MXPA98002363A - External automotive component of an elastomeric modified depoliolephine material which has a little aspect - Google Patents

Abstract

An exterior automotive vehicle component having a pleasing appearance, comprising an elastomer-modified polyolefin resin matrix, with a turbidity level of less than about 50% and a special effect pigment there uniformly distributed.

Description

EXTERNAL AUTOMOTIVE COMPONENT OF AN ELASTOMERIC MODIFIED POLYOLEFIN MATERIAL WHICH HAS NICE ASPECT FIELD OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to a material comprising a polyolefin that has been modified with an elastomer, the material has a measured turbidity of less than about 50% and contains a special effect pigment, such as an aluminum flake pigment or a pearlescent pigment and preferably a transparent pigment. More specifically, a preferred embodiment of the invention relates to components of automotive exterior vehicles, made of material with selected pigments to match the exterior color of the automobile and to a method for recycling these components. BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION The automotive industry has worked for decades to increase the fuel efficiency of vehicles, for example by replacing a significant amount of steel once used to manufacture vehicles by lighter parts made of polymeric resins. At the same time, the industry has moved to recycle vehicle components in order to reduce consumption of natural resources. Modern thermoplastics have improved physical properties, such as good tensile strength for a structural component or good impact resistance for a bumper and can be recycled. While satisfactory functional functional properties can be achieved with different known thermoplastic materials, there remains a need for thermoplastic materials that have an improved appearance. There is a particular need in the automotive market for thermoplastic materials that can be imparted with color to adjust the appearance of the painted exterior of the vehicle, while maintaining physical properties suited to the particular application. Adjusting the appearance of the paint has been difficult in view of the extensive automotive color palette that includes for example metallic and other special effects coatings. In addition, the finish of a vehicle is expected to be of the highest quality in smoothness or surface homogeneity, luster and depth of image. In the past, exterior automotive plastic parts have usually already been painted or laminated with a film in order to match the coating on the vehicle body. Painting the plastic parts is problematic for a number of reasons. First, the parts are irregularly shaped and it is often difficult to apply a smooth film of uniform thickness to all the required surfaces. Second, one of the largest sources of regulated emissions in the automotive assembly plant is the paint shop, where the various layers of finishing materials are applied. In addition, the paint shop is one of the most expensive areas, when an automotive plant is built due to the need to apply a number of separate layers with two or more furnaces required to cure the various layers, and the equipment for emission control necessary to reduce emissions in large volumes of air with waste resulting from spray painting operations. In this way, having a separate painting process requires more manufacturing floor space for the coating line and ovens. Third, the painting process contributes to the cost and time of producing the elastomeric parts and articles. Fourth, the paint layer in the article may experience imperceptible detachment and other delamination problems while in use, as well as low temperature cracking due to more poor coating flexibility compared to the elastomeric article. Finally, it is often difficult to develop good properties in the applied coating due to the limited temperatures available for thermofixing the coating, due to the need to avoid deforming the piece. A number of improved plastics has been proposed for exterior parts or methods to eliminate the need for painting of the exterior parts of vehicles. Certain exterior parts may be formed from colored polyvinyl chloride materials. Only certain parts can be made from polyvinyl chloride because of the properties that can be achieved with this material. A limited edition sports car, the DeLorean, was produced with a surface layer of unpainted metal. Using exterior natural metal, however limits the colors that can make them available. Duvdevani et al., In the patent of the U.S.A. No. 4,268,552, discloses front and rear (facia) bands, formed by injection molding a rich elastomeric inner core of a neutralized sulfonated elastomer blend and a polyolefin, and a surface layer or outer shell of a polyolefin. Duvdevani's reference illustrates that the band should be painted in order to achieve a convenient surface finish. Papendick et al., In the patent of the U.S.A. No. 5,037,680, discloses an exterior automotive vehicle component of thermoplastic polyolefin that is pigmented to a color suitable for the exterior of the vehicle.

