conductivity substantially because fewer cell molecules are available in each pore and collide and transfer heat. Thus, the polymeric material may also serve as an insulating material to help limit the degree of heat transfer through the building insulation.

To this end, the polymeric material may be used in an amount of up to about 0.40 (watts per meter-kelvin; " W / mK "), in some embodiments up to about 0.20 W / mK, 0.0 > mK, < / RTI > in some embodiments from about 0.01 to about 0.12 W / mK in some embodiments, and from about 0.02 to about 0.10 W / mK in some embodiments. It should be noted that the material can achieve such low thermal conductivity values at relatively small thicknesses, thereby allowing the material to have a greater degree of flexibility and compatibility and also reducing the space it occupies in the building insulation It is a point. For this reason, the polymer material also has a relatively low thermal admittance, which is equal to the thermal conductivity of the material divided by the thickness of the material and provided in units of watts per square meter (W / m ² K) " For example, the material may be present in an amount of about 1000 W / m ² K or less, in some embodiments about 10 to about 800 W / m ² K, in some embodiments about 20 to about 500 W / m ² K, And may exhibit a thermal admittance of about 40 to about 200 W / m < ² > K. The actual thickness of the polymeric material may vary depending on the particular form of the material, but is typically in the range of about 5 [mu] m to about 100 mm, in some embodiments about 10 [mu] m to about 50 mm, in some embodiments about 200 [ And in some embodiments from about 50 [mu] m to about 5 mm.

Contrary to the prior art for forming building insulation materials, the present inventors have found that the porous material of the present invention can be formed without using a gaseous foaming agent. This is in part due to the unique properties of the constituents of the material as well as the matter in which the material is formed. More specifically, the porous material may be formed from a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase comprising a matrix polymer, a microencapsulation additive, and a nanocomposite additive. The additives may be selected to have different elastic moduli than the matrix polymer. In this manner, the microinclusion additive and the nanocomposite additive can be dispersed within the continuous phase as discrete micro size and nano size domains, respectively. The present inventors have found that microscale and nanoscale domains can interact in a unique manner in such a way as to create a pore network with much of the nanoscale when undergoing deformation and strain (e.g., stretching) I found that. That is, the elongational deformation is caused by intense localized shear zones and / or stress intensity zones (e.g., mean stresses) near the micro-sized segregated domains as a result of stress concentration resulting from the non- May be initiated. These shear and / or stress concentration regions result in some initial debonding in the polymer matrix adjacent to the micro-sized domains. Particularly, however, local shear and / or stress concentration regions can also be generated near nano-sized separating domains overlapping micro-sized regions. These overlapping shear and / or stress magnification regions may even cause additional dissociation to occur in the polymer matrix, thus creating a substantial number of nanopores adjacent to nanoscale domains and / or micro-sized domains.

Various embodiments of the present invention will now be described in more detail.

I. Thermoplastic composition

A. Matrix polymer

As indicated above, the thermoplastic composition typically comprises from about 60% to about 99% by weight, in some embodiments from about 75% to about 98%, and in some embodiments from about 80% to about 99% by weight of the thermoplastic composition 95% < / RTI > by weight of the matrix polymer. The nature of the matrix polymer (s) used to form the continuous phase is not critical, and any suitable polymer can be generally used, such as polyesters, polyolefins, styrene polymers, polyamides, and the like. In certain embodiments, for example, a polyester can be used in the composition to form a polymeric matrix. Any of various polyesters can be generally used, and examples thereof include aliphatic polyesters such as polycaprolactone, polyester amide, polylactic acid (PLA) and copolymers thereof, polyglycolic acid, polyalkylene carbonate (PHB), poly-3-hydroxyvalerate (PHV), poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-4-hydroxybutyrate, Hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyvalerate copolymer (PHBV), poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyhexanoate, poly- 3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxyoctadecanoate, and succinate-based aliphatic isomers of poly-3-hydroxybutyrate-co-3-hydroxydecanoate, Polymers (e. G., ≪ RTI ID = Polybutylene succinate, polybutylene succinate, adipate, polyethylene succinate, etc.); Aliphatic-aromatic copolyesters (e.g., polybutylene adipate terephthalate, polyethylene adipate terephthalate, polyethylene adipate isophthalate, polybutylene adipate isophthalate, etc.); Aliphatic polyesters (e.g., polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate and the like); And so on.

In some cases, the thermoplastic composition may comprise at least one polyester that is inherently rigid and thus has a relatively high glass transition temperature. For example, the glass transition temperature (" T _g ") may be greater than about 0 ° C, in some embodiments from about 5 ° C to about 100 ° C, in some embodiments from about 30 ° C to about 80 ° C, Lt; 0 > C to about 75 < 0 > C. The polyester may also have a melting temperature of from about 140 占 폚 to about 300 占 폚, in some embodiments from about 150 占 폚 to about 250 占 폚, and in some embodiments, from about 160 占 폚 to about 220 占 폚. The melting temperature can be determined using differential scanning calorimetry ("DSC") in accordance with ASTM D-3417. The glass transition temperature may be determined by dynamic mechanical analysis according to ASTM E1640-09.

One specific suitable rigid polyester is a polylactic acid, generally a monomer unit of any isomer of lactic acid, such as a left turnable lactic acid ("L-lactic acid"), a right turnable lactic acid ("D- Lactic acid, or a mixture thereof. The monomeric units may also be formed from any isomer of lactic acid, such as an anhydride of L-lactide, D-lactide, meso-lactide, or mixtures thereof. Such cyclic dimers of lactic acid and / or lactide may also be used. Any known polymerization method, such as polycondensation or ring-opening polymerization, may be used to polymerize the lactic acid. Small amounts of chain-extending agents (such as diisocyanate compounds, epoxy compounds or acid anhydrides) may also be used. The polylactic acid may be a homopolymer or a copolymer, such as a monomer unit derived from L-lactic acid and a monomer unit derived from D-lactic acid. Although not required, the ratio of the content of monomer units derived from L-lactic acid to one of monomer units derived from D-lactic acid is preferably at least about 85 mole%, in some embodiments at least about 90 mole% In the example, it is at least about 95 mol%. Multiple polylactic acids, each having a different ratio between monomer units derived from L-lactic acid and monomer units derived from D-lactic acid, may be mixed in any percentage. Of course, polylactic acid may be blended with other types of polymers (e.g., polyolefins, polyesters, etc.).

In one specific embodiment, the polylactic acid has the following general structure:

A specific example of a suitable polylactic acid polymer that may be used in the present invention is commercially available from Biomer, Inc. of Krailling, Germany under the trade name BIOMER (TM) L9000. Other suitable polylactic acid polymers are commercially available from NATUREWORKS (R) or Mitsui Chemical (LACEA (TM)), Minneapolis, Minn. Other suitable polylactic acids may be those described in U.S. Patent Nos. 4,797,468, 5,470,944, 5,770,682, 5,821,327, 5,880,254, 6,326,458.

The polylactic acid typically has a number average molecular weight ("M") of from about 40,000 to about 180,000 grams / mole, in some embodiments from about 50,000 to about 160,000 grams / mole, in some embodiments from about 80,000 to about 120,000 grams / _n "). Likewise, the polymer will also typically have a weight average of from about 80,000 to about 250,000 grams / mole, in some embodiments from about 100,000 to about 200,000 grams / mole, in some embodiments from about 110,000 to about 160,000 grams / Molecular weight (" M _w "). (&Quot; M _w / M _n "), i.e., the "polydispersity index ", of the weight average molecular weight to the number average molecular weight is relatively low. For example, the polydispersity index may typically be from about 1.0 to about 3.0, in some embodiments from about 1.1 to about 2.0, and in some embodiments from about 1.2 to about 1.8. The weight average molecular weight and number average molecular weight can be determined by methods known to those skilled in the art.

Further, polylactic acid, as determined at a shear rate and a temperature of 190 ℃ of 1000sec ^-1, about 50 to about 600 Pa · s, in some embodiments of the about 100 to about 500Pa · s, some embodiments An apparent viscosity of about 200 to about 400 Pa · s. The molten flow rate of the polylactic acid (based on dry conditions) may also range from about 0.1 to about 40 grams / 10 minutes, as determined at 190 ° C and a load of 2160 grams, in some embodiments from about 0.5 to about 20 Gram / 10 minutes, in some embodiments from about 5 to about 15 grams / 10 minutes.

Some types of pure polyester (e.g., polylactic acid) can absorb water from the environment to have a moisture content of about 500 to 600 ppm or more based on the dry weight of the starting material polylactic acid. The moisture content can be determined in a variety of ways, as is known in the art, according to ASTM D 7191-05, as described below. It is sometimes desirable to dry the polyester prior to compounding, since the presence of water during the melt process can hydrolyse the polyester and reduce its molecular weight. In most embodiments, for example, the polyester has a water content of less than about 300 ppm, in some embodiments less than about 200 ppm, and in some embodiments from about 1 to about 100 ppm, prior to incorporation with the micro- and nano- . Drying of the polyester can be carried out, for example, at about 50 ° C to about 100 ° C, and in some embodiments at about 70 ° C to about 80 ° C.

B. Micro-inclusion additive

As indicated above, in certain embodiments of the present invention, the microinclusion and / or nanocomposing additive may be dispersed in a continuous phase of the thermoplastic composition. As used herein, the term " microencapsulated additive " refers to any amorphous, crystalline, or semi-crystalline material that can be dispersed in the form of micron-sized discrete domains generally within the polymer matrix. For example, prior to stretching, the domains can be in the range of from about 0.05 urn to about 30 urn, in some embodiments from about 0.1 urn to about 25 urn, in some embodiments from about 0.5 urn to about 20 urn, and in some embodiments from about 1 urn to about 10 urn , And may have an average cross-sectional dimension. The term " cross-sectional dimension " generally refers to the characteristic dimension of the domain, which is typically orthogonal to the major axis (e.g., length) and is typical and practically orthogonal to the applied stress direction during stretching (E.g., width or diameter). It will be appreciated that, while typically being formed from microencapsulated additives, microsized domains may also be formed in combination with microencapsulated additives or other components of the nanocomposite additive and / or composition.

Micro-inclusion additives are generally inherently polymers and have a relatively high molecular weight to help improve the stability and melt strength of thermoplastic compositions. Typically, the microencapsulating polymer may not be substantially blended with the matrix polymer. In this way, the additive can be better dispersed as discrete phase domains within the continuous phase of the matrix polymer. Discrete domains can absorb energy generated from external forces, which increases the overall toughness and strength of the final material. Domains may have a variety of different shapes, e.g., elliptical, spherical, cylindrical, plate, tubular, and the like. In one embodiment, for example, the domains have a substantially elliptical shape. The physical dimensions of the individual domains are small enough to minimize the propagation of cracks through the polymeric material, typically upon application of external stress, but initiate microscopic plastic deformation and cause shear and / .

While the polymers may not be mixed, the micro-inclusion additive may nevertheless be selected to have a solubility parameter comparable to that of the matrix polymer. This can improve the physical interactions and interfacial compatibility of the boundaries of the discrete and continuous phases, thereby reducing the likelihood that the composition will break. In this regard, the ratio of the solubility parameter to the solubility parameter for the matrix polymer to the additive is typically from about 0.5 to about 1.5, and in some embodiments from about 0.8 to about 1.2. For example, micro-encapsulated additive is from about 15 to about 30MJoules ^{1/2 /} m ^3/2, in some embodiments, which may have a solubility parameter of from about 18 to about 22MJoules ^{1/2 /} m ^3/2 On the other hand, poly acid may have a solubility parameter of from about 20.5MJoules ^{1/2 /} m ^3/2. The term "solubility parameter" as used herein refers to the " Hildebrand Solubility Parameter "which is the square root of the cohesive energy density and is calculated according to the following equation:

here,

△ Hv  = Evaporation heat

R = ideal gas constant

T = temperature

Vm  = Molecular volume

Hildebrand solubility parameters for many polymers are also available by Solubility Handbook of Plastics, by Wyeych (2004), which is incorporated herein by reference.

