Compositions including copolymers of vinylidene fluoride and tetrafluoroethylene and methods of using the same

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11312802-B2
Application number	US-201716302539-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	May 17, 2017
Priority date	May 17, 2016
Publication date	Apr 26, 2022
Grant date	Apr 26, 2022

Abstract

A composition includes a thermoplastic fluoropolymer having vinylidene fluoride units in an amount of at least 30 mole percent and tetrafluoroethylene units in an amount of at least 5 mole percent. The thermoplastic fluoropolymer is free of hexafluoropropylene units or comprises less than 5 mole percent hexafluoropropylene units. The composition further includes at least one of a non-fluorinated, thermoplastic polymer as a major component of the composition or a polymer processing additive synergist. A method of reducing melt defects during the extrusion of a polymer is also provided. Use of the thermoplastic fluoropolymer as a polymer processing additive is also provided.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A composition comprising:
a thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer comprising vinylidene fluoride units in an amount of at least 30 mole percent and tetrafluoroethylene units in an amount of at least 5 mole percent, wherein:
(i) the vinylidene fluoride units and the tetrafluoroethylene units are present in the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer in a combined amount of at least 95 mole percent, based on the total moles of the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer,
(ii) the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer is free of hexafluoropropylene units or comprises less than 5 mole percent hexafluoropropylene units; and
(iii) the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer is free of perfluoroalkyl perfluorovinyl ether units and perfluoroalkoxyalkyl vinyl ether units; and

a non-fluorinated polymer as a major component of the composition; wherein the non-fluorinated polymer comprises at least one of a polyolefin or a polyamide.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the amount of the vinylidene fluoride units is in a range from 30 mole percent to 95 mole percent, and wherein the amount of the tetrafluoroethylene units is in a range from 5 mole percent to 70 mole percent.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the amount of the vinylidene fluoride units is in a range from 70 mole percent to 90 mole percent, and wherein the amount of the tetrafluoroethylene units is in a range from 10 mole percent to 30 mole percent.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the vinylidene fluoride units and the tetrafluoroethylene units are present in the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer in a combined amount of at least 99 mole percent, based on the total moles of the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer.

5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer further comprises units selected from the group consisting of chlorotrifluoroethylene units, trifluoroethylene units, 1-hydropentafluoropropylene units, 2-hydropentafluoropropylene units, propylene units, and combinations thereof.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer has a multimodal molecular weight distribution.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the melting point of the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer is up to 130° C., and wherein composition comprises the polyolefin.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the melting point of the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer is at least 130° C.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a hindered amine light stabilizer.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer has an acid value of less than one milligram KOH per gram, or wherein the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer has a log [zero shear viscosity/l Pascal·second (Pa·s)] at 190° C. in a range from 4 to 11.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a polymer processing additive synergist, and wherein the polymer processing additive synergist comprises at least one of a poly(oxyalkylene) polymer, a silicone-polyether copolymer, an aliphatic polyester, an aromatic polyester, or a polyether polyol.

12. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the polymer processing additive synergist comprises the poly(oxyalkylene) polymer and further comprises a metal salt of a carboxylic acid, sulfonic acid, or alkylsulfate.

13. The composition of claim 11 , wherein the polymer processing additive synergist comprises the poly(oxyalkylene) polymer and wherein the composition is lighter in color after exposure to vapors from a 28% ammonia solution for 18 hours than a comparable composition that is the same as the composition but includes a vinylidene fluoride and hexafluoropropylene copolymer instead of the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer.

14. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising at least one of a polysiloxane, a polydiorganosiloxane polyamide block copolymer, a polydiorganosiloxane polyoxamide block copolymer, or a silicone-polyurethane copolymer.

15. The composition of claim 1 , further comprising an amorphous fluoropolymer.

16. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer has long-chain branching.

17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition is a packaging material for an alkaline product.

18. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic, semi-crystalline fluoropolymer consists of vinylidene fluoride units and tetrafluoroethylene units.

19. A method of reducing melt defects during the extrusion of the non-fluorinated polymer, the method comprising extruding the composition of claim 1 .

Assignees

• 3M Innovative Properties Co

Inventors

• LAVALLéE CLAUDE
• Hutchens Dale E
• Kaspar Harald
• Weilandt Karl D
• Mamun Shireen A

Classifications

• C08L2205/06

  having improved processability or containing aids for moulding methods · CPC title

• C08L27/16

  Homopolymers or copolymers or vinylidene fluoride · CPC title

• C08L2205/025

  containing two or more polymers of the same hierarchy C08L, and differing only in parameters such as density, comonomer content, molecular weight, structure · CPC title

• B29C48/27

  Cleaning; Purging; Avoiding contamination · CPC title

• C08L77/00

  Compositions of polyamides obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic amide link in the main chain (of polyhydrazides C08L79/06; of polyamideimides or polyamide acids C08L79/08); Compositions of derivatives of such polymers · CPC title