Classifications

• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08L—COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
  • C08L77/00—Compositions of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
  • C08L77/06—Polyamides derived from polyamines and polycarboxylic acids
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08L—COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
  • C08L23/00—Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
  • C08L23/02—Compositions of homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated aliphatic hydrocarbons having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers not modified by chemical after-treatment
  • C08L23/04—Homopolymers or copolymers of ethene
  • C08L23/08—Copolymers of ethene
  • C08L23/0846—Copolymers of ethene with unsaturated hydrocarbons containing atoms other than carbon or hydrogen
  • C08L23/0869—Copolymers of ethene with unsaturated hydrocarbons containing atoms other than carbon or hydrogen with unsaturated acids, e.g. [meth]acrylic acid; with unsaturated esters, e.g. [meth]acrylic acid esters
  • C08L23/0876—Salts thereof, i.e. ionomers
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08L—COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
  • C08L77/00—Compositions of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
  • C08L77/02—Polyamides derived from omega-amino carboxylic acids or from lactams thereof
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08L—COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
  • C08L2205/00—Polymer mixtures characterised by other features
  • C08L2205/02—Polymer mixtures characterised by other features containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08L—COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
  • C08L2205/00—Polymer mixtures characterised by other features
  • C08L2205/03—Polymer mixtures characterised by other features containing three or more polymers in a blend
• • C—CHEMISTRY; METALLURGY
  • C08—ORGANIC MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS; THEIR PREPARATION OR CHEMICAL WORKING-UP; COMPOSITIONS BASED THEREON
  • C08L—COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS
  • C08L2205/00—Polymer mixtures characterised by other features
  • C08L2205/22—Mixtures comprising a continuous polymer matrix in which are dispersed crosslinked particles of another polymer

Definitions

• the present invention relates to polymeric compositions comprising at least one polyamide and at one least blend of polyamide and polyolefin.
• the flex modulus of the boot material needs to be reasonably low over a wide range of temperatures of from -20°C to 20° C.
• the currently used materials in boots are "softer" polymers such as for example ionomers or thermoplastic polyurethanes (TPUs), which have a comparatively low flex modulus and yield flexible and responsive skiing boots.
• TPUs thermoplastic polyurethanes
• boots made of ionomer have excellent flex properties at temperatures of form about -20°C to about 20°C, they have a propensity to deform under creep stress.
• temperature can easily climb to 50 or 70°C, a temperature at which the currently used ionomers starts deforming or warping. This is of course undesirable, because after cooling down, the boot will not fit in the intended way onto the foot of the wearer. Repeated heating and cooling further exacerbate this problem.
• Polymers such as TPUs or polyamides require very high temperatures of up to 200°C to reach a point where they are soft enough, which makes it impossible to adjust the boot, because the user is required to shoe the boot during the adjustment process.
• ionomers may be suitable for boot shells that can be adjusted at temperatures around 50°C, but they suffer from the above-mentioned deformation problems of creep deformation.
• composition comprising at least one ionomer (A) and at least one blend comprising at least one polyamide and at least one ionomer (B), wherein the polyamide is an aliphatic polyamide and the ionomer (B) of the blend is a copolymer of (a) ethylene, (b) from 5 weight percent to 15 weight percent of an a, ⁇ -unsaturated C3-C8 carboxylic acid based on the weight of the ionomer (B) of the blend, (c) from 0.5 weight percent to 12 weight percent of at least one comonomer that is an ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid or derivative thereof selected from the group consisting of maleic acid, fumaric acid, itaconic acid, maleic anhydride, and a Ci-C 4 alkyl half ester of maleic acid, based on the weight of the ionomer of the blend, and (d) from 0 weight percent to 30
• the invention provides a composition as described above, obtainable by first mixing the at least one aliphatic polyamide and the at least ionomer (B) into a blend, and subsequently mixing said blend into the at least ionomer (A).
• the invention also provides an article comprising a composition as described above.
• Figure 1 depicts the morphology of a composition disclosed herein.
• Figure 2 is depicting the longest and second longest diameter of a particle.
• the polymeric composition can be an intimate mixture of at least one ionomer (A) and a blend comprising at least one aliphatic polyamide and at least one ionomer (B) selected from a special family of ionomers and can provide new materials that are highly suitable for applications where high mechanical rigidity is needed at relatively low temperatures, in conjunction with good formability at temperatures below 100°C.