The micro-inclusion additive may also have a desired melt flow rate (or viscosity) to ensure that the discrete domains and resulting pores can be properly retained. For example, if the melt flow rate of the additive is too high, the additive tends to flow and disperse uncontrolled through the continuous phase. This results in a lamellar domain or co-continuous phase structure that is difficult to maintain and is likely to break prematurely. Conversely, if the melt flow rate of the additives is too low, the additives tend to aggregate together to form very large elliptical domains that are difficult to disperse during compounding. This can result in non-uniform distribution of the additive throughout the continuous phase. In this regard, the inventors have found that the ratio of melt flow rate of micro-inclusion additive to melt flow rate of matrix polymer is typically from about 0.2 to about 8, in some embodiments from about 0.5 to about 6, and in some embodiments from about 1 to about 5 . For example, the micro-inclusion additive has a loading of about 2160 grams and about 0.1 to about 250 grams / 10 minutes, in some embodiments about 0.5 to about 200 grams / 10 minutes as measured at 190 DEG C, and in some embodiments about 5 To about 150 grams / 10 minutes.

In addition to the properties described above, the mechanical properties of the microencapsulated additive can also be selected to achieve the desired strength increase. For example, if a combination of a matrix polymer and a micro-inclusion additive is applied with an external force, stress concentration (including, for example, normal stress or shear stress), and shear and / Can be initiated in discrete phase domains and around discrete phase domains as a result of stress concentration resulting from differences in elastic modulus. The larger the stress concentration, the stronger the local plastic flow in the domain, which allows the domain to be considerably elongated if stress is applied. Such shrunk domains allow the composition to exhibit a more flexible and softer behavior than the matrix polymer, for example when the composition is a rigid polyester resin. To improve stress concentration, the micro-inclusion additive may be selected to have a relatively low Young's modulus relative to the matrix polymer. For example, the ratio of the modulus of elasticity of the matrix polymer to the modulus of elasticity of the additive is typically from about 1 to about 250, in some embodiments from about 2 to about 100, and in some embodiments from about 2 to about 50. The modulus of elasticity of the microencapsulated additive may be, for example, from about 2 to about 1000 megapascals (MPa), in some embodiments from about 5 to about 500 MPa, and in some embodiments from about 10 to about 200 MPa. In contrast, the modulus of elasticity of the polylactic acid is typically, for example, from about 800 MPa to about 3000 MPa.

Various microencapsulated additives with the above mentioned properties can be used, but examples of suitable additives include synthetic polymers such as polyolefins (e.g. polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene, etc.); Styrene copolymers (e.g., styrene-butadiene-styrene, styrene-isoprene-styrene, styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene, styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene); Polytetrafluoroethylene; Polyesters (e.g., recycled polyesters, polyethylene terephthalate and the like); Polyvinyl acetate (for example, poly (ethylene vinyl acetate), polyvinyl chloride acetate, etc.); Polyvinyl alcohol (for example, polyvinyl alcohol, poly (ethylene vinyl alcohol) and the like); Polyvinyl butyral; Acrylic resins (e.g., polyacrylate, polymethyl acrylate, polymethyl methacrylate and the like); Polyamides (e.g., nylon); Polyvinyl chloride; Polyvinylidene chloride; polystyrene; Polyurethane; And the like. Suitable polyolefins include, for example, ethylene polymers (e.g., low density polyethylene ("LDPE"), high density polyethylene ("HDPE"), linear low density polyethylene ("LLDPE" Alternating arrangement, hybrid arrangement, identical arrangement, etc.), propylene copolymer, and the like.

In one specific embodiment, the polymer is a propylene polymer such as homopolypropylene or propylene copolymer. The propylene polymer may be formed from, for example, a copolymer comprising substantially the same aligned polypropylene homopolymer or about 10% by weight or less of other monomer, i.e., at least about 90% by weight of propylene. Such a homopolymer may have a melting point of from about 160 < 0 > C to about 170 < 0 > C.

In another embodiment, the polyolefin may be a copolymer of ethylene or propylene with another? -Olefin such as a C ₃ -C ₂₀ ? -Olefin or a C ₃ -C ₁₂ ? -Olefin. Specific examples of suitable? -Olefins include: 1-butene; 3-methyl-1-butene; 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene; 1-pentene; 1-pentene having at least one methyl, ethyl or propyl substituent; 1-hexene having at least one methyl, ethyl or propyl substituent; 1-heptene having at least one methyl, ethyl or propyl substituent; 1-octene having at least one methyl, ethyl or propyl substituent; 1-none having at least one methyl, ethyl or propyl substituent; Ethyl, methyl or dimethyl-substituted-1-decene; Dodecene; And styrene. Particularly preferred? -Olefin comonomers are 1-butene, 1-hexene and 1-octene. The ethylene or propylene content of such copolymers may be from about 60 mole percent to about 99 mole percent, in some embodiments from about 80 mole percent to about 98.5 mole percent, and in some embodiments from about 87 mole percent to about 97.5 mole percent. The? -olefin content may likewise range from about 1 mol% to about 40 mol%, in some embodiments from about 1.5 mol% to about 15 mol%, and in some embodiments from about 2.5 mol% to about 13 mol%.

Exemplary olefin copolymers for use in the present invention include ethylenic copolymers sold under the trade name EXACT TM by ExxonMobil Chemical Company of Houston, Tex., USA. Other suitable ethylene copolymers are available from Dow Chemical Company, Midland, MI under the names ENGAGE, AFFINITY, DOWLEX (TM) (LLDPE) and ATTANE (ULDPE). Other suitable ethylene polymers are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 4,937,299 ( Ewen et al. ); 5,218, 071 ( Tsutsui et al. ); 5,272, 236 ( Lai , et al. ); And 5,278, 272 ( Lai, et al.) . Suitable propylene copolymers are also available from ExxonMobil Chemical Co., Houston, Texas under the designations VISTAMAXX ™; FINA (TM) from Atofina Chemicals of Feluy, Belgium (e.g. 8573); TAFMER 占 available from Mitsui Petrochemical Industries; And VERSIFY (TM) available from Dow Chemical Co. of Midland, Michigan. Suitable polypropylene homopolymers may likewise include Exxon Mobil 3155 polypropylene, Exxon Mobil Achieve ™ resin, and Total M3661 PP resin. Examples of other suitable propylene polymers are disclosed in U.S. Patent No. 6,500,563 ( Datta , et al. ); 5,539,056 ( Yang, et al. ); And 5,596,052 ( Resconi, et al. ).

Any of a variety of techniques known in the art can generally be used to form olefin copolymers. For example, the olefin polymer can be formed using a free radical or a coordination catalyst (e.g., Ziegler-Natta). Preferably, the olefin polymer is formed from a single-site coordination catalyst, such as a metallocene catalyst. Such catalyst systems result in ethylene copolymers in which comonomers are randomly distributed within the molecular chain and are uniformly distributed across different molecular weight fragments. Metallocene-catalyzed polyolefins are described, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,571,619 ( McAlpin et al. ); 5,322, 728 ( Davis et al. ); 5,472,775 ( Obiieski et al . ); 5,272, 236 ( Lai et al. ); And 6,090,325 ( Wheat, et al.) . Examples of metallocene catalysts include bis (n-butylcyclopentadienyl) titanium dichloride, bis (n-butylcyclopentadienyl) zirconium dichloride, bis (cyclopentadienyl) scandium chloride, bis ) Zirconium dichloride, bis (methylcyclopentadienyl) titanium dichloride, bis (methylcyclopentadienyl) zirconium dichloride, cobaltosene, cyclopentadienyl titanium trichloride, ferrocene, hafnocene dichloride, iso (Cyclopentadienyl-1-fluorenyl) zirconium dichloride, molybdosecene dichloride, nickelocene, niobocene dichloride, ruthenocene, titanocene dichloride, zirconocene chloride hydride, Conocene dichloride and the like. Polymers made using metallocene catalysts typically have a narrow molecular weight range. For example, the metallocene-catalyzed polymer may have a polydispersity number (M _w / M _n ) of 4 or less, a controlled short-chain branching distribution, and a controlled ordered orientation.

Regardless of the material used, the relative percentage of micro-inclusion additive of the thermoplastic composition is selected to achieve the desired properties without significantly affecting the basic properties of the composition. For example, the microencapsulated additives typically comprise from about 1% to about 30% by weight, in some embodiments from about 2% to about 30% by weight of the thermoplastic composition, based on the weight of the continuous phase (matrix polymer 25 wt%, and in some embodiments, from about 5 wt% to about 20 wt%. The concentration of micro-inclusion additive in the overall thermoplastic composition may likewise be from about 0.1% to about 30% by weight, in some embodiments from about 0.5% to about 25% by weight, in some embodiments from about 1% to about 20% % ≪ / RTI >

C. Nano inclusion additive

As used herein, the term " nanoinclusion additive " refers to any amorphous, crystalline, or semi-crystalline material that can be dispersed in the polymer matrix in the form of nanoscale discrete domains. For example, prior to stretching, the domains may have an average cross-sectional dimension of from about 1 to about 500 nm, in some embodiments from about 2 to about 400 nm, and in some embodiments from about 5 to about 300 nm. It will be appreciated that the nano-sized domains may also be formed from a combination of microencapsulated additives and other components of the nanocomposite additive and / or composition. The nanocomposing additive typically comprises from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight, in some embodiments from about 0.1% to about 10% by weight, of the thermoplastic composition, based on the weight of the continuous phase (matrix polymer (s) In embodiments, it may be used in an amount of about 0.5% to about 5% by weight. The concentration of the nanocomposing additive in the overall thermoplastic composition is similarly from about 0.01% to about 15%, in some embodiments from about 0.05% to about 10%, and in some embodiments from about 0.3% to about 15% by weight of the thermoplastic composition 6% by weight.

Nano-encapsulated additives, which may be intrinsic polymers, have a relatively high molecular weight to help improve the stability and melt strength of thermoplastic compositions. To enhance the ability of the nanocomposite additive to disperse into nanosized domains, the nanocomposite additive may also be selected from materials generally compatible with the microcavity additive and the matrix polymer. This may be particularly useful when the matrix polymer or micro-inclusion additive has a polar portion such as a polyester. An example of such a nanocomposing additive is a functionalized polyolefin. The polar component may be provided by, for example, one or more functional groups, and the non-polar component may be provided by the olefin. The olefin component of the nanocomposing additive can generally be formed from a polymer (including a copolymer) derived from any linear or branched alpha-olefin monomer, oligomer, or olefin monomer as described above.

The functional group of the nanocomposing additive may be any group, molecular segment, and / or block that provides a polar component to the molecule and is incompatible with the matrix polymer. Examples of polyolefin and non-compatible molecular segments and / or blocks may include acrylates, styrenes, polyesters, polyamides, and the like. The functional groups may have ionic properties and may include charged metal ions. Particularly suitable functional groups are the reaction products of maleic anhydride, maleic acid, fumaric acid, maleimide, maleic acid hydrazide, maleic anhydride and diamine, methylnadic anhydride, dichloromaleic anhydride, maleic acid amide and the like. Maleic anhydride modified polyolefins are particularly suitable for use in the present invention. These modified polyolefins are typically formed by grafting maleic anhydride onto the polymeric backbone material. Such maleic acid polyolefins are commercially available under the trade name Fusabond® by EI du Pont de Nemours and Company and include, for example, P series (chemically modified polypropylene), E series (chemically modified polyethylene), C series (Chemically modified ethylene vinyl acetate), A series (chemically modified ethylene acrylate copolymer or terpolymer) or N series (chemically modified ethylene-propylene, ethylene-propylene diene monomer ("EPDM") or ethylene- . Alternatively, the maleic acid polyolefin is also commercially available under the trade name Polybond® by Chemtura Corp. and Eastman G series by Eastman Chemical Company.

In certain embodiments, the nanocomposite additive may also be reactive. An example of such a reactive nanocomposing additive is a polyepoxide having an average of at least two oxirane rings per molecule. Without being limited by theory, it is believed that such a polyepoxide molecule can induce the reaction of a matrix polymer (e.g., a polyester) under certain conditions, thereby improving its melt strength without significantly reducing the glass transition temperature It is believed to be possible. The reaction may include chain extension, branching branching, grafting, copolymerization, and the like. Chain extension can occur, for example, through a variety of different reaction pathways. For example, the modifier may enable a nucleophilic ring-opening reaction through the carboxyl end group of the polyester (esterification) or via a hydroxyl group (etherification). The oxazoline side reaction may likewise occur to form the ester amide moiety. Through such a reaction, the molecular weight of the matrix polymer is increased, so that it can resist the decomposition often observed during melt processing. Although it may be desirable to induce a reaction with a matrix polymer as described above, the present inventors have found that cross-linking between polymeric frameworks can occur due to excessive reaction. If such cross-linking is allowed to proceed to a significant extent, the resulting polymer blend becomes very fragile and may be difficult to treat into materials with desired strength and slenderness properties.