The component should then be provided with an outer layer of a transparent coating in order to achieve the desired gloss, luster, usual wear resistance and durability. Furthermore, in the case of metallic colors that dominate the automotive finishing market, flake pigments must be included in the transparent coating layer and can not be used in the polyolefin composition. This separation of flake pigments and color pigments can make it difficult to adjust the appearance of a painted exterior body, when both the colored and flake pigments are mixed in the same paint layer and a final coating is applied to them. a transparent layer of paint. In addition, the transparent coated components of the Papendick reference are susceptible to the same problems of laminating, color changes and appearance changes that accompany lamination or scratch detachment as parts of accessories that are painted in the traditional manner. Rohrbacher, U.S. Patent No. 5,055,346, describes a process for forming a laminate of acrylic thermoplastic paint layers into a flexible thermoformable polymeric material. The laminate and a rigid synthetic resinous substrate are formed separately in desired structures. Finally, the formed laminate adheres to the rigid substrate. Kobayashi et al., In the U.S. patent. No. 5,574,087, discloses a molded protective strip that is formed by injection molding gas from a mixture of an isotactic propylene homopolymer or propylene block copolymer with ethylene-propylene copolymer. Colorable compositions are not described. Terada and collaborators, in the patent of the E.U.A. No. 5,574,087, discloses forming large automotive exterior parts from the polypropylene blend, a catalyzed ethylene-propylene copolymer rubber-vanadium composite, a catalyzed propylene-ethylene copolymer rubber and a titanium compound and a polyethylene. The formed parts must be painted. Gübitz et al., The US patent. No. 5,208,081, describes a molding composition comprising isotactic polypropylene or copolymers of propylene and ethylene, combined with a copolymer compatible with rubber type polypropylene. Finally, the Chrysler Corporation has recently publicly exhibited a concept car, the Plymouth Pronto, which has body panels made of acrylonitrile-styrene-acrylate thermoplastic with color obtained by molding. The car has a pure shadow vanilla (that is, not metallic). Unlike painted vehicles for which the finish is smooth and shiny, the concept car has a textured, matte finish. In this way it would be convenient to have an item that can be used outside of an automotive vehicle and later removed and recycled for later use. Furthermore, it would be convenient to provide a material that can be processed into colored articles, wherein the color of the material gives the article a pleasant appearance and can preferably adjust in color an adjacent unpainted surface. We have discovered that an elastomer modified polyolefin material, which has high transparency and / or clarity when not pigmented, as measured by light transmission and / or turbidity, can be pigmented with special effect pigment to produce articles and parts in desired colors with appearance of quality of paintings. In particular, in one embodiment, the blend compositions of the invention can be pigmented and formed into automotive parts corresponding to the exterior colors of automotive vehicle bodies. The mixing compositions can be formulated to provide desired physical properties, such as excellent flexibility, measured as the ease of distortion under an applied load suitable for bumper band. In a second preferred embodiment, the polyolefin material modified with elastomer is formulated to give the necessary strength and tenacity for the lateral outer coating of the automotive body. COMPENDIUM OF THE INVENTION The invention provides a low turbidity matrix or transparent composition comprising at least one polyolefin material and at least one thermoplastic elastomer or rubber and a special effect pigment. By low turbidity, we imply that the turbidity of a 1,524 mm (60 mils) plate of the composition, as measured by ASTM D1003, is less than about 50%. By transparent, we mean a material that has a transmission of at least about 80% for a 1,524 mm (60 mils) plate as measured by ASTM D1003. The invention further provides a pigmented composition that occluding the elastomeric transparent mixture just described and at least one transparent pigment. In another embodiment, the invention provides a method for recycling an automotive vehicle component by forming the component, securing it to the exterior of an automotive vehicle, removing the component, grinding and melt-forming the component into a desired structure. The invention further provides a method for co-extruding a layer of composition according to the invention and a layer of a second polymer composition such as a recycling component and composite articles formed in that manner. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED MODALITIES The material of the invention comprises a polyolefin resin, modified with transparent or low turbidity thermoplastic elastomer, thermoformed in a matrix having at least one special effect pigment uniformly distributed. The material can be formed into an automotive vehicle component such as a body side exterior trim or a bumper strip or molding. The polyolefin component of the invention preferably comprises aliphatic polyolefins. In many applications, articles formed from the present compositions must have excellent weathering or outdoor weathering properties. For example, automotive parts formed from the present compositions must comply with certain standards of accelerated testing (for example by exposure to Xenon lamp), or field testing at particular sites in Florida or Arizona, as is done for exterior paints . Aliphatic polyolefins are preferably used in order to increase the weathering of the mixing compositions and the articles formed therein. The polyolefin component may comprise homopolymers or copolymers of ethylene, propylene, 1-butene, 2-butene, 1-pentene, 1-hexene, 1-octene, butadiene, isoprene, dicyclopentadiene, 1,4-hexadiene, cyclooctadiene, dicyclooctadiene, methylenenorbornene, 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, 5-vinyl-2-norbornene, 5-methylene-2-norbornene, 5-methyl-1,4-hexadiene, 7-methyl-1,6-octadiene and the like. Of these, ethylene, propylene and 1-butene homopolymers and their copolymers are preferred. The polyolefin homopolymers or copolymers can include clarified, nucleated and metallocene catalyzed polymers. Metallocene catalyzed polyolefins are preferred in one embodiment of the invention. Metallocene-catalyzed polyolefins can be characterized as very homogeneous polymers with narrow molecular weight distributions. Metallocene-catalyzed polyolefins can have very low densities and excellent optical properties. In particular, materials of metallocene-catalyzed linear low density polyethylenes of polyethylene homopolymers, or ethylene copolymers with butene, hexene, octene or their olefins, are characterized by very high impact to the dart and clarity. These materials do not require plasticizer and exhibit high transparency. Syndiotactic polypropylene (s-PP) can be produced at ordinary polymerization temperatures and pressures with high performance with metallocene catalysts. s-PP has low density and high transparency and is adapted for use in the compositions of the invention. Isotactic polypropylene catalyzed by metallocene is a softer and lighter material than isotactic polypropylene that is produced with Ziegler-Natta catalysts. In a preferred embodiment, the polyolefin material includes transparent or low turbidity polyethylene, polypropylene or polybutene. The polybutene may be a liquid or a solid at room temperature, preferably a solid. The block copolymer and the polybutene are distributed to result in a transparent mixture, the omeric. The rubbers or thermoplastic elastomers may include olefinic elastomers, such as EPM or low turbidity grades, transparent or transparent special EPDM rubbers, or block copolymer elastomers, especially block copolymer elastomers having polyolefin and vinyl aromatic blocks. Among the preferred thermoplastic elastomers or rubbers are triblock copolymers A-B-A. These triblock copolymers are well known and have been applied to many different uses. In these triblock elastomers, the middle block is a rubberized material and the rigid end blocks act as thermally reversible physical interlayers, which allow the polymer to be processed as a thermoplastic material while retaining elastic behavior at room temperature. Thermoplastic elastomers offer many advantages over thermoset rubbers. Thermoplastic elastomers can be processed as a melt and unlike thermosetting materials, they can be recycled by simply remelting and reshaping. Among the most versatile of these thermoplastic elastomeric materials have been block copolymers A-B-A, which have as blocks A, polystyrene or other polyvinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and as block B, an elastomer. As with other elastomers, thermoplastic elastomers are flexible and easily distorted under an applied load. The amount of thermoplastic elastomer that is used to modify the polyolefin material depends on how much flexibility is required in the article to be formed from the material of the invention. A greater amount of thermoplastic elastomers can be used to produce for example body side moldings, liners, oscillating moldings, bumper strips, band line seals, windshield gaskets, rear lamp gaskets and seal systems, which would be required to make other components that are used to provide structural strength, such as door posts or door panels. For seals and other components, elastomeric properties are necessary in order to function properly. The present invention can have a wide range of elastomeric content. For articles for which real elastomeric properties are important, such as bumpers, the elastomer may comprise up to 30% by weight of the composition, preferably up to about 15% by weight. In a preferred embodiment, the rubber or thermoplastic elastomer is a block copolymer A-B-A. The block copolymer preferably has A blocks that are polyvinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and B blocks that are poly (ethylene-butylene). A thermoplastic elastomer S-EB-S is particularly preferred. Polystyrene-poly (ethylene-butylene) -polystyrene block copolymers are well known and are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. Us. 4,323,534, 4,355,425 and 4,880,878, all of which are incorporated herein by reference. Styrene-poly (ethylene-butylene) -styrene block copolymers are commercially available, for example from Shell Chemical Company, Houston, TX under the trade designation KRATON G. Block copolymer A-B-A can be mixed with transparent or low-turbidity polyolefin resin. Such a polyolefin is liquid polybutene. The ratios of the elastomer or rubber component and the polyolefin