Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08L—COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
  • C08L67/00—Compositions of polyesters obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic ester link in the main chain; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
  • C08L67/02—Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08L—COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
  • C08L69/00—Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates

Definitions

• the invention relates to a polymer mixture which comprises the following constituents:
• Polymer mixtures which may comprise an aroma ⁇ tic polycarbonate, an aromatic polyester and a polymer with a rubber-like first phase and a rigid thermo ⁇ plastic final phase, are described in WO 80/00972.
• the known mixtures have a good impact strength and a good tensile .strength, in particular in comparison with a pure aromatic polyester. It has furthermore been found in practice that these known polymer mixtures have a good resistance to organic solvents, for example, motor spirit.
• the known polymer mixtures exhibit two small disadvantages: articles obtained by injection moulding show the tendency to a phenomenon which may be referred to as nacrous lustre. This means that these articles sometimes have a surface showing nacrous lustre.
• a second disadvantage is the occurrence of a discoloring of the surface (turning white) after contact with -2- organic solvents, for example, motor spirit.
• -2- organic solvents for example, motor spirit.
• the invention provides a new polymer mixture having the same good mechanical properties as the known polymer mixtures without the above-mentioned disadvan- tages occurring.
• the invention is based on the disco ⁇ very that by a proper choice of the particle size ,of the polymer (c) the said disadvantages do not occur.
• the polymer mixture according to the invention is characterized in that the polymer (c) has an average •particle size of less than 0.2 micrometres.
• Particle size is always to be understood to mean the size as determined according to the method to be described hereinafter, in so far as at least not otherwise stated.
• the invention also relates to polymer mixtures which comprise a) 85-99.5% by weight of aromatic polycarbonate and b) 0.5-15% by weight of a polymer (c) as meant above having an average particle size of less than 0.2 micrometres.
• the invention furthermore relates to polymer mixtures which comprise a) 85-99.5% by weight of aromatic polyester and b) 0.5-15%, by preference 10-15%, by weight of a polymer (c) as meant above having an average par ⁇ ticle size of less than 0.2 micrometres.
• the invention provides in particular polymer mixtures which comprise a polymer (c) as described in United States Patent Specification 3,808,180.
• the poly ⁇ mers described therein consist of a multiphase com- posite interpolymer having a first phase with a glass temperature of less than 10 ⁇ C.
• This first phase has been obtained by polymerisation of at least approxima ⁇ tely 50% by weight of one or more alkyl and aralkyl acrylates, approximately 0.05 to 5.0% by weight of a cross-linking monomer, approximately 0.05 to 5.0% by weight of a graft-linking monomer, approximately 0 to 10% by weight of a hydrophilic monomer and the remainder of further copolymerisable ethenically unsa- turated monomers.
• a cross-linking monomer is used a polyethenically unsaturated monomer having several groups which are reactive for addition polymerisation and which all react at approximately the same rate.
• the graft-linking monomer is a polyethenically unsaturated monomer having several groups which are reactive for addition polymerisation and at least one of which poly ⁇ merises at a reaction rate which differs considerably from the reaction rate of at least one of the remaining reactive groups.
• the polymer (c) according to US 3,808,180 furthermore comprises a final phase of a rigid thermoplastic material which is polymerised in the presence of the elastomeric phase mentioned herein ⁇ before from a monomer mixture consisting for at least for 50% by weight of an alkyl methacrylate. Between the elastomeric phase and the final phase an intermediate phase may be present, for example, an intermediate phase of styrene.
• the polymer (c) as used in the polymer mix ⁇ tures according to the invention may comprise in the -4- elastomeric phase, for example, an n-butyl acrylate or ⁇ a 2-ethylhexylacrylate.