In this regard, the inventors have found that polyepoxides having relatively low epoxy functionality are particularly effective, which can be quantified as "epoxy equivalent weight ". The epoxy equivalent weight reflects the amount of the resin containing one molecule of the epoxy group and can be calculated by dividing the number average molecular weight of the modifier by the number of epoxy groups of the molecule. The polyepoxides of the present invention typically have a polydispersity index from 2.5 to 7, typically from about 7,500 to about 250,000 grams / mole, in some embodiments from about 15,000 to about 150,000 grams / mole, Has a number average molecular weight of from about 20,000 to about 100,000 grams / mole. The polyepoxide may comprise less than 50, in some embodiments 5 to 45, and in some embodiments 15 to 40 epoxy groups. The epoxy equivalent weight may then be less than about 15,000 grams / mole, in some embodiments from about 200 to about 10,000 grams / mole, and in some embodiments from about 500 to about 7,000 grams / mole.

The polyepoxide may be a linear or branched homopolymer or copolymer (e.g., random, graft, block, etc.) comprising a terminal epoxy group, a backbone oxirane unit, and / or a pendant epoxy group. The monomers used to form such polyepoxides may be variable. In one specific embodiment, for example, the polyepoxide comprises at least one epoxy-functional (meth) acryl monomer component. As used herein, the term "(meth) acryl" includes acrylic and methacrylic monomers, as well as their salts or esters, such as acrylates and methacrylate monomers. For example, suitable epoxy-functional (meth) acryl monomers can include, but are not limited to, those containing 1,2-epoxy groups, such as glycidyl acrylate and glycidyl methacrylate Do not. Other suitable epoxy-functional monomers include allyl glycidyl ether, glycidyl ethacrylate, and glycidyl itaconate.

Polyepoxides, as described above, typically have a relatively high molecular weight, and thus can cause chain extension and can also help to achieve the desired morphology. Thus, the melt flow rate of the resulting polymer is typically from about 10 to about 200 grams / 10 minutes, and in some embodiments from about 40 to about 150 grams / 10 minutes, as determined at 190 DEG C and a load of 2160 grams Min, in some embodiments from about 60 to about 120 grams per 10 minutes.

If desired, additional monomers can also be used in the polyepoxide to help achieve the desired molecular weight. Such monomers may be variable and include, for example, ester monomers, (meth) acryl monomers, olefin monomers, amide monomers, and the like. In one specific embodiment, for example, the polyepoxide comprises at least one linear or branched alpha-olefin monomer, for example having from 2 to 20 carbon atoms, preferably from 2 to 8 carbon atoms . Specific examples include ethylene, propylene, 1-butene; 3-methyl-1-butene; 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene; 1-pentene; 1-pentene having at least one methyl, ethyl, or propyl substituent; 1-hexene having at least one methyl, ethyl, or propyl substituent; 1-heptene having at least one methyl, ethyl, or propyl substituent; 1-octene having at least one methyl, ethyl, or propyl substituent; 1-none having at least one methyl, ethyl, or propyl substituent; Ethyl, methyl or dimethyl-substituted 1-decene; Dodecene; And styrene. Particularly preferred? -Olefin comonomers are ethylene and propylene.

Other suitable monomers may include (meth) acryl monomer that is not epoxy-functional. Examples of such (meth) acryl monomers are methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate, n-propyl acrylate, i-propyl acrylate, n-butyl acrylate, s-butyl acrylate, Butyl acrylate, n-amyl acrylate, i-amyl acrylate, isobornyl acrylate, n-hexyl acrylate, 2-ethylbutyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, Methyl methacrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate, n-propyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate Butyl methacrylate, n-hexyl methacrylate, i-amyl methacrylate, i-butyl methacrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, Cyclohexyl methacrylate, cyclopentyl methacrylate, 2-ethylhexyl methacrylate, methylcyclohexyl methacrylate, cinnamyl methacrylate, crotyl methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, cyclohexyl methacrylate, -Ethoxyethyl methacrylate, isobornyl methacrylate, and the like, and combinations thereof.

In one particularly preferred embodiment of the invention, the polyepoxide is a terpolymer formed from an epoxy-functional (meth) acryl monomer component, an alpha -olefin monomer component, and a non-epoxy functional (meth) acryl monomer component. For example, the polyepoxide may be poly (ethylene- co -methyl acrylate- co -glycidyl methacrylate) having the following structure:

Here, x, y, and z are one or more.

Epoxy functional monomers can be formed into polymers using a variety of known techniques. For example, monomers containing polar functional groups may be grafted to the polymeric backbone to form graft copolymers. Such graft techniques are well known in the art and are disclosed, for example, in U.S. Patent No. 5,179,164. In other embodiments, the monomers comprising epoxy functional groups can be prepared using known free radical polymerization techniques such as high pressure reaction, Ziegler-Natta catalyst reaction system, single site catalyst (e.g., metallocene) , May be copolymerized with the monomers to form block or random copolymers.

The relevant portion of the monomer component (s) may be selected to achieve a balance between the epoxy-reaction and the melt flow rate. More specifically, the high epoxy monomer content can lead to good reactivity with the matrix polymer, but if the content is too high, the melt flow rate can be reduced to such an extent that the polyepoxide has an adverse effect on the melt strength of the polymer blend. Thus, in most embodiments, the epoxy-functional (meth) acryl monomer (s) is present in an amount from about 1% to about 25% by weight of the copolymer, in some embodiments from about 2% to about 20% And from about 4% to about 15% by weight in some embodiments. The? -olefin monomer (s) may likewise be present in an amount of from about 55% to about 95% by weight of the copolymer, in some embodiments from about 60% to about 90% by weight, in some embodiments from about 65% 85% by weight. Other monomer components (e. G., Non-epoxy functional (meth) acryl monomer), when used, may range from about 5 weight percent to about 35 weight percent, in some embodiments from about 8 weight percent to about 30 weight percent, , In some embodiments from about 10% to about 25% by weight. One specific example of a suitable polyepoxide that can be used in the present invention is marketed by Arkema under the trade name LOTADER® Ax8950 or Ax8900. LOTADER (R) Ax8950 has a melt flow rate of, for example, 70 to 100 g / 10 min and has a glycidyl methacrylate monomer content of 7 to 11 wt%, a methyl acrylate monomer content of 13 to 17 wt% And an ethylene monomer content of 72% to 80% by weight. Another suitable polyepoxide is a terpolymer of ethylene, butyl acrylate, and glycidyl methacrylate, and is sold by Dupont under the trade name ELVALOY® PTW with a melt rate of 12 g / 10 min.

In addition to controlling the type and relative content of the monomers used to form the polyepoxides, the total weight percent can also be controlled to achieve the desired benefit. For example, if the reforming level is too low, an increase in melt strength and desired mechanical properties may not be achieved. However, the present inventors have also found that, if the modification level is too high, the treatment may be limited due to physical network formation by the epoxy functional group and strong molecular interaction (for example, crosslinking). Thus, the polyepoxide is typically present in an amount of from about 0.05% to about 10% by weight, in some embodiments from about 0.1% to about 8% by weight, based on the weight of the matrix polymer used in the composition, From about 0.5 wt% to about 5 wt%, and in some embodiments from about 1 wt% to about 3 wt%. The polyepoxide may also be present in an amount of from about 0.05% to about 10% by weight, in some embodiments from about 0.05% to about 8% by weight, in some embodiments from about 0.1% to about 5% By weight, and in some embodiments from about 0.5% to about 3% by weight.

Other reactive nanocomposing additives may also be used in the present invention, for example, oxazoline-functionalized polymers, cyanide-functionalized polymers, and the like. Such a reactive nanocomposing additive can be used, when in use, within the abovementioned concentrations for the polyepoxide. In one specific embodiment, an oxazoline-grafted polyolefin, which is a grafted polyolefin with a monomer comprising an oxazoline ring, can be used. The oxazoline can include 2-oxazoline, for example, 2-vinyl-2-oxazoline (e.g., 2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline) - oxazolines (which may be obtained, for example, from oleic acid, linoleic acid, palmitoleic acid, valoleic acid, erucic acid, and / or ethanol amide of arachidonic acid), and combinations thereof. In another embodiment, the oxazoline is selected from, for example, ricinol oxazoline maleate, undecyl-2-oxazoline, soya-2-oxazoline, ricinus-2-oxazoline and combinations thereof . In another embodiment, the oxazoline is selected from 2-isopropenyl-2-oxazoline, 2-isopropenyl-4,4-dimethyl-2-oxazoline, and combinations thereof.

Nanofillers such as carbon black, carbon nanotubes, carbon nanofibers, nanoclays, metal nanoparticles, nanosilica, and nano alumina can be used. Nanoclays are particularly suitable. The term "nanoclay" generally refers to nanoparticles of clay materials (naturally occurring minerals, organically modified minerals, or synthetic nanomaterials) that typically have a plateau structure. Examples of nano-clay is, for example, montmorillonite (2: 1 layer smectite clay structure), bentonite (an aluminum phyllosilicate mainly formed of montmorillonite), kaolinite (1: 1 plate structure and Al ₂ Si ₂ (Alumino silicate having the empirical formula O ₅ (OH) ₄ ), haloisite (aluminosilicate having the 1: 1 tubular structure and the formula Al ₂ Si ₂ O ₅ (OH) ₄ ). An example of a suitable nanoclay is Cloisite (R), a montmorillonite nano-clay sold by Southern Clay Products, Inc. Other examples of synthetic nanoclays include mixed-metal hydroxide nanoclays, layered dual hydroxide nanoclays (e.g., sepiolite), laponites, hectorites, saponites, indanites, etc. However, it is not limited thereto.

Chemie)를 포함한다. 원하는 경우, 나노필러는 첨가제와 조성물의 나머지 중합체들과의 상용성을 향상시키는 마스터 배치를 형성하도록 담체 수지와 배합될 수 있다. 특히 적절한 담체 수지는, 예를 들어, 위에서 더욱 상세히 설명한 바와 같이, 폴리에스테르(예를 들어, 폴리락트산, 폴리에틸렌 테레프탈레이트 등); 폴리올레핀(예를 들어, 에틸렌 중합체, 프로필렌 중합체 등); 기타 등등을 포함한다. If desired, the nanoclay may include a surface treatment agent to help improve compatibility with the matrix polymer (e. G., Polyester). The surface treatment agent may be organic or inorganic. In one embodiment, an organic surface treatment agent obtained by reacting an organic cation with a clay is used. Suitable organic cations include, for example, quaternary organic ammonium compounds that can exchange cations with clay such as dimethylbis [hydrogenated tallow] ammonium chloride (2M2HT), methylbenzylbis [hydrogenated tallow] ammonium chloride (MB2HT) Methyltris [hydrogenated tallow alkyl] chloride (M3HT), and the like. Examples of commercially available organic nano-clays can include, for example, Dellite® 43B (Laviosa Chimica, Livorno, Italy), a montmorillonite clay modified with dimethylbenzyl hydrogenated Uji ammonium salt. Other examples include Cloisite (R) 25A and Cloisite (R) 30B (Southern Clay Products) and Nanofil 919

Chemie). If desired, the nanofiller can be blended with the carrier resin to form a masterbatch that improves the compatibility of the additive with the remaining polymers of the composition. Particularly suitable carrier resins are, for example, polyesters (e.g., polylactic acid, polyethylene terephthalate, etc.), as described in more detail above; Polyolefins (e.g., ethylene polymers, propylene polymers, etc.); And the like.

In certain embodiments of the present invention, a plurality of nanocomposing additives may be used in combination. For example, a first nanocomposing additive (e.g., a polyepoxide) may have a domain having an average cross-sectional dimension of from about 50 to about 500 nm, in some embodiments from about 60 to about 400 nm, and in some embodiments from about 80 to about 300 nm As shown in FIG. The second nanocomposite additive (e.g., nanofiller) may also have an average cross-sectional dimension of from about 1 to about 50 nm, in some embodiments from about 2 to about 45 nm, and in some embodiments from about 5 to about 40 nm, Can be dispersed in the form of smaller domains than the nanocomposite additive. In use, the first and / or second nanocomposing additive typically comprises from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight of the thermoplastic composition, based on the weight of the continuous phase (matrix polymer (s)), From about 0.1 wt% to about 10 wt%, and in some embodiments from about 0.5 wt% to about 5 wt%. The concentration of the first and / or second nanocomposing additive in the overall thermoplastic composition is from about 0.01% to about 15% by weight, in some embodiments from about 0.05% to about 10% by weight of the thermoplastic composition, and in some embodiments, From about 0.1% to about 8% by weight.