component are determined according to the desired final properties. The mixture may contain up to about 92% by weight of polyolefin materials and up to about 90% by weight of elastomer or rubber. Preferably, the mixture contains about 1% to about 70% by weight of polyolefin homopolymer or copolymer, or mixtures thereof, and materials containing from about 6% to about 35% by weight of polyolefin materials are particularly preferred. When liquid polybutene is used, the block copolymer and the polyolefin are preferably chosen and distributed in such a way that the mixture has a Shore A hardness of at least 50. In a blend of graft copolymer of the thermoplastic elastomer and the polyolefin material , it is preferable that the difference in fraction index between the polymers of the mixture or graft be as small as possible so that the composition is transparent. In addition, both materials must be chosen in such a way that the mixture has the characteristic of transparency or turbidity required. In addition to the block copolymer A-B-A and the polyolefin, the compositions of the invention may also comprise other transparent or low-turbidity polymers such as acrylic rubbers. When other polymers are added to the blends, they are preferably added in amounts of about 6% to about 10% by weight. The compositions of the invention may further comprise various additives known in the art including plasticizers, UV absorbers, hindered amine light stabilizers, antioxidants, adhesion promoters, foaming agents and mixtures of these additives. The total amount of additive can be up to 50% by weight of the composition, depending on which additives are used. Plasticizers can be added in amounts of up to 50% by weight of the material of the invention, preferably from about 0.1% to about 50% by weight, and particularly preferably from about 1% to about 10% by weight.

Plasticizers that can be advantageously added in the material of the invention include, without limitation, diacid esters of diacids, such as dialkyl maleates, dialkyl isophthalates, dialkyl phthalates, dialkyl adipates, dialkyl azelates and dialkyl sebacates, particular examples of which include dibutyl maleate, dimethyl isophthalate, di- (2-ethylhexyl) phthalate, dibutyl adipate, diisononyl adipate, diisooctyl adipate, polypropylene adipate, di-n-hexyl azelate, dinonyl azelate, dibutyl sebacate, and the like; trialkyl esters of triacids, such as tricapryl citrate; esters of fatty acids, such as n-butyl stearate and octyl talate; mixed esters; and its mixtures. UV absorbers, hindered amine light stabilizers and antioxidants are usually employed at low levels, for example from about 0.025% to about 5% by weight of the composition. Examples of UV absorbers include benzophenones and benzotriazoles, commercially available from a number of sources including BASF Corp., Mt. Olive, NJ; CYTEC Industries, West Patterson, NJ; Ciba-Geigy Corp., Hawthorne, NY; and Witco Corp., Greenwich, CT. Hindered amine light stabilizers are also commercially available for example from CYTEC and Ciba-Geigy. Antioxidants include alkylated phenols and bisphenols, alkylidene polyphenols and other phenolic derivatives; organic phosphites and phosphates; hydroquinone and its derivatives; and various other compounds known as useful antioxidants. Adhesion promoters can be added in amounts of up to 10% by weight and preferably between approximately 1% and approximately 10% by weight when employed. Adhesion promoters are preferably added when the compositions of the invention are used to produce the composite articles. Foaming agents are added to compositions to produce the foamed articles. Foaming agents may be added in amounts of up to 4% by weight and preferably between approximately 0.25% and approximately 4% by weight. "Transparent" as used herein, means a material that has a transmission of at least 80% for a 1,524 mm (60 mils) plate as measured by the ASTM Method D1003. Preferably, the blends have at least 90% transmission for a 60 mils plate. Alternatively, or in addition, mixtures have turbidity less than 50% for a 1,524 mm (60 mils) plate as measured in accordance with ASTM D1003. Preferably, the turbidity is less than about 30%. It is particularly preferable that the turbidity of a 1,524 mm (60 mils) plate of the composition of the invention has a turbidity of less than about 10%, especially less than about 5%, and in general the compositions preferably have the lowest possible turbidity . It is also true, however, that thinner articles may have good appearance at higher measured turbidity values than thicker articles. High transparency or low turbidity provide depth of color and gloss in pigmented compositions as well as brilliance, pearlescence and metallic in special effect colors. Automotive articles formed from the color compositions of the invention are similar to the adjacent painted surfaces of a vehicle, or can replace exterior painted surfaces even for highly convenient metallic colors. As mentioned, it is particularly convenient to add various substantially transparent pigments and dyes to the compositions of the invention. Due to the high transparency and low turbidity of the polymer blend of the invention, the pigmented compositions formed from the polymer blends have depth of color and high gloss which corresponds closely to the coatings. In particular, these compositions allow the formulator to produce the metallic and nacreous effects necessary to closely match the coatings in automotive bodies.