• the new materials can overcome some of the major deficiencies of both polyamides and ionomers, while continuing to retain most of the desirable attributes.
• the composition can comprise at least one ionomer (A) in amounts of from 10 weight % to 60 weight %, preferably of from 20 weight % to 40 weight % or from 20 weight percent to 30 weight percent, based on the total weight of the composition.
• the ionomer (A) may be chosen among E/X/Y copolymers where E is ethylene, X is a C3 to Cs ⁇ , ⁇ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and Y is a comonomer selected from alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate, or both.
• the C 3 to C 8 ⁇ , ⁇ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid X can be present of from 2 weight percent to 30 weight percent, preferably 5 weight percent to 15 weight percent, based on the weight of the ionomer (A).
• Suitable C 3 to C 8 ⁇ , ⁇ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids X can be chosen among methacrylic acid, acrylic acid, or both and methacrylic acid being preferred.
• the comonomer Y can be present of from 0.1 weight percent to 40 weight percent, preferably 10 weight percent to 30 weight percent, based on the weight of the ionomer (A) and the alkyl groups may have of from 1 to 8 carbon atoms.
• Suitable alkyl groups can be chosen for example among methyl, ethyl, propyl, butyl such as n-butyl, sec-butyl, isobutyl and tert-butyl, with butyl being preferred.
• the carboxylic acid functionalities present in the ionomer (A) are at least partially neutralized by one or more alkali metal, transition metal, or alkaline earth metal cations such as for example from sodium, zinc, lithium, magnesium, and calcium; and more preferably zinc or magnesium, with zinc being the most preferred.
• the blend can comprise at least one aliphatic polyamide and at least one ionomer (B).
• the blend can be present in the composition of from 40 weight percent to 90 weight percent, preferably of from 60 weight percent to 80 weight percent, more preferably of from 70 weight percent to 80 weight percent , based on the total weight of the composition.
• the aliphatic polyamide of the blend may be present of from 20 weight percent to 65 weight percent, preferably of 30 weight percent from to 65 weight percent, more preferably of 55 weight percent from to 65 weight percent, based on the total weight of the blend.
• the aliphatic polyamide of the blend may be chosen, for example, among the group of polyamides obtainable from lactams or amino acids (e.g.
• polyepsiloncaprolactam PA6 or PA1 1
• PA6 polyepsiloncaprolactam
• PA1 1 PA1 1
• PA6 polyepsiloncaprolactam
• PA6, 6 polyhexamethylene adipamide
• PA1 1 PA12; PA12,12 and copolymers and terpolymers
• PA6/6,6 PA 6,10; PA6,12; PA6,6/12; PA6/6,6/6,10 and PA6/6T.
• PA6/6,6 polyhexamethylene adipamide
• PA6 polyhexamethylene adipamide
• PA6 polyhexamethylene adipamide
• PA1 1 PA12
• PA12 PA12,12 and copolymers and terpolymers
• PA6/6,6 PA 6,10
• PA6,12 PA6,6/12
• PA6/6,6/6,10 PA6/6T
• PA6/6T PA6/6T
• PA6/6T polyepsiloncaprolactam
• PA610 polyepsiloncaprolactam
• PA6,6 polyhexamethylene adipamide
• PA6 polyepsiloncaprolactam
• the ionomer (B) of the blend may be present in the blend from 35 to 80 weight %, preferably of 35 from to 70%, more preferably of 35 from to 45%, based on the total weight of the blend.
• the ionomer (B) may be chosen, for example, among ionomers containing higher amounts of dicarboxylic acid moieties that are derived from ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid comonomers, such as for example maleic anhydride and ethyl hydrogen maleate, which moieties are at least partially neutralized by one or more alkali metal, transition metal, or alkaline earth metal cations.
• the ionomer (B) can be a copolymer (or ter-polymer) of ethylene, C 3 to C 8 ⁇ , ⁇ - ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and at least one comonomer that is an ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid.
• the ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid may be present in an amount of from 3 weight percent to 25 weight percent, preferably of from 4 weight percent to 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the ionomer (B).
• Suitable ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acid comonomers may be, for example, maleic anhydride (MAH), Ci to C 4 alkyl half ester of maleic acid such as ethyl hydrogen maleate (also known as maleic acid monoethylester - MAME), itaconic acid (ITA) and fumaric acid.
• MAH maleic anhydride
• ITA itaconic acid
• fumaric acid fumaric acid
• the at least one ionomer (B) can contain additional comonomers, such as for example alkyl (meth)acrylate, wherein the alkyl groups have from 1 to 8 carbon atoms.