D. Other Ingredients

Various ingredients for the composition can be used for a variety of different reasons. For example, in one specific embodiment, an interphase modifier may be used in the thermoplastic composition to assist in reducing the friction and friction between the microencapsulated additive and the matrix polymer, thereby improving the uniformity and degree of dissociation . In this way, pores can be distributed in a more homogeneous manner throughout the composition. The modifier may be in a liquid or semi-solid form at room temperature (e. G., 25 DEG C), and may have a relatively low viscosity to more readily integrate into the thermoplastic composition and readily migrate to the polymer surface. In this regard, the kinematic viscosity of the interphase modifier is typically in the range of about 0.7 to about 200 centistokes ("cs"), in some embodiments about 1 to about 100 cs, 1.5 to about 80 cs. In addition, the interphase modifier typically has hydrophobicity to have affinity for the micro-inclusion additive which causes a change in interfacial tension between the matrix polymer and the additive. By reducing the physical force at the interface between the matrix polymer and the micro-inclusion additive, it is believed that the low viscosity and hydrophobicity of the modifier can help to facilitate dissociation. As used herein, the term "hydrophobic" refers to a material that typically has a water contact angle in air of at least about 40 degrees, in some instances at least about 60 degrees. In contrast, the term "hydrophilic" refers to a material that typically has a water contact angle in air of less than about 40 degrees. One suitable test for measuring the contact angle is ASTM D5725-99 (2008).

Suitable hydrophobic low viscosity interphase modifiers include, for example, silicones, silicone-polyether copolymers, aliphatic polyesters, aromatic polyesters, alkylene glycols such as ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, triethylene glycol, Propylene glycol, propylene glycol, polyethylene glycol, polypropylene glycol, polybutylene glycol, etc.), alkane diols (for example, 1,3-propanediol, 2,2- Butanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,5-pentanediol, 1,6-hexanediol, 2,2,4-trimethyl-1,6 hexanediol, 1,3-cyclohexanedimethanol, Tetramethyl-1,3-cyclobutanediol), amine oxides (e.g., octyldimethylamine oxide), fatty acid esters, fatty acid amides (e.g., oleamide, Erucamide, stearamide, ethylenebis (stearamide), etc.), minerals, It may include oils. One particularly suitable liquid or semi-solid is, for example, a polyether polyol marketed by BASF Corp. under the trade name Pluriol WI. Another suitable modifier is, for example, a partially regenerable ester sold under the trade name HALLGREEN (R) IM by Hallstar.

The interphase modifier may, in use, comprise from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight, in some embodiments from about 0.5% to about 15% by weight, of the thermoplastic composition based on the weight of the continuous phase (matrix polymer (s) In embodiments from about 1% to about 10% by weight. The concentration of the liver reforming agent in the overall thermoplastic composition may likewise be from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight, in some embodiments from about 0.1% to about 15% by weight, in some embodiments from about 0.5% to about 10% % Can be configured.

When used in the amounts mentioned above, the interphase modifier has the characteristic that it can easily migrate to the interface of the polymer without disturbing the overall melting characteristics of the thermoplastic composition and facilitate dissociation. For example, interphase modifiers typically do not have a plasticizing effect on the polymer by decreasing the glass transition temperature of the polymer. In sharp contrast to this, the present inventors have found that the glass transition temperature of the thermoplastic composition can be substantially the same as the initial matrix polymer. In this regard, the ratio of the glass transition temperature of the composition to the glass transition temperature of the matrix polymer is typically from about 0.7 to about 1.3, in some embodiments from about 0.8 to about 1.2, in some embodiments from about 0.9 to about 1.1 to be. The thermoplastic composition may have a glass transition temperature of, for example, from about 35 캜 to about 80 캜, in some embodiments from about 40 캜 to about 80 캜, and in some embodiments from about 50 캜 to about 65 캜. The melt flow rate of the thermoplastic composition may also be similar to the melt flow rate of the matrix polymer. For example, the melt flow rate of the composition (in the dry state) may range from about 0.1 to about 70 grams / 10 minutes, in some embodiments from about 0.5 to about 50 grams, determined at a load of 2160 grams and a temperature of 190 degrees Celsius / 10 minutes In some embodiments, it may be from about 5 to about 25 grams / 10 minutes.

A commercialization scheme may be used that improves interfacial adhesion and reduces the interfacial tension between the domains and matrix, thereby allowing the formation of smaller domains during mixing. Examples of suitable compatibilizers may include, for example, copolymers that are functionalized with an epoxy or maleic anhydride chemical moiety. An example of a maleic anhydride compatibilizer is polypropylene-grafted-maleic anhydride, which is marketed by Arkema under the trade name Orevac ™ 18750 and Orevac ™ CA 100. The compatibilizing agent may, in use, contain from about 0.05% to about 10% by weight, in some embodiments from about 0.1% to about 8% by weight of the thermoplastic composition, in some embodiments from about 0.5% % To about 5% by weight.

Other suitable materials that may also be used in the thermoplastic compositions include, for example, catalysts, antioxidants, stabilizers, surfactants, waxes, solid solvents, fillers, nucleating agents (e.g., calcium carbonate, And other materials added to improve the processability and mechanical properties of the thermoplastic composition. One beneficial aspect of the present invention, however, is that it can be used in the form of a mixture of a blowing agent (e.g., chlorofluorocarbons, hydrochlorofluorocarbons, hydrocarbons, carbon dioxide, supercritical carbon dioxide, Polyethylene glycol), and the like, and good properties can be provided. In fact, thermoplastic compositions may generally be free of blowing agents and / or plasticizers. For example, the blowing agent and / or plasticizer may be present in an amount of about 1 weight percent of the thermoplastic composition, in some embodiments up to about 0.5 weight percent, and in some embodiments from about 0.001 weight percent to about 0.2 weight percent . Also, due to the stress whitening properties, the composition to be formed, as described in more detail below, can achieve an opaque color (e.g., white) without the need for conventional pigments such as titanium dioxide. In certain embodiments, for example, the pigment is present in an amount of up to about 1 percent by weight, in some embodiments up to about 0.5 percent by weight, and in some embodiments from about 0.001 percent by weight to about 0.2 percent by weight of the thermoplastic composition Lt; / RTI >

II. Polymer material

The polymeric material of the present invention may be formed by stretching a thermoplastic composition, which may contain a matrix polymer, a microencapsulated additive, a nanocomposite additive, as well as other optional ingredients. To form the initial thermoplastic composition, the ingredients are typically formulated together using any of a variety of known techniques. For example, in one embodiment, the components may be supplied separately or in combination. For example, the ingredients may be first dry blended together to form an essentially homogeneous dry blend, which may likewise be fed to a melt processing apparatus which dispersively blends the materials simultaneously or sequentially. Batch and / or continuous melt processing techniques may be used. For example, mixers / kneaders, Bamnbury mixers, Farrel continuous mixers, single-screw extruders, twin-screw extruders, roll mills and the like can be utilized to mix and melt materials. A particularly suitable melt processing apparatus is a co-rotating, twin-screw extruder (see, for example, the ZSK-30 extruder from Werner & Pfleiderer Corporation (Ramsey, NJ) or Thermo Prism ^TM USALAB 16 extruder). Such extruders can include feed and vent ports and provide a high intensity, distributive and dispersive mixing. For example, the components are fed to the same or different feed ports of a twin-screw extruder and melt mixed to form a substantially homogeneous molten mixture. If desired, other additives may also be injected into the polymer melt and / or fed separately to the extruder at different points along the length of the extruder.

Regardless of the particular processing technique selected, the final molten blend composition may contain micro-sized domains of the micro-inclusion additive and nanoscale domains of the nanocomposite additive as mentioned above. The degree of shear / pressure and heat can be highly controlled so as not to reduce the size of the domains to such an extent that they ensure sufficient dispersion but rather that the domains can not achieve the desired properties. For example, the blend is typically conducted at a temperature of from about 180 DEG C to about 300 DEG C, in some embodiments from about 185 DEG C to about 250 DEG C, and in some embodiments from about 190 DEG C to about 240 DEG C Occurs. Likewise, during the fusing process, apparent shear rates range from about 10 sec ^-1 to about 3000 sec ^-1 , in some embodiments from about 50 sec ^-1 to about 2000 sec ^-1 , and in some embodiments from about 100 sec ^-1 to about 100 sec ^-1 of 1200 seconds ^-1 it may be a range. Apparent shear rate, we are following the 4Q / pR ^3, wherein Q is the radius of the volume flow rate of the polymer melt ( "m ³ / s") and, R is the passing capillary tube of molten polymer through it (for example, extruder die) ( "m ")to be. Of course, other parameters, such as the residence time during the melting process, which is inversely proportional to the throughput, can also be adjusted to achieve the desired degree of homogeneity.

In order to achieve the desired shear conditions (e.g., speed, residence time, shear rate, melt processing temperature, etc.), the speed of the extruder screw (s) may be selected to a specific range. Generally, an increase in product temperature is observed as the screw speed increases due to additional mechanical energy input into the system. For example, the screw speed may be from about 50 to about 600 rpm, in some embodiments from about 70 to about 500 rpm, and in some embodiments from about 100 to about 300 rpm. As a result, a temperature high enough to disperse the micro-containment additive can be generated without adversely affecting the size of the domain produced. The melt shear rate and the extent to which the additives are subsequently dispersed can also be increased by using one or more distributable and / or dispersible blending elements within the blending zone of the extruder. Suitable distributive mixers for single screw extruders may include, for example, Saxon, Dulmage, Cavity Transfer mixers, and the like. Likewise suitable dispersing mixers may include Blister rings, Leroy / Maddock, CRD mixers, and the like. As is well known in the art, mixing can be further improved by using pins of a barrel, such as a Buss kneader extruder, a Cavity Transfer mixer, and a Vortex Intermeshing Pin (VIP) mixer, which produce a folding and reorientation of the polymer melt have.

Once compounded, the net structure may be introduced by stretching the composition in a longitudinal direction (e.g., machine direction), in a transverse direction (e.g., cross-machine direction), and combinations thereof. To perform the desired stretch, the thermoplastic composition may be formed into a precursor shape, stretched, and then converted to a desired material (e.g., film, fiber, etc.). In one embodiment, the precursor shape has a thickness of from about 1 to about 5000 microns, in some embodiments from about 2 to about 4000 microns, in some embodiments from about 5 to about 2500 microns, and in some embodiments from about 10 to about 500 microns . As an alternative to forming the precursor shape, the thermoplastic composition may also be stretched in place as it is formed from the desired material for the polymeric material. In one embodiment, for example, the thermoplastic composition can be stretched when it is formed of film or fiber.

Nonetheless, a variety of stretching techniques can be used, such as drawing (e.g., a fiber stretching device), stretching frame stretching, biaxial stretching, multi-axis stretching, profile stretching, vacuum stretching and the like. For example, in one embodiment, the composition may be, for example, from Marshall and Willams, Co. (&Quot; MDO ") commercially available from Providence, Rhode Island. The MDO unit typically has a plurality of stretching rolls (e.g., 5 to 8) that continue to stretch in the machine direction and thin the film. The composition may be stretched in single or multiple discrete stretching operations. It should be noted that some of the rolls of the MDO device may not operate at increasingly higher speeds. To stretch the material in the manner described above, it is generally desirable that the rolls of the MDO are not heated. Nevertheless, if desired, one or more rolls may be heated slightly to facilitate the stretching process, as long as the temperature of the composition is maintained below the aforementioned ranges.

The extent of stretching is selected to ensure that the desired pore net is achieved, although it will vary in part depending on the nature of the material being stretched (e.g., fiber or film). In this regard, the composition may be elongated (e. G., In the machine direction) at a draw ratio, generally from about 1.1 to about 3.5, in some embodiments from about 1.2 to about 3.0, and in some embodiments from about 1.3 to about 2.5 do. The stretching ratio can be determined by dividing the length of the stretched material by the length before stretching the material. In addition, the elongation ratio can be varied to help achieve the desired properties, for example, from about 5% to about 1500% / minute of modification, in some embodiments from about 20% to about 1000% And in some embodiments from about 25% to about 850% / minute. The composition is generally maintained at a temperature below the glass temperature of the matrix polymer and microencapsulating additive during stretching. Among other things, this helps ensure that the polymer chain is not altered to such an extent that the net network becomes unstable. For example, the composition may be stretched at a temperature of at least about 10 [deg.] C, in some embodiments at least about 20 [deg.] C, and in some embodiments at least about 30 [deg.] C below the glass transition temperature of the matrix polymer. For example, the composition may be stretched at a temperature of from about 0 캜 to about 50 캜, in some embodiments from about 15 캜 to about 40 캜, and in some embodiments from about 20 캜 to about 30 캜. Although it is common for a composition to be stretched without external heat (e.g., a heated roll), such heat can be used as an option to improve processability, reduce stretchability, increase stretch ratio, and improve fiber unity It is possible.