Pigments may be added in amounts of up to about 10% by weight, preferably between about 4% and about 6% by weight. Enough pigment is added to achieve the desired color and opacity. The pigment is preferably first filled into a suitable carrier, such as a polypropylene or low molecular weight polyethylene material, before being introduced into blends of the invention. While the pigment loading may be greater than 10%, the person skilled in the art will appreciate that there is a point at which the physical properties of the polymer blends will be adversely affected by higher pigment loading. There are many pigments known in the art and in principle any of these may be employed. The pigments used can be inorganic or organic pigments. In particular, special effect pigments include flake pigments, which can be used to achieve special effects, such as metallic appearance, alone or in conjunction with color pigments. Inorganic pigments include, for example, metal oxides and chromates. Particular examples of pigment that can be used advantageously are titanium dioxide, carbon black, ocher, sienna, shadow earth, hematite, limonite, red iron oxide, transparent red iron oxide, black iron oxide, brown iron oxide, green chromium oxide, strontium chromate, ferric ferrocyanide (Prussian blue), ultra-sea blue, and lead chromate. Particular examples of useful organic pigments are metallic and non-metallized azo reds, quinacridone reds and violas, anthraquinone reds, perylene reds, copper phthalocyanine blues and greens, phthalocyanine blacks, isoindolinone oranges and yellows, carbazole violet, yellow monoarilide and diarylide , yellows and oranges of benzimidazolone, orange tolyl, orange naphthol and so on. Inorganic and organic pigments are available from many sources, including from BASF Corporation, Mt. Olive, NJ; Cabot Corporation, Billerica, MA; Ciba-Geigy Corp., Newport, DE; Colombian Chemicals, Co., Atlanta, GA; Cookson Pigments, Inc., Newark, NJ; Degussa Corp., Ridgefield Park, NJ; Sandoz Chemicals Corp., Charlotte, NC; and Mineral Pigments Corp., Beltsville, MD. Examples of special effects flake pigments are metallic and pearlescent flake pigments including, without limitation, aluminum, micas, gold bronze (copper-zinc alloys), copper, nickel, brass, magnesium, zinc and alloys thereof. Flake pigments are usually available in fine, medium and coarse grades. Alumins and pearlescent micas are particularly preferred. Commercial aluminum flake pigments are available from many sources, including Silberline, Tamaqua, PA; EM Industries, Hawthorne, NY; Aluminum Company of America, Pittsburgh, PA, Obron Atlantic Corp., Painesville, OH; Reynolds Metals Company, Richmond, VA; and Toyo Aluminum KK, Higashiku, Osaka, Japan. Micas are commercially available from The Mearl Corporation, New York, NY and EM Industries, Hawthorne, NY. The pigments in special effect flakes and substantially transparent color pigments, if employed, can be treated, modified or pre-dispersed on the surface separately or together before mixing with the polymer composition of the invention. In some cases, the flake pigments can simply be stirred in the melted compositions during extrusion. When the pigments are predispersed, they can be prepared as color concentrates according to methods known in the art. The amounts of pigment and polymer vary according to the pigment employed and are easily determined by a person skilled in the art to optimize characteristics or dispersion properties of the pigment concentrate. Flake pigments should be processed in a way that avoids folding or breaking the flakes. Other pigments, such as the aforementioned color pigments, preferably predispersed or pre-treated. During the pigment dispersion process, pigment agglomerates in the pulverulent pigments are decomposed and the pigment can be ground to a fine predetermined size, to allow optimum color development at minimum pigment loads. The average pigment size of dispersed pigment, excluding flake pigments, is preferably less than about one, and particularly preferably less than about 0.2 miera. It is also important that the pigment be wetted by the dispersion medium or by the compositions of the invention in order to achieve optimum color development. The pigment concentrate or paste prepared can then be introduced into the composition of the invention during the mixing step. The pigments and / or special effect color pigments including especially transparent pigments are evenly distributed in the elastomer modified polyolefin resin matrix. By "uniformly distributed" we mean that the article, when viewed with the naked eye, appears to have a reasonably uniform color and / or metallic appearance suitable for the intended use of the article. Dyes may be used instead or in addition to pigments. Examples of suitable dyes include azo dyes, azo metal complexes, anthraquinone dyes and naphthazines.