• 2-Ethylhexylacrylate is to be preferred.
• a polymer (c) is obtained which, hen used in the polymer mixtures according to the invention, leads to a polymer mixture having a par ⁇ ticularly good resistance to petrol (substantially no discoloring).
• a cross-linking monomer may be used polyacrylates or polymethacrylates of polyoles, for example butylene diacrylate.
• a graft-linking monomer is also used.
• Suitable graft-linking monomers are, for example, allylmethacrylate and allylacrylate.
• the elastomeric phase may comprise further copolymerisable monomers in addition to the above-mentioned alkylacrylate and/or aralkylacrylate and the said monomers.
• the rigid final phase may be built up from a C1-C4 alkylmethacrylate, for example, methylmethacrylate or also from a copoly- mer of styrene and acrylonitrile.
• polymer (c) The preparation of polymer (c) is known per se. It is also known how a polymer (c) of a given par ⁇ ticle size can be obtained. For this purpose, reference may be made to the above-mentioned United States Patent Specification 3,808,180 and to the article by J. Vandegaer in J.Appl.Pol.Sc. 9, 2929 (1965).
• the known polymer (c) may be mixed according to US 3,808,180 with rigid polymers, for example, acryl polymers.
• the "particle size of the elastomer" according to US 3,808,180 is "not of any essential significance". -5- The way in which the particle size is deter ⁇ mined and which size is meant (diamater or radius) or the-way in which the size is calculated (average according to number or to volume) has not been indi- cated.
• the polymer (c) as described in United States Patent Specification 3,808,180 has already been used in the form of polymer mixtures with a poly(alkylene- terephtalate) (see US 4,096,202), with a poly(carbo ⁇ nate) (EP 0.036.127), with a poly(alkyleneterephtalate) plus a pol (carbonate) (WO 80/00972 and EP 0,025,920).
• the particle size of the polymer (c) used is not indi- cated anywhere; usually it is stated that the commer ⁇ cial product Acryloid KM 330 is used as a polymer (c).
• particle size of polymer (c) is always to be understood to mean the dimension determined as follows.
• a latex is obtained from which polymer (c) is recovered.
• this latex is used as the starting material.
• This latex is centri- fuged in a highly diluted form by means of an analytic centrifuge (type CAPA 500 of Horiba, Japan).
• the size of the sedimenting particles is determined according to the method described by W. Scholtan, Kolloid Zeit- schrift 250, 782-96, 1972). Always determined is the volume-averaged particle size, namely the average particle diameter as the D v 50 number.
• the resulting articles were fractured at -196°C.
• the particles of polymer (c) were made visible in the fracture surface by means of a scanning electron microscope.
• the average diameter of 100 particles is indicated below as the "s.e.m. value". Generally a smaller value for the diameter is found with this method as compared with the above-described method.
• a polymer (c) having a particle size of less "" than 0.2 micrometres can be prepared according to known methods. A suitable method of preparation is indicated (1st polymer c).
• the invention is based on the discovery that polymer mixtures which comprise an aromatic polycar ⁇ bonate, an aromatic polyester, and a polymer (c) having a particle size of less than 0.2 micrometres, have no nacrous lustre and show no white spots when in contact with organic solvents.
• Polymer mixtures comprising an aromatic polycarbonate and a polymer (c) having a par ⁇ ticle size smaller than 0.2 micrometres, and polymer mixtures comprising an aromatic polyester and a polymer (c) having a particle size of smaller than 0.2 micro ⁇ metres will show a similar improvement of properties as compared with similar polymer mixtures comprising the known Acryloid KM 330 having a particle size of 0.46 micrometres (s.e.m. value).
• a polymer (c) is preferably used having a com ⁇ paratively high degree of cross-linking corresponding to a degree of swelling of less than 7 g per gram (determined in the manner described hereinafter).
• the commercially available polymer (c) (KM 330) has a degree of swelling of 5 g per gram.
• Application of a polymer (c) having a degree of swelling of less than 7 g per gram leads to a polymer mixture having a reduced nacrous lustre (for the same particle size).