Stretching in the manner described above can result in the formation of pores with " nanoscale " dimensions (" nanopores "). For example, the nanopores may be less than about 800 nm, in some embodiments from about 1 to about 500 nm, in some embodiments from about 5 to about 450 nm, in some embodiments from about 5 to 400 nm, and in some embodiments from about 10 to about 100 nm Sectional dimension of the cross section. The micropores may also be formed at or near the microsize domains having an average cross-sectional dimension of from about 0.5 to about 30 [mu] m, in some embodiments from about 1 to about 20 [mu] m, and in some embodiments from about 2 [ . The micropores and / or nanopores may be arbitrary regular or irregular, such as spherical, elongated, and the like. In some cases, the axial dimension of the micropore and / or nanopore may be greater than the cross-sectional dimension such that the aspect ratio (ratio of axial dimension to cross-sectional dimension) is from about 1 to about 30, in some embodiments from about 1.1 to about 15 And in some embodiments from about 1.2 to about 5. The " axial dimension " is typically the dimension in the direction of the major axis (e.g., length) in the stretching direction.

The present inventors have also found that pores (e.g., micropores, nanopores, or both) can be distributed in a substantially uniform manner throughout the material. For example, the pores may be distributed in columns oriented in a direction generally perpendicular to the direction in which stress is applied. These columns may be approximately parallel to each other across the width of the material. Without being limited by theory, it is believed that the presence of such a homogeneously distributed pore net allows for high thermal resistance and good mechanical properties (e.g., energy dissipation under load and impact strength). This is in sharp contrast to prior art techniques which tend to produce pores associated with the use of blowing agents and thus poor pore distribution and poor mechanical properties. It should be noted that the formation of the pore net by the above-described process does not necessarily result in a significant change in the cross-sectional size (e.g., width) of the material. In other words, the material is not substantially necked, which allows the material to maintain its initial cross-sectional dimensions and a greater degree of strength characteristics.

In addition to forming the pore network, the stretching can also significantly increase the axial dimension of the micro-sized domains so that they have a generally linear elongated shape. For example, the elongated microsized domains can be about 10% or more, in some embodiments about 20 to about 500%, and in some embodiments about 50% to about 250% more And can have a large average axial dimension. The axial dimension after stretching may range, for example, from about 0.5 to about 250 microns, in some embodiments from about 1 to about 100 microns, in some embodiments from about 2 to about 50 microns, and in some embodiments from about 5 to about 25 microns . Microsize domains can also be relatively thin and thus have a small cross-sectional dimension, for example, from about 0.05 to about 50 microns, in some embodiments from about 0.2 to about 10 microns, and in some embodiments from about 0.5 to about 5 microns . This can result in an aspect ratio (ratio of axial dimension to cross-sectional dimension) for the first domains of from about 2 to about 150, in some embodiments from about 3 to about 100, and in some embodiments from about 4 to about 50 .

As a result of the porous and elongated domain structure, the present inventors have discovered that the resulting polymeric material, as determined by the equation below, is reflected in a "Poisson coefficient" It can be uniformly expanded in volume.

Poisson coefficient = - E _{Landscape orientation}  / E _Lengthwise

Where E _{transverse direction} is the transverse strain of the material and E _{longitudinal direction} is the longitudinal strain of the material. More specifically, the material's Poisson's modulus can be approximately zero or even negative. For example, the Poisson coefficient may be less than or equal to about 0.1, in some embodiments less than or equal to about 0.08, and in some embodiments, from about -0.1 to about 0.04. When the Poisson coefficient is zero, there is no shrinkage in the transverse direction when the material expands in the longitudinal direction. When the Poisson coefficient is negative, the transverse or lateral dimension of the material expands when the material is stretched in the longitudinal direction. Thus, a material having a negative Poisson's modulus can exhibit an increase in width upon elongation in the longitudinal direction, thereby increasing the energy absorption in the cross direction.

The polymeric material of the present invention can generally have a variety of different forms depending on the particular application, such as, for example, films for use in building insulation, fibrous materials, molded articles, profiles, etc., There are composites and laminates. In one embodiment, for example, the polymeric material is in the form of a film or film layer. The multilayer films may comprise from two to fifteen layers, and in some embodiments from three to twelve layers. These multilayer films normally include at least one base layer and at least one additional layer (e.g., a skin layer), but may include any number of layers as needed. For example, a multilayer film can be formed from a base layer and one or more skin layers, and a base layer and / or skin layer (s) are formed from the polymeric material of the present invention. However, it should be understood that other polymeric materials such as polyolefin polymers may be used in the base layer and / or skin layer (s).

The thickness of the film may be relatively small to increase flexibility. For example, the film may have a thickness of from about 1 to about 200 microns, in some embodiments from about 2 to about 150 microns, in some embodiments from about 5 to about 100 microns, and in some embodiments from about 10 to about 60 microns have. Despite this small thickness, the film can maintain good mechanical properties during use. For example, the film may be relatively soft. One parameter that indicates the ductility of the film is the film elongation at break, as measured by a stress-strain curve, such as that obtained at 23 DEG C in accordance with ASTM Standard D638-10. For example, the elongation at break in the machine direction ("MD") may be at least about 10%, in some embodiments at least about 50%, at least about 80%, in some embodiments from about 100% . Likewise, the elongation at break of the film in the cross machine direction ("CD") may be at least about 15%, in some embodiments at least about 40%, in some embodiments at least about 70% % To about 400%. Another parameter representing ductility is the tensile modulus of the film, which is equal to the ratio of tensile stress to tensile strain, determined from the slope of the stress-strain curve. For example, the film typically has a pressure of less than or equal to about 2500 megapascals ("MPa"), in some embodiments less than or equal to about 2200 MPa, in some embodiments from about 50 MPa to about 2000 MPa, MD and / or CD tensile modulus of 1000 MPa. The tensile modulus can be determined according to ASTM D638-10 at 23 占 폚.

The film is ductile, but can still be relatively strong. Another parameter indicative of the relative strength of the film is the ultimate tensile strength, such as the peak stress obtained in a stress-strain curve, such as that obtained according to ASTM Standard D638-10. For example, the film may exhibit MD and / or CD peak stresses of from about 5 to about 65 MPa, in some embodiments from about 10 to about 60 MPa, and in some embodiments from about 20 to about 55 MPa. In addition, the film may exhibit MD and / or CD breaking stresses of from about 5 to about 60 MPa, in some embodiments from about 10 to about 50 MPa, and in some embodiments from about 20 to about 45 MPa. Peak stress and fracture stress can be determined at 23 캜 according to ASTM D638-10.

In addition to the film, the polymeric material may also be in the form of a layer or component of fibrous material or fibrous material, which may be in the form of individual staple fibers or filaments (continuous fibers) , Fabrics, and the like. The radiation may be applied, for example, to a number of staple fibers twisted together ("spun spinning"), laid filaments without twisting ("zero-twisted spinning"), slightly twisted and laid filaments, Single filaments with or without twisting ("monofilament"), and the like. The radiation may or may not be textured. Suitable fabrics may likewise be fabricated from a variety of materials, including, for example, woven fabrics, knitted fabrics, nonwoven fabrics (such as spunbond webs, meltblown webs, bonded carded webs, wet-laid webs, airlaid webs, Tangle web, etc.).

The fibers formed from the thermoplastic composition generally have a single component and a multi-component (e.g., a sheath-core configuration, a side-by-side configuration, a segmented pie configuration, an island- Configuration, etc.). ≪ / RTI > In some embodiments, the fibers may include one or more additional polymers as a component (e.g., bicomponent) or a component (e.g., a biconstituent) to further enhance strength and other mechanical properties . For example, the thermoplastic composition may form the sheath component of the sheath / core bicomponent fiber while the additional polymer may form the core component, and vice versa . The additional polymer may be a thermoplastic polymer, such as a polyester, for example, polylactic acid, polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, and the like; Polyolefins such as polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutylene and the like; Polytetrafluoroethylene; Polyvinyl acetate; Polyvinyl chloride acetate; Polyvinyl butyral; Acrylic resins such as polyacrylate, polymethyl acrylate, polymethyl methacrylate and the like; Polyamides such as nylon; Polyvinyl chloride; Polyvinylidene chloride; polystyrene; Polyvinyl alcohol; And polyurethanes.

Fibers, in use, can be deformed rather than broken when a strain is applied. Thus, the fibers can continue to function as load bearing members even after the fibers have exhibited considerable elongation. In this regard, the fibers of the present invention may exhibit improved "peak elongation properties ", i.e., the elongation percentage of fibers at peak load. For example, the fibers of the present invention may have a tensile strength of at least about 50%, in some embodiments at least about 100%, and in some embodiments from about 200% to about 1500%, as determined in accordance with ASTM D638-10 at 23 & %, And in some embodiments from about 400% to about 800%. Such a truncated filament may have a fiber having a variety of average diameters, such as from about 0.1 to about 50 占 퐉, in some embodiments from about 1 to about 40 占 퐉, in some embodiments from about 2 to about 25 占 퐉, and in some embodiments, from about 5 to about 15 占 퐉, Lt; / RTI >

The fibers of the present invention, while having the ability to extend under strain, can also be kept relatively strong. For example, the fibers may have a diameter of from about 25 to about 500 megapascals ("MPa"), in some embodiments from about 50 to about 300 MPa, as determined in accordance with ASTM D638-10 at 23 [ And may exhibit peak tensile stresses of from about 60 to about 200 MPa. Another parameter indicative of the relative strength of the fibers of the present invention is "toughness" which represents the tensile strength of the fibers expressed as force per unit linear density. For example, the fiber of the invention, from about 0.75 to about 6.0 grams per denier force ( "g _f"), in some embodiments of from about 1.0 to about 4.5g _f, for example, some implementations per denier of about 1.5 denier per ≪ / RTI > to about 4.0 g _f . The denier of the fibers can vary depending on the desired application. Typically, the fibers are sized to have a denier per filament of less than 6, in some embodiments less than about 3, and in some embodiments, from about 0.5 to about 3 (i.e., a unit of linear density such as 9000 meters of grams of fiber per gram of fiber) .

If desired, the polymeric material of the present invention may undergo one or more further processing steps before and / or after stretching. Examples of such processes include, for example, grooved roll stretching, embossing, coating, and the like. In certain embodiments, the polymeric material may also be annealed to help ensure that the desired shape is maintained. Annealing typically occurs at or above the glass transition temperature of the polymer matrix and can range, for example, from about 40 ° C to about 120 ° C, in some embodiments from about 50 ° C to about 100 ° C, And in some embodiments from about 70 [deg.] C to about 90 [deg.] C. The polymeric material may also be surface treated using any of a variety of techniques known to improve its properties. For example, any skin layer can be removed or reduced using a high energy beam (e.g., plasma, X-ray, e-beam, etc.), surface polarity, porosity, Surface layer weakening and the like can be performed. If desired, such surface treatment may be used before and / or after the stretching of the thermoplastic composition.

III. Building insulation

As indicated above, the building insulation of the present invention can be used for a wide variety of purposes, such as for insulation, sound insulation, shock insulation (e.g., vibration), fire insulation, moisture insulation, . In certain embodiments, the building insulation may be used in a structure that is formed entirely from the polymeric material of the present invention. However, in other embodiments, the building insulation may also include polymeric material as a layer and one or more additional layers of material or as a cover for various purposes such as additional insulation, barrier properties, and the like. The additional layer (s) may also include other conventional types of materials such as polymeric foams, films or sheets, nonwoven webs, glass fiber materials, cellulosic materials, scrims, foils and the like. Regardless of the particular configuration, the building insulation may be located within a residential or commercial building structure, adjacent the surface of the building exterior, and / or adjacent the interior surface of the building.