All the aforementioned materials can be mixed together during a mixing step, then the mixed composition can be thermoformed into the desired articles. The mixing step can be carried out at any convenient temperatures, using methods commonly employed in the art. The mixing can be effected using methods and equipment known in the art such as Banbury mixer, a kneader, a monoaxial or biaxial extruder and so forth. It is also possible that for mixing, totally or partially, it is carried out in the equipment used to form the final article, for example in the chamber of a twin screw extruder. Various known methods for forming thermoplastic materials can be used to form articles from the compositions of the invention. Examples of suitable processes include without limitation, compression molding, extrusion, thermoforming and injection molding. The present compositions are formulated to have an appropriate melt flow for the molding or forming equipment employed. A wide range of melt flow values is possible, for example from about 0.4 to about 35 g / 10 minutes as measured in accordance with ISO 1133.

It is also possible to co-extrude parts with an outer layer of the composition of the invention and an inner sub-layer from another thermoplastic material. In the case of co-extruded parts, the compositions may also include one or more adhesion promoters. Useful adhesion promoters include polyolefin materials modified with acid. In a preferred process, the outer layer formed from the composition of the invention is pigmented and laminated on a side body molding. The rolling process can be achieved in more than one way. In a preferred embodiment, the outer layer is laminated on the substrate, particularly on a body side molding, during the extrusion process, by introducing the composition of the invention into an extruder and subsequently coextruding the outer layer and the substrate. In another preferred embodiment, the outer layer and the substrate are extruded separately and then the laminate is formed according to the usual methods, for example by sandwiching an adhesion promoter or adhesive layer between the film and the substrate and then applying pressure and Heat to bind the layers. Various articles may be formed by the methods of the invention. In particularly preferred embodiments, the processes are employed to form automotive and molding exterior body parts, such as seals, decorative trim strips, body side moldings, linings, bands, base effect parts, including spoiler, air dampers, handles for doors, accommodation for mirrors and so on. It is especially convenient to form complete or partial body panels, doors and front and rear instrument panel covers of the present compositions. It is also convenient to form parts of windows, such as window frames, seals, support plates, and decorative finishes from these compositions. Due to the low turbidity and / or high transparency or clarity of current polymer compositions, the pigmented compositions offer a high gloss finish with extremely attractive image depth that can be combined with selected special effect pigments, such as aluminum pigments and pearlescent to produce brilliant metallic effects and bright colors that are widely used in automotive finishes. In addition to the automotive applications for colors in exterior bodies, they can be employed in the present compositions to form other exterior or interior automotive parts or articles such as lenses, including rear lamps, headlights and covers for turn signals.; interior door panels; frames, seals and decorative interior window finishes; seal honeycombs; greenhouse platforms; instrument panel covers; and handles of interior doors. Non-automotive applications are also contemplated including accessory wall panels, both interior and exterior, for accessories including refrigerators and freezers; handles for accessories, equipment and other items; trays for refrigerators, freezers or other articles; and shelves or storage boxes. The low relative densities of the present compositions make them especially suitable for applications where strength, impact and other properties must be achieved while minimizing the weight of the article. The weight of materials has always been considered to produce automotive vehicles because the added weight reduces the mileage per fuel. The present compositions and materials have the advantage of being up to about 30% lighter than PVC, which has been used for various automotive applications