• the polymer mixture according to the invention comprises, in addition to the polymer (c), an aromatic polycarbonate and an aromatic polyester.
• aromatic polycarbonates are compounds known per se. Suitable aromatic polycarbonates are described, for example, in United States Patent Specification 4,034,016. Particularly suitable are the polycarbonates comprising units derived from bisphenol A and/or tetra- methyl bisphenol A. It is also possible to use so- called branched polycarbonates.
• Aromatic polyesters are compounds also known per se.
• the so-called polyalkylene terephtalates for example, polyethylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephtalate, are particularly suitable.
• the aromatic polyesters are prepared by reaction of one or more aro ⁇ matic dicarboxylic acids, for example terephthalic acid, esters or ester-forming derivatives thereof, with 'one or more different diol compounds.
• Suitable diol compounds are ethylene glycol, 1,4-butanediol and 1,6-hexane diol.
• a part of the aromatic dicarboxylic acid may be replaced by an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid. Mixtures of one or more polyesters are also suitable.
• the polymer mixtures according to the inven ⁇ tion can be obtained according to the usual method of preparing polymer mixtures.
• the polymer mixtures according to the invention are conventionally prepared by mixing the constituents a), b), and c) in an extruder and extruding them. The extrudate is then granulated.
• the polymer mixtures according to the inven ⁇ tion can be formed into articles by means of the shaping techniques for thermoplastic materials, in par-, ticular by injection moulding. -9-
• the polymer mixtures may furthermore comprise the conventional additives, for example, fillers, for example, in the form of reinforcing fibres, stabili ⁇ zers, dyes, flame-retarding agents, softeners, mould- detaching agents, seed-forming agents, and the like.
• a glass two litre reactor was filled with A and B, cooled to 10 ⁇ C and made oxygen-free by rinsing/evacuating five times with nitrogen.
• the mix ⁇ ture of A and B was emulsified by stirring.
• the tem ⁇ perature was then raised to 40 ⁇ C.
• 60 Parts by weight of solution C (deaerated) were then injected, succeeded -10- by 60 parts by weight of solution D (deaerated).
• the polymerisation reaction started immediately, which resulted in a rise in temperature to 70-75°C in 10 minutes: the temperature was then adjusted at 60°C and the pressure at 1.5 atmospheres.
• the remainders of solutions C and D (deaerated) were gradually added in a period of 2 hours by means of dosing pumps. Stirring for another hour at 60 ⁇ C was then carried out to complete the reaction.
• the solutions E, F and G were gradually added to the reaction mixture obtained sub 1.1. while stirring over a period of 1 hour. The reaction was then continued for 30 minutes at 85°C. The particle size of the latex thus obtained was determined as indicated above. -11- 1.3.
• the resulting latex was destabilized by pouring the contents of the reactor through a filter into a rapidly stirred aqueous solution with 1% by weight of CaCl2> The precipitated polymer (c) was isolated by filtration, washed with water, and dried in a vacuum at 60°C.
• the particle size was 0.17 micrometer.
• a two-litre glass reactor was filled, while stirring with 500 parts by weight of water, after which 160 parts by weight of a latex prepared as indicated sub 1.1. were added.
• the reactor with contents was made oxygen-free by rinsing/evacuating five times with nitrogen.
• the assembly was heated to a temperature of 60°C under a pressure of 1.5 atmospheres.
• Deaerated solutions A to D as described sub 1.1. were gradually added in a period of three hours. The temperature rose to 62-63"C. Finally, stirring was carried out for another 90 minutes at 60°C.
• solu ⁇ tion A consisting of 499.2 parts by weight of n-butyl acrylate, 2.56 parts by weight of allyl methacrylate and 10.24 parts by weight of tris (2-acrylyloxy-ethyl) isocyanurate.
• 3rd polymer (c), respectively, were repeated, a solu ⁇ tion A being used, however, consisting of 488.96 parts by weight of n-butylacrylate, 2.56 parts by weight of allylmethacrylate, and 20.48 parts by weight of tris(2-acrylyloxy-ethyl) isocyanurate.
• the average particle diameter (D v 50) was determined, as well as the degree of swelling and the gel content (gel fraction).
• D v 50 the average particle diameter
• gel fraction the degree of swelling and the gel fraction