The architectural panel may be formed of, for example, a polymeric material of the present invention, and may be constructed of a framework wall, a frost wall (e.g., in a building without a basement), a manufactured home base curtain wall, , Roof systems, outdoor anomaly walls, curtain walls, exterior walls in areas using brick facades, and the like. 1-2, an embodiment of a building panel (e.g., a framing wall panel) that may be formed in accordance with the present invention is shown in greater detail, for example. As shown, the building collectively includes inner and outer framework walls 10 defining the framework 12. Each framing wall 10 is defined in turn by one or more framing wall panels 14. As shown, each frame wall panel 14 includes a bottom plate 16, upstanding wall portions 18, and a top plate 20. Each of the upstanding wall portions 18 is attached to or integral with the main wall portion 22 and the main wall portion at regular intervals along the longitudinal direction of the wall portion, And includes a vertically-oriented reinforcing stud 23 extending inward. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 1, a wedge-shaped bracket 24 is mounted to the stud at the top and bottom of the wall so that the bottom plate and top plate, and / or any other attachment mechanism, Lt; / RTI >

As shown, a conventional beam 26 (e. G., A steel I-beam) is mounted to the wall portion, if necessary, to support the laying of overlying layers. This beam can be supported by the pillars 28 and / or the pad 30 as needed. Additional support columns may also be used at or near the distal end of the beam to meet specific individual wall requirements of the building design. The solid stiffening studs 23 can be used to attach beams to respective panels of the framing walls. As shown in FIG. 2, the main wall portion 22 is generally defined between the inner and outer surfaces of the wall panel 14. According to one embodiment of the present invention, the wall portion 22 may comprise the polymeric material of the present invention as building insulation 32, which provides a thermal barrier between the inner opposing and outer opposing surfaces of the wall. The bottom plate 16 and top plate 20 may be secured to the main base 22 with the aid of a wedge bracket 24 or other support bracket structure. The lowermost plate 16 may support a framed wall and a top portion of the building overlaid in a fabricated base portion underlying the concrete such as a concrete footer.

In yet another embodiment of the present invention, the building insulation of the present invention may be used as an external " house wrap " material that acts as an exterior facade for a building and is located adjacent to the exterior surface of the building (e.g., walls, have. For example, such material may be applied to or adjacent to the exterior surface and / or the outer cover (e.g., siding, brick, stone, varnish, stucco, concrete veneers, etc.) prior to its installation. Referring to Fig. 3, an embodiment is shown in which, for example, building insulation is applied to an outer wall. Generally, building insulation is used after the walls are built, and all exterior and non-membrane details are installed. It is desirable that the building insulation be applied before the doors and windows are set in the opening with the frame and before the installation of the base wall lid. In the illustrated embodiment, the first building insulator 100 is applied to the wall assembly 140. As shown, the insulating material may be unwound from the roll. The building insulator 100 is fixed to the outer wall assembly 140 by a fastening mechanism such as a stapler or a cap nail. Building insulation may be trimmed around the opening with each frame with additional appropriate details applied according to the window / door manufacturer and / or code standard. Once installed, an outer cover may be applied / installed over the building insulation, if desired.

In addition to insulating the outer surface of the building structure, the building insulation may also be used in a building interior. In such embodiments, the building insulation is generally located adjacent to the building interior surfaces, such as ceilings, floors, stud walls, interior doors, and the like. 4, an embodiment of an interior surface 250 that may be insulated, for example, in accordance with the present invention is shown. More specifically, FIG. 4 shows a cross-sectional view of an insulated wall hollow. In this embodiment, surface 250 includes a wall attached to a pair of studs 252 and 254. Between the pair of studs 252 and 254 there is a building insulation layer 256 of the present invention applied to the surface 250. In the embodiment shown in FIG. 4, the building insulation 256 is positioned directly adjacent to the surface 250. It should be understood, however, that in other embodiments, additional types of insulation may be disposed between the surface 250 and the building insulation 256.

The invention can be better understood with reference to the following examples.

Test Methods

Hydrostatic test (" hydrohead "):

The hydrostatic pressure test is a measure of the resistance of the material to penetration by water, which is liquid under static pressure, and is performed in accordance with AATCC Test Method 127-2008. The results for each specimen can be averaged and recorded in centimeters (cm). Higher values indicate greater resistance to water penetration.

Water vapor transmission rate ("WVTR"):

The test used to measure the WVTR of a substance may vary based on the nature of the substance. One technique for measuring the WVTR value is ASTM E96 / 96M-12, Procedure B. Other methods include INDA test procedure IST-70.4 (01). The INDA test procedure is summarized as follows. The drying chamber is separated from the wet chamber with known temperature and humidity by a permanent protective film and the sample material to be tested. The purpose of the protective film is to define a distinct air gap and to hold or calm the air in the air gap while the air gap is characterized. The drying chamber, the protective film and the wet chamber constitute a diffusion cell in which the test film is sealed. The sample holder is Mocon / Modem Controls, Inc. Lt; / RTI > model 100K, manufactured by Minneapolis, Minnesota. The first test consisted of the air gap between the evaporator assemblies producing 100% relative humidity and the WVTR of the protective film. The water vapor diffuses through the air gap and the protective film and then mixes with the dry gas stream proportional to the water vapor concentration. An electrical signal is sent to the computer for processing. The computer calculates the air gap and the transmission rate of the protective film and stores the value for later use.

The transmission rate of the protective film and the air gap is stored in the computer as CalC. The sample material is then sealed in the test cell. Again, water vapor is diffused through the air gap into the protective film and the test material, and then mixed with the dry gas stream sweeping the test material. Again, this mixture is conveyed to the vapor sensor. The computer then calculates the permeation rate of the air gap, the protective film, and the combination of test materials. This information is then used to calculate the permeation rate through which the moisture is permeated through the test material according to the following equation:

 TR ^- _{1 Test substance} = TR ^- _{1 Test material, protective film, air gap}   TR ^-One _{Protective film, air gap}

The water vapor transmission rate (" WVTR ") is then calculated as:

here,

F = flow of water vapor of cm ³ per minute;

_{sat (T)} = density of water in air saturated at temperature T;

RH = Relative humidity at the specified location of the cell;

A = cross-sectional area of the cell; And

P _{sat (T)} = saturation vapor pressure of water vapor at temperature T;

Conductive properties:

Thermal conductivity (W / mK) and heat resistance (m ² K / W) can be measured using the Anter Unitherm Model 2022 tester according to ASTM E-1530-11 (" Resistance to permeation "). The target test temperature may be 25 ° C and the applied load may be 0.17 MPa. Prior to testing, samples can be conditioned for 40+ hours at a temperature of 23 ° C ( + 2 ° C) and a relative humidity of 50% ( + 10%). Thermal admittance (W / m ² K) can also be calculated by dividing 1 by heat resistance.

Melting flow rate:

The melt flow rate ("MFR") is the weight of polymer flowing through an extruded flow orifice (0.0825-inch diameter) that is subjected to a load of 2160 grams at 190 占 폚, 210 占 폚, or 230 占 폚 for 10 minutes . Unless otherwise noted, the melt flow rate is measured according to ASTM Test Method D1239 using a Tinius Olsen Extrusion Plastometer.

Thermal properties:

The glass transition temperature (T _g ) can be determined by dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) according to ASTM E1640-09. TA Instruments' Q800 instrument is available. In a tension / tension geometry, and in a temperature sweep mode ranging from -120 ° C to 150 ° C with a heating rate of 3 ° C / min, experiments can be run. The deformation amplitude frequency can be kept constant (2 Hz) during the test. Three independent samples can be tested to determine the average glass transition temperature, which is defined by the peak value of the tangent δ curve, where the tangent δ is defined as the ratio of the loss modulus to the storage modulus (tan δ = E "/ E ' ).

The melting temperature can be determined by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). The differential scanning calorimeter can be a DSC Q100 Differential Scanning Calorimeter equipped with a liquid nitrogen cooling accessory and a UNIVERSAL ANALYSIS 2000 (version 4.6.6) analysis software program, all of which are available in Newcastle, Delaware, TA Instruments. You can use a tweezer or other tool to avoid handling the sample directly. Samples can be placed in an aluminum pan and metered onto the analytical balance with an accuracy of 0.01 mg. The lid may wrinkle over the sample of material on the pan. Typically, the resin pellets can be placed directly in the weighing barrel.

As described in the operation manual for differential scanning calorimetry, differential scanning calorimetry can be calibrated using indium metal standards and baseline correction can be performed. The material sample can be placed in a test chamber of a differential scanning calorimeter for testing, and an empty pan can be used as a reference. All tests can be run on a test chamber with 55-cm ³ / min nitrogen purge (industrial). For the resin pellet sample, the heating and cooling program started with the equilibration of the chamber to -30 占 폚, and the first heating period to 200 占 폚 at a heating rate of 10 占 폚 / min, the equilibrium of the sample at 200 占 폚 for 3 minutes , A first cooling period up to -30 占 폚 at a cooling rate of 10 占 폚 / min, an equilibrium at -30 占 폚 for 3 minutes, a second heating period up to 200 占 폚 at a heating rate of 10 占 폚 / It is a test. For the fiber samples, the heating and cooling program was initiated at a chamber equilibrium of -25 占 폚 and at a heating rate of 10 占 폚 / min for a heating period of up to 200 占 폚, equilibrium at 200 占 폚 for 3 minutes, Cycle test followed by a cooling period of up to -30 占 폚 at the cooling rate. All tests can be run on a test chamber with 55-cm ³ / min nitrogen purge (industrial).

Results can be evaluated using a UNIVERSAL ANALYSIS 2000 analysis software program that quantifies the glass transition temperature (T _g ) of the inflection, endothermic, and exothermic peaks, and regions under the peaks on the DSC plot. The glass transition temperature can be identified as an area on the plot line where an apparent change in slope has occurred and the melting temperature can be determined using automatic shift calculation.

Film tension characteristics

The film can be tested for tensile properties on the MTS Synergie 200 tension frame (eg, peak stress, modulus of elasticity, strain at break, and energy per break at break). The test may be conducted according to ASTM D638-10 (at about 23 DEG C). The film samples can be cut into a dog bone shape having a center width of 3.0 mm before testing. Bone film samples can be held in place using a grip on an MTS Synergie 200 device with a gauge length of 18.0 mm. The film samples can be stretched at a crosshead speed of 5.0 in / min until fracture occurs. Five samples can be tested for each film in the machine direction (MD) and the cross direction (CD). A computer program (e.g., TestWorks 4) can be used to collect data during the test and generate stress versus strain curves from which a number of properties can be determined, including elasticity, peak stress, elongation, and breaking energy.

Fiber Tension Characteristics:

Fiber tensile properties can be determined according to ASTM 638-10 at < RTI ID = 0.0 > 23 C. < / RTI > For example, individual fiber specimens may be shortened to 38 mm length initially (e.g., cut with scissors) and placed individually on a black velvet garment. Ten to fifteen fiber specimens can be collected in this manner. The fiber specimens can then be mounted on a rectangular paper frame having an outer dimension of 51 mm x 51 mm and an inner dimension of 25 mm x 25 mm in a substantially straight line. The ends of each fiber specimen can be operably attached to the frame by carefully securing the fiber ends to the sides of the frame with adhesive tape. Each fiber sample can be measured for external dimensions, relatively short dimensions, and crossed fiber dimensions using a conventional laboratory microscope that can be properly calibrated and set at 40X magnification. This cross-sectional fiber size can be recorded as the diameter of the individual fiber sample. The frame serves to mount the ends of the sample fiber specimens in the upper grip and lower grips of a certain percentage of the elongate tensile testing machine in a manner that avoids undue damage to the fiber specimens.

For testing, a certain percentage of the elongated tensile testing machine and the appropriate load cell can be used. The load cell may be selected such that the test value falls within 10 to 90% of the full scale load (e.g., 10 N). The tensile tester (i.e., MTS SYNERGY 200) and load cells are available from MTS Systems Corporation, Eden Prairie, Mich., USA. The fiber samples of the frame assembly may then be mounted between the grips of the tensile tester such that the ends of the fibers are operably held by the grips of the tensile tester. The sides of the paper frame that extend parallel to the fiber length can then be cut or separated so that the tensile tester applies only the test force to the fibers. The fibers may be subjected to an impression test at a grip speed of 12 inches / minute and an impression rate. The resulting data can then be analyzed using the TESTWORKS 4 software program from MTS Corporation, along with the following test setups.