• Alkyl (meth)acrylate can include alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate, or both.
• the alkyl (meth)acrylate comonomer may be present in an amount of from 0 to 30 weight percent, preferably of from 0 to about 15 weight percent, based on the weight of the ionomer (B).
• Suitable alkyl (meth)acrylates may be chosen among alkyl
• (meth)acrylates having alkyl groups that have from 1 to 8 carbon atoms such as methyl acrylate, ethyl acrylate and n-butyl acrylate (nBA), with n-butyl acrylate (nBA) being preferred.
• Examples of ionomers (B) include copolymers of ethylene, methacrylic acid and ethyl hydrogen maleate (E/MAA MAME) and copolymers of ethylene, acrylic acid and maleic anhydride (E/AA/MAH).
• the carboxylic acid functionalities present in ionomer (B) can be neutralized at least partially, or from 10 to 99.5 percent, typically 10 to 70 percent, by one or more alkali metal, transition metal, or alkaline earth metal cations such as from example lithium, sodium, potassium, magnesium, calcium, barium, lead, tin, zinc, aluminum; or combinations of such cations.
• the carboxylic acid functionalities present in the at least one ionomer (B) can be neutralized of from 35 to about 70 percent by at least one metal cation selected from sodium, zinc, lithium, magnesium, and calcium; and more preferably zinc or magnesium, with zinc being the most preferred.
• the neutralization may be effected by first making the ionomer and treating it with inorganic base(s), with alkali metal, alkaline earth metal or transition metal cation(s), as known in the art.
• the polymeric compositions of the invention can additionally comprise about 0.0001 to about 50 % (based on the total weight of the composition) optional materials, such as conventional additives used in polymeric materials including: plasticizers, stabilizers, antioxidants, ultraviolet ray absorbers, hydrolytic stabilizers, anti-static agents, dyes or pigments, fillers, fire-retardants, lubricants, reinforcing agents such as glass fiber and flakes, processing aids, antiblock agents, release agents, nucleating agents and/or mixtures thereof.
• optional materials such as conventional additives used in polymeric materials including: plasticizers, stabilizers, antioxidants, ultraviolet ray absorbers, hydrolytic stabilizers, anti-static agents, dyes or pigments, fillers, fire-retardants, lubricants, reinforcing agents such as glass fiber and flakes, processing aids, antiblock agents, release agents, nucleating agents and/or mixtures thereof.
• the nucleating agent can be present from 0.1 to 1 weight percent, based on the total weight of the composition.
• composition comprising of at least one ionomer (A) and at least one blend comprising at least one polyamide and at least one ionomer (B) can be obtained by the a one-step or a two-step mixing process, with the two-step mixing process being preferred:
• At least one polyamide and at least one ionomer (B) can be fed into a suitable mixing device in solid form, such as for example in pellets form, to be blended
• Suitable mixing devices can be chosen among twin screw extruders with a mixing screw, Brabender-type mixers, internal mixers, Farrell continuous mixers or Buss Ko kneaders.
• the mixing device is a twin screw extruder with a mixing screw operating at a temperature of from 260°C to 300°C.
• the ionomer (B) can be dispersed in the polyamide (which forms the continuous phase) as extremely fine particles which have a very narrow particle size distribution.
• the blend is passed through the die of the extruder and then cut to yield solid particles of polyamide/ionomer blend such as for example pellets.
• the blend of ionomer (B) and polyamide prepared in the first step is subsequently combined with the at least one ionomer (A) in a suitable mixing device.
• the mixing device can be the same as disclosed above such as a twin-screw extruder operating at a temperature of from 260°C to 300°C.
• the molten blend of ionomer (B) and polyamide, and the molten ionomer (A), can be injected simultaneously into a mold in their molten form to achieve a mixing of the two components.
• the mixing device is a twin-screw extruder.
• the compound according to the present invention may be processed into various forms for storage such as for example pellets.
• the first step of the two-step mixing process has the effect of producing a dispersion of ionomer (B) in a continuous phase of polyamide (the blend).
• the second step, in which the blend is combined with the ionomer (A) has the effect of producing a composition where the blend itself is dispersed in a continuous phase of the ionomer (A), yielding a "dispersion-in-dispersion" / ⁇ [dispersion of polyamide in ionomer (B)] dispersed in ionomer (A) ⁇ .