• a given quantity of polymer (c) was weighed (A) . This quantity was suspended in toluene at room temperature in a concentration of 1.5% by weight and kept in suspension for 4 hours. The suspension was then centrifuged (28000 G), the supernatant clear ' liquid was decanted, the resulting gel was mixed with fresh toluene and again centrifuged. The supernatant clear liquid was again decanted. The weight of the remaining gel was determined (B). The remaining gel was then dried to constant weight (C).
• the degree of swelling (ZG) is the ratio between B and C; the gel fraction (GF) is calculated from C IO Q% -13- The results obtained are recorded in Table A hereinafter
• the polymers (c) Nos. 1, 4 and 7 are suitable for the polymer mixtures according to the invention; the polymers (c) Nos. 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, and 9 have been used for comparative examples.
• the melting index (MFI) according to ISO 1133 was determined of the resulting granulates as well as of the starting polymers.
• the notch impact strength at -15 ⁇ C was determined according to ASTM D 256 (bar thickness 3.2 mm).
• the discoloring (turning white) of the surface and nacrous lustre effects were determined in plates having a dimension of 6 x 6 cm.
• the turning white was measured as follows. The plates were immersed for 6 minutes in a mixture of 85% by volume of "Fuel C” (according to ISO 1817) and 15% by volume of methanol. The plates were then dried in air for 24 hours. The discoloring was measured with a Zeiss RFC 3 spectrophotometer and calculated according to DIN 6174. The turning white is quantified by the £L* aD contribution expressed in so-called Cielab units. A low absolute _y * a - b value indicates a small extent of turning white, a high ⁇ ,L* a fo value a high extent of turning white.
• the nacrous lustre effects are evaluated visually by inspecting the plates at different angles and under different light sources and paying attention to changes in colour.
• polymer (c) Nos. 1, 4, and 7 show the most favourable combination of little turning white and no or little nacrous lustre effects. Comparison of the polymer composition comprising polymer (c) No. 7 with the compositions containing polymer (c) No. 4 and No. 1 shows that polymer (c) No. 7 leads to a smaller nacrous lustre effect.
• the most important difference between polymers (c) Nos. 1, 4, and 7 is the degree of swelling (see Table A); polymer (c) No. 7 has the lowest degree of swelling. On the basis of this result, a polymer (c) is to be preferred having a low degree of swelling of less than 7 g per g.
• the average particle size (s.e.m. diameter value) of this polymer (c) in the fracture surface of a polymer mixture according to the invention was 0.14 micrometres.
• the melting index of the polymer mixture was 14.0 g/min.
• the nacrous lustre was evaluated by the numeral 4 and the L*ab value was only 0.5 Cielab units. -18- Example III
• a polymer (c) was prepared in a manner similar to that described in Example II (i.e. elastomeric phase from 2-ethylhexylacrylate), in which the last phase was not copolymerized from methylmethacrylate but from a mixture of styrene and acrylonitrile (weight ratio respectively 71:29.
• the average particle size (s.e.m. diameter value) of the resulting polymer (c) in a polymer mix ⁇ ture according to Example I with this polymer (c) was 0.12 micrometre.
• the polymer mixture had a melting index of 16 g per 10 minutes, a notch impact strength at -15°C of 580 J/m, a nacrous lustre value 4 and a ⁇ L* a t, value of 1.0 Cielab unit.
• a second portion of polymer (c) no. 7 as referred to on pages 12 and 13 hereabove was prepared.
• the average particle size was 0.17 micrometres, the degree of swelling 5.9 g/g and the gelfraction 95.0% by weight.

Landscapes

• Chemical & Material Sciences (AREA)
• Health & Medical Sciences (AREA)
• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
• Medicinal Chemistry (AREA)
• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)

Priority Applications (2)

Applications Claiming Priority (1)

Publications (1)

Family

ID=22188941

Family Applications (1)

Country Status (2)

Cited By (3)

Families Citing this family (1)

Citations (5)

Family Cites Families (3)

• 1985
  • 1985-11-18 JP JP50545085A patent/JPH0657784B2/ja not_active Expired - Lifetime
  • 1985-11-18 WO PCT/US1985/002251 patent/WO1987002999A1/en unknown

Patent Citations (6)

Also Published As

Similar Documents

Legal Events