Output Input Test entry Break mark drop 50% Breaking sensitivity 90% Thruster markers 0.1 in Fracture threshold 10 g of _f Nominal gauge length 1 in Data acquisition rate 10 Hz Slack pre-load 1 lb _f Denier length 9000 m Slope segment length 20% density 1.25 g / cm < ³ > Yield Offset 0.20% Initial speed 12 in / min Yield segment length 2% Secondary speed 2 in / min

Toughness values can be expressed in gram-force / denier. Peak elongation (% strain at break) and peak stress can also be measured.

Expansion Ratio, Density, and Percentage of Forer Volume

The width (W _i ) and the thickness (T _i ) of the specimen can be measured initially before stretching to determine the expansion ratio, density, and percent porosity volume. The length L _i before stretching can also be determined by measuring the distance between two markings on the surface of the specimen. The specimen can then be stretched to initiate voiding. The width (W _f ), thickness (T _f ), and length (L _f ) of the specimen can then be measured to the nearest 0.01 mm using a Digimatic Caliper (Mitutoyo Corporation). The volume V _i before stretching can be calculated by W _i x T _i x L _i = V _i . The volume after stretching (V _f ) was also calculated by W _f x T _f x L _f = V _f . The expansion ratio? Can be calculated by? = V _f / V _i ; The density (P _f ) can be calculated by P _f = P _i / Φ; Where P _i is the density of the precursor material, and the percent pore volume (% V _v ) can be calculated by% V _v = (1 - 1 / Φ) x 100.

Moisture content

The moisture content can be determined using an Arizona Instruments Computrac Vapor Pro moisture analyzer (Model No. 3100) in accordance with ASTM D 7191-05, the full text of which is incorporated herein by reference in all respects. The test temperature (§ X2.1.2) may be 130 ° C, the sample size (§ X2.1.1) may be 2 to 4 grams, and the glass bottle purge time (§X2.1.4) may be 30 seconds. In addition, the termination criterion (§X2.1.3) can be defined as a "prediction" mode, which means that the test is terminated when the embedded programmed criterion (which mathematically calculates the endpoint moisture content) is met.

The ability to form polymeric materials for use in building insulation has been demonstrated. Initially, there appeared a blend of 85.3 wt% polylactic acid (PLA 6201D, Natureworks®), 9.5 wt% microinclusion additive, 1.4 wt% nano-encapsulated additive, and 3.8 wt% transient modifier. Micro-encapsulated additive, 29g / was 10 minutes (190 ℃, 2160 g) and a melt flow rate 0.866 g / polyolefin copolymer / elastomer in vista Max has a density of ^{cm 3 (Vistamaxx) ™ 2120 (} ExxonMobil) in. The nano-encapsulating additive has a melt flow rate of 5-6 g / 10 min (190 DEG C / 2160 g), glycidyl methacrylate in an amount of 7-11 wt%, methyl acrylate in an amount of 13-17 wt% (Ethylene-co-methyl acrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (Lotader AX8900, Arkema) with an ethylene content of 80% by weight and internal interphase modifiers were PLURIOL from BASF, a polyalkylene glycol- ® WI 285 lubricant. The polymers were fed to a spinning twin-screw extruder (ZSK-30, diameter 30 mm, length 1328 mm) for compounds made by Werner and Pfleiderer Corporation, Ramsey, NJ. The extruder had 14 zones in succession from feed hopper to die through die. The first barrel zone # 1 received the resin through the weighing feeder at a total throughput of 15 pounds per hour. PLURIOL® WI285 was added to barrel zone # 2 via an injector pump. The die used to extrude the resin had three die openings (6 mm in diameter) separated by 4 mm. Upon forming, the extruded resin was cooled on a fan cooled conveyor belt and formed into pellets by a Conair pelletizer. The extruder screw speed was 200 revolutions per minute ("rpm"). The pellets were then fed in bulk to a single screw extruder at 212 DEG C, where the molten formulation passed through a 4.5 inch wide slit die and stretched into a film with a thickness ranging from 0.54 to 0.58 mm.

The sheet prepared in Example 1 was cut into 6 " lengths and then stretched at a rate of 100% stretch using an MTS 820 hydraulic tension frame in tension mode at 50 mm / min.

The sheet prepared in Example 1 was cut into 6 " lengths and then stretched at 150 mm / min using a MTS 820 hydrostatic tension frame in tension mode at a stretch rate of 150%.

The sheet prepared in Example 1 was cut into 6 " lengths and then stretched at 200 mm / sec in a tensile mode at 50 mm / min using an MTS 820 hydrostatic tension frame.

The thermal properties of Examples 1 to 4 were then measured. The results are shown in the following table.

Example Sample thickness (mm) Top surface temperature (캜) Lower surface temperature (캜) Heatsink temperature (℃) Average sample temperature (캜) Heat resistance (m ² K / W) Thermal admittance (W / m ² K) Thermal conductivity (W / mK) One 0.58 40.5 30.0 11.3 35.3 0.0032 312.5 0.180 2 0.54 40.5 26.4 10.3 33.5 0.0054 185.2 0.100 3 0.57 40.5 26.1 10.3 33.3 0.0057 175.4 0.100 4 0.56 40.5 25.1 10.0 32.8 0.0064 156.3 0.087

The pellets were formed as described in Example 1, followed by bulk feed with a Rheomix 252 single screw extruder with an L / D ratio of 25: 1 and then heated to a temperature of 212 ° C, where the melt blend was a Haake 6 inch wide cast Passed through a film die and stretched through a Haake take-up roll to a film having a thickness in the range of 39.4 μm to 50.8 μm. The film was drawn in the machine direction through a MTS Synergie 200 tensile frame with a grip at 75 mm gauge length to a longitudinal strain of 160% (67% strain per minute) at a draw rate of 50 mm / min.

Except that the film was also stretched in the cross machine direction to a 100% strain (100% / minute strain) at a pull rate of 50 mm / min with a grip at a gauge length of 50 mm, Lt; / RTI >

The various properties of the films of Examples 5 and 6 were tested as described above. The results are shown in Tables 3 and 4 below.

Film Properties Yes Average thickness (μm) Expansion ratio (φ) Percent volume percent (% V _v ) Density (g / cm ³⁾ WVTR (g / m ² * 24 hours) 5 41.4 1.82 45 0.65 5453 6 34.0 2.13 53 0.56 4928

Tension characteristics Example Average thickness (μm) Average modulus of elasticity (MPa) Average yield stress (MPa) Mean Breaking Stress (MPa) Mean strain (%) Energy per volume at break (J / cm ³ ) 5 MD 44.5   466 41.4 36.9 54.6 16.8 CD 40.4   501 15.9 15.9 62.6   9.4 6 MD 37.3   265 26.7 26.3 85.5 15.8 CD 34.3   386 25.1 25.2 45.8   9.3

The pellets were formed as described in Example 1 and then the pellets were supplied in large quantities to a signal screw extruder heated to 212 DEG C temperature and the melted formulations were discharged through a 4.5 inch wide slit die and passed through a 36 [ Lt; / RTI > The films were stretched to about 100% in the machine direction to initiate cavity formation and void formation. The shape of the films before and after stretching was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results are shown in Figures 5-8. As shown in Figs. 5 and 6, the microencapsulation additive is initially applied to domains having an axial (machine direction) size of from about 2 to about 30 microns and a lateral (cross-machine direction) dimension of from about 1 to about 3 microns While dispersing, the nanocomposite additives were initially dispersed as spherical or rotationally ellipsoidal domains with an axial size of about 100 to about 300 nm. Figs. 7 and 8 show the film after stretching. As shown, pores were formed around the microinclusion and nanocomposite additives. The micropores formed around the micro-inclusion additive had a long or slit-like shape with a broad size distribution ranging from about 2 to about 20 microns in the axial direction. The nanopores associated with the nanocomposite additive generally had a size of about 50 to about 500 nm.

The combined pellets of Example 7 were mixed with a halo site clay master batch (MacroComp MNH-731-36, MacroM) containing 22 wt% styrene copolymer modified nanoclay and 78 wt% polypropylene (Exxon Mobil 3155) Lt; / RTI > with other nanocomposite additives. The mixing ratio was 90% by weight of the pellets and 10% by weight of the clay master batch, which provided a clay content of 2.2% in total. The dry blend was then fed in bulk to a signal screw extruder heated to 212 DEG C, where the molten blend was discharged through a 4.5 inch wide slit die and drawn to a film thickness of 51 to 58 mu m. The films were stretched to about 100% in the machine direction to initiate cavity formation and void formation.

The shape of the films before and after stretching was analyzed by scanning electron microscope (SEM). The results are shown in Figures 9-12. As shown in Figures 9 and 10, some of the nanoclay particles (which may appear to be lighter regions) were dispersed in the form of very small domains-that is, axial dimensions of about 50 to about 300 nm. The masterbatch itself also formed domains of micro-scale size (axial dimension from about 1 to about 5 microns). In addition, while the micro-inclusion additive (Vistamax ™) forms elongated domains, the nanocomposite additive (Lotader®, which can be seen as dark ultrafine dots, and the nanoclay masterbatch, which can be seen as a bright plate) Domains. The stretched film is shown in Figs. 11 and 12. Fig. As shown, the pore structure is more open and demonstrates a wide range of pore sizes. In addition to the high-elongated micropore formed by the micro-inclusion additive (Vistamaxx (TM)), the nanoclay master batch inclusions formed a more open, rotating ellipsoidal micropore with an axial size of less than about 10 microns and a lateral size of about 2 microns . In addition, spherical nanopores are formed by nanocomposite additives (Lotader® and nanoclay particles).

The various tensile properties (machine direction) of the films of Examples 1 and 2 were also tested. The results are shown in Table 5 below.

Example Average thickness (μm) Average modulus of elasticity (MPa) Average yield stress
(MPa) Average breaking stress
(MPa) Mean strain
(%) Average energy per volume
(J / cm ³ ) One 49 2066 48.1 35 236 73 2 56 1945 41.3 36 299 85

As shown, the addition of the nanoclay filler slightly increased the fracture stress and significantly increased the elongation at fracture.

The ability to form fibers for use in building insulation has emerged. Initially, 91.8 wt% of the same aligned propylene homopolymer (M3661, melt flow rate 14 g / 10 at 210 캜 and melt temperature 150 캜, Total Petrochemicals), 7.4 wt% polylactic acid (PLA 6252, melt flow rate at 210 캜, 85g / 10 min, Natureworks), and 0.7 wt% polyepoxide. The polyepoxide was poly (ethylene-co-methyl acrylate-co-glycidyl methacrylate) (LOTADER® AX8900, Arkema), which had a melt flow rate of 6 g / 10 min (190 ° C./2160 g) A glycidyl methacrylate content, a methyl acrylate content of 24% by weight and an ethylene content of 68% by weight. The ingredients were combined in a co-rotating twin-screw extruder (Werner and Pfleiderer ZSK-30 with a diameter of 30 mm and L / D = 44). The extruder had seven heating zones. The temperature of the extruder was 180 ° C to 220 ° C. The polymer was fed gravimetrically to the extruder in a hopper at 15 pounds per hour and liquid was injected into the barrel using a peristaltic pump. The extruder operated at 200 revolutions per minute (RPM). In the final section (front) of the barrel, a 3-hole die with a diameter of 6 mm was used to form the extrudate. The extrudate was air cooled on a conveyor belt and pelletized using a Conair Pelletizer.

The fibers were prepared from the precursor blend using a Davis-Standard fiber spinning line with a 0.75 inch single screw extruder and a 16 hole spinneret with a diameter of 0.6 mm. The fibers were collected at different draw down ratios. The take-up speed was 1 to 1000 m / min. The temperature of the extruder was 175 캜 to 220 캜. The fibers were stretched to a length of 400% in the tensile tester machine at 25O < 0 > C at 300 mm / min. To analyze the material morphology, the fibers were frozen in liquid nitrogen and analyzed in a high vacuum under a scanning electron microscope Jeol 6490LV. The results are shown in Figures 13-15. As shown in the figure, the rotating ellipsoidal pores are elongated in the elongating and contracting direction. Both nanopores (~ 50 nm wide, ~ 500 nm long) and micropores (~ 0.5 μm wide, ~ 4 μm long) were formed.

Pellets were formed as described in Example 1, followed by bulk feed at 240 ° C with a single screw extruder, through a 0.6 mm diameter spinneret and through the melt pump at a rate of 0.40 g per minute per minute. The fibers were collected by free fall (gravity only as stretching force) and then mechanical properties were tested at a draw speed of 50 mm per minute. The fibers were then cold drawn at 23 C in an MTS Synergie tensile frame at a speed of 50 mm / min. The fibers were stretched to predefined strains of 50%, 100%, 150%, 200% and 250%. After stretching, the expansion ratio, pore volume and density were calculated for various deformation rates as shown in the table below.