in the past. With respect to other properties, the present polyolefin compositions modified with elastomers can be formulated, to achieve flexural modules with values according to ISO 178 in the range of about 100 to about 700 MPa; impact resistance in accordance with ISO 180 / A of 15 KJ / m2 at no break at or above 0 ° C and between approximately 1.5 to 40 KJ / m2 at -40 ° C; and thermo-resistance that shows no substantial deleterious changes in the material after 25 minutes at 130 ° C. The automotive vehicle exterior components formed in accordance with the invention can be fastened to an automotive vehicle such that a painted surface is adjacent to the component. The appearance of the preference component corresponds substantially in color to the painted surface of the vehicle. In particular, the component of the exterior automotive vehicle can be a side body covering or bumper strip. Automotive vehicle components prepared according to the invention are particularly suitable for recycling processes due to the compatibility of the polyolefin resin matrix with other thermoplastic materials, especially those typically used in automotive applications. When the component of the invention is recycled, typically the component is removed from the vehicle and reduced to a particular material before forming the material in a new form. The component can be ground to the particulate material using known methods. As already mentioned, the polyolefin resin matrix of the invention is compatible with other thermoplastic materials and can be mixed with these materials during the recycling process. The invention is illustrated by the following non-limiting examples. All parts are parts by weight unless otherwise noted. Examples Example 1. Preparation of Silver Metallic Material The following materials are supplied heavy to the Banbury mixer: 67.71 parts by weight Quantum PP 7352 (a polypropylene copolymer available from Quantum Chemical Corp., Chicago, IL); 16.93 parts by weight of Exxon Achieve ™ 3825 (a metallocene-catalyzed polypropylene available from Exxon); 6.77 parts by weight of Kraton ™ 1652 (a thermoplastic elastomer available from Shell Chemical Company, Houston, TX); 6.77 parts by weight of dioctyl adipate; 1.02 parts by weight of Cynasorb ™ UV 5411 (available from CYTEC Industries, West Patterson, NJ); 0.34 parts by weight of Cynasorb ™ UV 3581 (available from CYTEC Industries, West Patterson, NJ); 0.7 part by weight of Antioxidant 2777 (available from CYTEC Industries, West Patterson, NJ); 0.195 part by weight of Myverol ™ 1806 (a mold release agent available from Eastman Chemical Co., Kingsport, TN); and 0.195 part by weight of Myverol ™ 1892 (an antistatic agent available from Eastman Chemical Co., Kingsport, TN). The ingredients are mixed for approximately three minutes with high shear to form a matrix. When the drip temperature of the batch reaches approximately 143.3 ° C (290 ° F) the batch is fed to a twin screw extruder. Aluminum flake pigments (commercially available from Silberline, Tamaqua, PA) and mica flakes (from EM Industries) are dosed to the front end of the extruder in a ratio of 2 parts of aluminum and 2 parts of mica per 100 parts of matrix. The mixture is extruded and then pelletized under water, using a pelletizer under water. The nodules are suitable for extrusion or the conventional forming process using heat in automotive vehicle components or other articles. Example 2. Preparation of Silver Frost bumper band The following materials are supplied heavy to a Banbury mixer: 71.0 parts by weight of AccproMR 9433 (available from Amoco), 15.0 parts by weight of Kraton 1652, 11. 0 parts by weight of dioctyl adipate; 1.5 parts by weight of Cynasorb ™ UV 5411; 0.4 part by weight of CynasorbMR UV 3581; 0.1 part by weight of Antioxidant 2777; 0.5 part by weight of Myverol 1806; and 0.5 part by weight of Myverol 1892. The ingredients are mixed for approximately three minutes at high shear to form a matrix. Concentrates of color of the following formulas are constituted in a two-roll mill. For each pigment, the indicated parts by weight of Engage (available from DuPont-Dow Elastomers Co.) are melted, then the pigment is added, then the materials are mixed until homogeneous and finally the mixture is pelleted using a pelletizer under water. A silver concentrate with half flakes is prepared from 23 parts by weight of aluminum flake half-flake (available from Silberline) and 77 parts by weight of Engage.