• Figure 1 shows a non-limiting, exemplary drawing depicting the morphology of the composition according to the invention..
• the size of the blend particles can be characterized by defining the longest diameter of a blend particle dispersed in the at least one ionomer (A) and an orthogonal second longest diameter of a blend particle.
• the ratio between the longest diameter and the second longest diameter can be of from about 1 (a spherical shaped particle) to about 10, more preferably of from 1 to about 6 (an ellipsoid, "zeppelin” or "cigar” shaped particle).
• Figure 2 shows a non-limiting, exemplary drawing depicting the longest and second longest diameter of a particle.
• the longest diameter of the blend particles can be of from 200 nm to about 600 nm, and the second longest diameter of the blend can be of from 40 nm to 120 nm.
• the compound according to the invention can be used to manufacture various articles such as for example automotive parts or sport articles such as for example the outer shell of skiing boots, snowboard boots, skating boots, ice skating boots, in-line skate boots, or mountaineering boots.
• the sport articles can be articles that can be fitted to the anatomy of the user by thermoforming.
• the adjustment of the heated outer shell may be obtained by for example by a) placing the outer shell in an oven, b) heating the outer shell to the softening point, c) removing the outer shell from the oven, d) reinserting the liner of the boot back into the outer shell, e) shoeing the boot, f) wrapping the still soft boot in a hollow bag that fits the outline of the boot connected to a pump g) applying vacuum or overpressure to press the bag against the boot and at the same time press the softened shell of the boot against the foot of the user and h) maintaining the vacuum or overpressure until the softened shell has cooled and solidified.
• the sport articles and/or the outer shells as described above may be any sport articles and/or the outer shells as described above.
• composition of the present invention manufactured by injection molding the composition of the present invention into a mold or by simultaneously injecting the ionomer (A) and blend into a mold.
• the composition of the present invention may be molded into sport articles by rotomolding or injection blow molding the pre-blended composition.
• a composition was prepared by mixing simultaneously the 4.4 kg of nylon 6, obtainable from BASF under the trademark ULTRAMID B3, 2.5 kg of ionomer (B) comprising ethylene, 1 1 weight percent of methacrylic acid and 6 weight percent maleic anhydride monoethylester having 40% of the available acid moieties neutralized with zinc cations, 3 kg of a zinc ionomer based on ethylene, methacrylic acid and n- butylacrylate , obtainable from E.I.
• Du Pont de Nemours & Co (Delaware, US; DuPont) under the trademark SURLYN 9320 and 0.1 kg of a nucleating agent obtainable from Brueggemann Chemical under the trademark BRUGGOLEN P22 in a Werner Pfleiderer 30 mm twin screw extruder operating at a temperature of 285°C and having a L/D ratio of 29.
• a first blend was prepared by mixing 5.9 kg of nylon 6, obtainable from BASF under the trademark ULTRAMID B3, 4 kg of ionomer (B) comprising ethylene, 1 1 weight percent of methacrylic acid and 6 weight percent maleic anhydride monoethylester having 40% of the available acid moieties neutralized with zinc cations, 0.1 kg of a nucleating agent obtainable from Brueggemann Chemical under the trademark
• a first blend was prepared by mixing 4.95 kg of nylon 6, obtainable from BASF under the trademark ULTRAMID B3, 4.95 kg of ionomer (B) comprising ethylene, 1 1 weight percent of methacrylic acid and 6 weight percent maleic anhydride
• compositions were then molded into flex bars and conditioned for 24 hours at 50% relative humidity and 25°C and tested for flex modulus according to ASTM D790 at 25°C. Results are shown in Table 1 (the % was based on weight), which shows the flex modulus in kilopound per square inch (Ksi) as measured according to ASTM D790.

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• Chemical Kinetics & Catalysis (AREA)
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• Polymers & Plastics (AREA)
• Organic Chemistry (AREA)
• Compositions Of Macromolecular Compounds (AREA)
• Processes Of Treating Macromolecular Substances (AREA)

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• 2012
  • 2012-02-07 US US13/367,423 patent/US8586663B2/en active Active
  • 2012-02-08 CN CN201280007935.1A patent/CN103370375B/zh active Active
  • 2012-02-08 JP JP2013553513A patent/JP5976683B2/ja active Active
  • 2012-02-08 EP EP12704490.7A patent/EP2673320B1/en active Active
  • 2012-02-08 WO PCT/US2012/024274 patent/WO2012109318A1/en not_active Ceased

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