Initial Length (mm) Initial Diameter (mm) Initial volume (mm ^ 3) transform% Length after stretching (mm) Diameter after stretching (mm) Volume after extension (mm ^ 3) 50 0.1784 1.2498 50.0 75 0.1811 1.9319 50 0.2047 1.6455 100.0 100 0.2051 3.3039 50 0.1691 1.1229 150.0 125 0.165 2.6728 50 0.242 2.2998 200.0 150 0.1448 2.4701 50 0.1795 1.2653 250.0 175 0.1062 1.5502

transform% Poisson coefficient Expansion ratio  Pore volume (%) Initial density (g / cc) Pore Density (g / cc) observe 50 -0.030 1.55 35.3 1.2 0.78 No necking 100 -0.002 2.01 50.2 1.2 0.60 No necking 125 0.016 2.38 58.0 1.2 0.50 No necking 150 0.201 1.07 6.9 1.2 1.12 Necking 175 0.163 1.23 18.4 1.2 0.98 Fully necked

The fibers were formed as described in Example 10, except that the fibers were collected at a collection roll speed of 100 m per minute resulting in a winding ratio 77. The fibers were then tested for mechanical properties at a drawing speed of 50 mm per minute. The fibers were then cold drawn at 23 C in an MTS Synergie tensile frame at a speed of 50 mm / min. The fibers were stretched to predefined strains of 50%, 100%, 150%, 200% and 250%. After stretching, the expansion ratio, pore volume and density were calculated for various deformation rates as shown in the table below.

Initial Length (mm) Initial Diameter (mm) Initial volume (mm ^ 3) transform% Length after stretching (mm) Diameter after stretching (mm) Volume after extension (mm ^ 3) 50 0.057 0.1276 50.0 75 0.0575 0.1948 50 0.0601 0.1418 100.0 100 0.0609 0.2913 50 0.067 0.1763 150.0 125 0.0653 0.4186 50 0.0601 0.1418 200.0 150 0.058 0.3963 50 0.0601 0.1418 200.0 150 0.0363 0.1552 50 0.059 0.1367 250.0 175 0.0385 0.2037

transform% Poisson coefficient  Expansion ratio Pore volume (%) Initial density (g / cc) Pore Density (g / cc) observe 50 -0.018 1.53 34.5 1.2 0.79 One small neck ~ 1mm in length 100 -0.013 2.05 51.3 1.2 0.58 Two small necks about 5mm long 150 0.017 2.37 57.9 1.2 0.51 Necking not visible - Fiber looks uniform 200 0.017 2.79 64.2 1.2 0.43   Average diameter taken from necked and non-necked areas 200 0.198 1.09 8.6 1.2 1.10 Diameter taken only necked area 250 0.139 1.49 32.9 1.2 0.81 Fully necked

The formulation contained 83.7 wt% polylactic acid (PLA 6201D, Natureworks®), 9.3 wt% Vistamaxx ™ 2120, 1.4 wt% Lotader® AX8900, 3.7 wt% PLURIOL® WI 285, and 1.9% hydrophilic surfactants SF-19). ≪ / RTI > PLURIOL® WI285 and Masil SF-19 were premixed at a ratio of 2: 1 (WI-285: SF-19) and added to barrel region # 2 via an infusion pump. The fibers were collected at 240 캜, 0.40 ghm and under free fall.

Fibers were formed as described in Example 12, except that the fibers were collected at a collection roll speed of 100 m per minute resulting in winding ratio 77. The fibers were then tested for mechanical properties at a drawing speed of 50 mm per minute. The fibers were then cold stretched at 23 C in an MTS Synergie tensile frame at a speed of 50 mm / min. The fibers were stretched to a predefined deformation of 50%, 100%. After stretching, the expansion ratio, pore volume and density were calculated for various deformation rates as shown in the table below.

Example Initial Length (mm) Initial Diameter (mm) Initial volume (mm ^ 3) transform% Length after stretching (mm) Diameter after stretching (mm) Volume after extension (mm ^ 3) 14 50 0.0626 0.1539 100.0 100 0.0493 0.1909

Example Poisson coefficient Expansion ratio Pore volume (%) Initial density (g / cm ³ ) Pore Density (g / cm ³ ) observe 14 0.2125 1.24 19.4 1.2 0.97 Local necking to the whole

The fibers of Example 12 were stretched in an MTS Synergie tensile frame at a rate of 50 mm / min up to a 250% strain. This opened the pore structure and caused the fibers to turn white. A 1-inch sample was then cut from the white area of the fiber-strength. The new fibers were then tested as described above. The density was measured to be 0.75 g per cm < ^{3 &} gt ;, and the draw rate for the tensile test was 305 mm / min.

To anneal the fibers, the fibers of Example 11 were heated in a 50 < 0 > C oven for 30 minutes.

To anneal the fibers, the fibers of Example 11 were heated in an oven at < RTI ID = 0.0 > 90 C < / RTI > for 5 minutes to induce crystallization.

The fibers of Examples 10 to 16 were then tested for mechanical properties at a draw speed of 50 mm / min. The results are shown in the following table.

Example Diameter (μm) Peak load (g _f ) Peak stress (Mpa) Deformation at break (%) Energy at break (J / cm ^ 3) Toughness (g / g) density
(g / cm ³⁾ Control PLA fiber 207.8 217.06 62.8 3.8 0.8 0.57 1.25 10 184.6 126.65 47.3 484.5 154.0 0.44 1.20 11 62.2 22.57 73.1 464.1 205.1 0.69 1.20 12 128.5 70.32 53.2 635.3 216.0 0.50 1.20 13 59.1 16.17 57.8 495.8 184.4 0.55 1.20 14 108.5 92.95 101.3 110.8 71.2 1.49 ~ 0.75 15 67.5 24.48 66.9 467.7 195.2 0.63 1.20 16 62.6 19.55 62.2 351.0 154.4 0.59 1.20

Although the present invention has been described in detail with respect to specific embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and details may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention as defined by the appended claims. I will know. Accordingly, the scope of the present invention should be evaluated as a claim and its equivalents.

Claims (44)

A building insulation for use in a residential or commercial building structure, wherein the building insulation comprises a porous polymeric material formed from a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase comprising a matrix polymer, wherein the polymeric material has a density of from about 300 g / m ² A building insulation having a water vapor transmission rate of at least 24 hours, a thermal conductivity of less than or equal to about 0.40 W / mK, and a hydrohead value of at least about 50 cm. The method of claim 1, wherein the polymeric material further comprises micro-inclusion and nanocomposite additives dispersed in the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains, wherein the pore net comprises a plurality of nanopores having an average cross- Wherein said material is defined by said material. A building insulation for use in a residential or commercial building structure, the building insulation comprising a thermoplastic formed porous polymeric material comprising a continuous phase comprising a matrix polymer, wherein the microinclusion additive and nanoinclusion ) Additive is further dispersed in the continuous phase in the form of a discrete domain wherein the pore net is defined within the material comprising a plurality of nanofoas having an average cross-sectional dimension of about 800 nm or less. 4. The method of claim 3 wherein the polymer material is about 300g / m ² -24 time above the water vapor permeability (water vapor transmission rate), the thermal conductivity of about 0.40W / mK or less, and / or about 50cm or more water head value (hydrohead value ), Building insulation. The building insulation according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the micro-containment additive is a polymer. 6. The building insulation according to claim 5, wherein the micro-containment additive comprises a polyolefin. The building insulation according to claim 6, wherein the polyolefin is a propylene homopolymer, a propylene / alpha-olefin copolymer, an ethylene / alpha-olefin copolymer, or a combination thereof. 4. A process as claimed in claim 2 or 3 wherein the ratio of the solubility parameter to the matrix polymer to the solubility parameter of the microencapsulated additive is from about 0.5 to about 1.5 and the ratio of the melt flow rate of the matrix polymer to the melt flow rate Ratio is from about 0.2 to about 8, and / or the ratio of the Young's modulus of elasticity of the matrix polymer to the Young's modulus of the micro-inclusion additive is from about 1 to about 250. The building insulation according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the nano-encapsulating additive is a polymer. 10. The building insulation of claim 9, wherein the nanocomposite additive is a functionalized polyolefin. 11. The building insulation according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the nanocomposing additive is reactive. 12. The building insulation of claim 11, wherein the nanocomposite additive is a polyepoxide. 4. The building insulation according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the micro-containment additive comprises from about 1% to about 30% by weight of the composition, based on the weight of the continuous phase. 4. The building insulation of claim 2 or 3, wherein the nanocomposing additive comprises from about 0.05% to about 20% by weight of the composition, based on the weight of the continuous phase. The building insulation according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the thermoplastic composition further comprises an intermediate modifier. 16. The building insulation of claim 15, wherein the interphase modifier has a kinematic viscosity of about 0.7 to about 200 centistokes, determined at 40 < 0 > C. 17. The building insulation according to claim 15 or 16, wherein the intermediate modifier has hydrophobicity. 17. The method of any one of claims 14 to 16, wherein the intermediate modifying agent is selected from the group consisting of silicon, a silicone-polyether copolymer, an aliphatic polyester, an aromatic polyester, an alkylene glycol, an alkane diol, an amine oxide, A combination of these, building insulation. 19. The building insulation according to any one of claims 14 to 18, wherein the interphase modifier comprises from about 0.1% to about 20% by weight of the composition, based on the weight of the continuous phase. The building insulation according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the pore net further comprises a micropores having an average cross-sectional dimension of from about 0.5 to about 30 microns. 21. The building insulation of claim 20, wherein the micropores have an aspect ratio of from about 1 to about 30. The building insulation according to claim 2 or 3, wherein the fornetwork is homogeneously distributed throughout the material. 23. The building insulation according to any one of claims 1 to 22, wherein the nanopore is distributed in parallel columns. 4. The method of claim 2 or 3, wherein the micro-inclusion additive is in the form of micro-sized domains and the nanocomposite additive is in the form of nanosized domains wherein the microsized domains have an average cross-section of about 0.5 to about 250 & Dimension, said nano-sized domains having an average cross-sectional dimension of from about 1 to about 500 nm. 25. The building insulation according to any one of claims 1 to 24, wherein the insulation is formed entirely from the polymeric material. 25. A building insulation according to any one of the preceding claims, further comprising an additional layer of material. 27. The building insulation according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the insulation is in the form of a panel. 27. The building insulation according to any one of claims 1 to 26, wherein the insulation is in the form of a lap. 29. Building insulation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the total pore volume of the polymeric material is from about 15% to about 80% per cm < ^{3 &} gt ;. 30. Building insulation according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the nanopore comprises at least about 20% by volume of the total fore volume of the polymeric material. 31. The building insulation of any one of claims 1 to 30, wherein the continuous phase comprises from about 60% to about 99% by weight of the thermoplastic composition. 32. Building insulation according to any one of claims 1 to 31, wherein the matrix polymer comprises a polyester or a polyolefin. 33. The building insulation of claim 32, wherein the polyester has a glass transition temperature of at least about 0 占 폚. 34. The building insulation according to claim 32 or 33, wherein the polyester comprises polylactic acid. 35. The building insulation according to any one of claims 1 to 34, wherein the polymeric material is free of a gas blowing agent. Any one of claims 1 to 35. A method according to any one of claim wherein said thermoplastic composition has a density of about 1.2g / cm ³ or less, building insulation. 37. The polymeric material of any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein the polymeric material is a film or film layer. 37. The polymeric material of any one of claims 1 to 36, wherein the polymeric material is a layer or component of a fibrous material or fibrous material. 38. A building structure comprising a building exterior defining an interior, the building structure further comprising a building insulation according to any one of claims 1 to 38 adjacent to a surface of the building exterior, interior, or combination thereof. Building structures. 40. The building structure of claim 39, wherein the building insulation is located adjacent a surface of the building exterior. 41. The building structure of claim 40, wherein the building insulation is located adjacent an exterior wall, a roof, or a combination thereof. 42. The building structure of claim 41, wherein the building insulation is located adjacent to the outdoor lid. 40. The building structure of claim 39, wherein the building insulation is located adjacent a surface of the interior. 45. The building structure of claim 43, wherein the building insulation is located adjacent an interior wall, floor, ceiling, door, or combination thereof.

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