A white pearly concentrate is prepared from 32 parts by weight of White Pearl mica flakes 151 (available from EM Industries) and 68 parts by weight of Engage. A fine flake silver concentrate is prepared from 23 parts by weight fine flake aluminum pigment (available from Silberline) and 77 parts by weight Engage. A Russet pearly concentrate is prepared from 32 parts by weight of Russet Pearl 449X mica flakes (available from Mearl) and 68 parts by weight of Engage. A white concentrate is prepared from 70 parts by weight of titanium dioxide R960 (available from DuPont) and 30 parts by weight of Engage.

To prepare the bumper band, 100 parts by weight of the matrix and the following amounts of the color concentrates are mixed dry: 5 parts by weight of the silver concentrate with half flakes, 4 parts by weight of white pearly concentrate, one part by weight of silver concentrate of fine flakes, 0.15 part by weight of the white concentrate and 0.08 part by weight of the Russet orange concentrate. The dry mix is supplied to a twin screw extruder and extruded to the shape of a bumper strip.

Claims (18)

1. CLAIMS 1. An exterior automotive vehicle component having a pleasing appearance and comprising a modified polyolefin resin matrix having a turbidity level of less than about 50% and having a special effect pigment uniformly distributed.
2. 2. The exterior automotive vehicle component according to claim 1, characterized in that the matrix comprises a mixture of an aliphatic polyolefin resin and a thermoplastic elastomer.
3. 3. The exterior automotive vehicle component according to claim 2, characterized in that the matrix further comprises a substantially transparent pigment uniformly distributed.
4. The exterior automotive vehicle component according to claim 1, characterized in that the component is attached to an automotive vehicle having a painted surface adjacent to the component and the appearance of the component substantially in color to the painted surface.
5. The exterior automotive vehicle component according to claim 1, characterized in that the matrix forms an exterior surface of the component.
6. 6. The exterior automotive vehicle component according to claim 1, characterized in that the polyolefin resin comprises polypropylene.
7. The exterior automotive vehicle component according to claim 1, characterized in that the special effect pigment is a metallic flake pigment.
8. The exterior automotive vehicle component according to claim 1, characterized in that the special effect pigment is a pearlescent pigment.
9. 9. The exterior automotive vehicle component according to claim 1, characterized in that the component is a body side covering.
10. 10. The exterior automotive vehicle component according to claim 1, characterized in that the component is a bumper strip.
11. A method for providing a component for an automotive vehicle, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: (a) mixing a substantially transparent polyolefin resin and a substantially transparent thermoplastic elastomer to make a matrix, the matrix having a level of turbidity lower than approximately 50%; (b) uniformly distributing a special effect pigment in the matrix; (c) uniformly distributing substantially transparent pigment in the matrix; (d) thermoforming the matrix into a component having a select form; (e) fastening the component to an exterior surface of the vehicle, the exterior surface of the vehicle has a color and the pigment is chosen to correspond substantially with the color.
12. The method of the present invention according to claim 11, characterized in that the matrix comprises a mixture of an aliphatic polyolefin resin and a thermoplastic elastomer.
13. The method of the present invention according to claim 12, characterized in that the polyolefin resin is polypropylene.
14. The method of the present invention according to claim 13, characterized in that the special effect pigment is a metallic flake pigment.
15. 15. The method of the present invention according to claim 13, characterized in that the special effect pigment is a pearlescent pigment.
16. 16. The method of the present invention according to claim 11, characterized in that the component is a body side covering.
17. 17. The method of the present invention according to claim 11, characterized in that the component is a bumper strip.
18. 18. A method for recycling an automotive vehicle component, characterized in that it comprises the steps of: (a) fastening an automotive vehicle component to an exterior surface of an automotive vehicle, the component comprising: (1) a polyolefin resin matrix substantially transparent and a substantially transparent thermoplastic elastomer, the matrix has a turbidity level less than about 50%, the matrix has a special effect pigment distributed informally; (b) removing the component from the exterior surface of the automotive vehicle; (c) reducing the component to form a particulate material; (d) forming the particulate material to a desired structure.