Polymeric material

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-11345791-B2
Application number	US-201816471019-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jan 19, 2018
Priority date	Jan 31, 2017
Publication date	May 31, 2022
Grant date	May 31, 2022

Abstract

A polymeric material that includes a thermoplastic composition containing a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer and a siloxane component is provided. The siloxane component contains an ultrahigh molecular weight siloxane polymer that is dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains. A porous network is defined within the thermoplastic composition that includes a plurality of nanopores.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A polymeric material that comprises a thermoplastic composition, the composition containing a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer and a siloxane component, wherein the siloxane component contains an ultrahigh molecular weight siloxane polymer that is dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains, wherein a porous network is defined within the thermoplastic composition that includes a plurality of nanopores, and
wherein the siloxane polymer contains R 3 SiO 1/2 and SiO 4/2 units, wherein R is a functional or nonfunctional organic group.

2. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the siloxane component constitutes from about 0.01 wt. % to about 15 wt. % of the thermoplastic composition.

3. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the siloxane polymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 100,000 grams per mole or more.

4. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the siloxane polymer has a kinematic viscosity of about 1×10 5 centistokes or more.

5. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein R is alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, arylenyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, alkoxy, or a combination thereof.

6. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the siloxane component further comprises a carrier resin.

7. The polymeric material of claim 6 , wherein the carrier resin constitutes from about 30 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of the siloxane component and the siloxane polymer constitutes from about 30 wt. % to about 70 wt. %.

8. The polymeric material of claim 6 , wherein the carrier resin includes a polyolefin, polyester, or a combination thereof.

9. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the nanopores have an average cross-sectional dimension of about 800 nanometers or less.

10. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein nanopores have an average axial dimension of from about 100 to about 5000 nanometers.

11. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the matrix polymer includes a polyester.

12. The polymeric material of claim 11 , wherein the polyester is polyethylene terephthalate.

13. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the matrix polymer includes a polyolefin.

14. The polymeric material of claim 13 , wherein the polyolefin is a propylene homopolymer.

15. The polymeric material of claim 13 , wherein the polyolefin is an ethylene polymer.

16. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the continuous phase constitutes from about 60 wt. % to about 99 wt. % of the thermoplastic composition.

17. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the siloxane polymer is dispersed in the form of nano-scale domains.

18. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises a microinclusion additive dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains.

19. The polymeric material of claim 1 , wherein the porous network further includes micropores.

20. A fiber comprising the polymeric material of claim 1 .

21. A nonwoven web comprising the fiber of claim 20 .

22. An absorbent article that includes a substantially liquid-impermeable layer, liquid-permeable layer, and an absorbent core, wherein the substantially liquid-impermeable layer, the liquid-permeable layer, or both include the polymeric material of claim 1 .

23. A method for forming a polymeric material, the method comprising:
forming a thermoplastic composition that contains a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer and a siloxane component, wherein the siloxane component contains an ultrahigh molecular weight siloxane polymer that is dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains; and
solid state drawing the thermoplastic composition to form a porous network therein, the porous network including a plurality of nanopores,
wherein the siloxane polymer contains R 3 SiO 1/2 and SiO 4/2 units, wherein R is a functional or nonfunctional organic group.

24. The method of claim 23 , wherein the thermoplastic composition is drawn to a stretch ratio of from about 1.1 to about 25.

25. The method of claim 23 , wherein the thermoplastic composition is drawn at a temperature of from about −50° C. to about 150° C.

26. A method for forming a fiber, the method comprising:
forming a thermoplastic composition that contains a continuous phase that includes a matrix polymer and a siloxane component, wherein the siloxane component contains an ultrahigh molecular weight siloxane polymer that is dispersed within the continuous phase in the form of discrete domains;
extruding the composition through a capillary to form the fiber; and
drawing the fiber at a temperature that is lower than the melting temperature of the matrix polymer, thereby forming a porous network that includes a plurality of nanopores;
wherein the siloxane polymer contains R 3 SiO 1/2 and SiO 4/2 units, wherein R is a functional or nonfunctional organic group.

Assignees

• Kimberly Clark Co

Inventors

• Mceneany Ryan J
• Galabura Yuriy
• Carrillo Ojeda Antonio J
• Scholl Neil T
• Topolkaraev Vasily A
• Hall David W
• Kemppinen Juha P
• Lortscher Peter S
• Eslinger Lori A
• Thompson Brent M
• Wideman Gregory J

Classifications

• D04H1/00

  Non-woven fabrics formed wholly or mainly of staple fibres or like relatively short fibres · CPC title

• D01F8/16

  with at least one other macromolecular compound obtained otherwise than by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds as constituent · CPC title

• D01F8/14

  with at least one polyester as constituent · CPC title

• C08J2423/06

  Polyethene · CPC title

• C08J9/00

  Working-up of macromolecular substances to porous or cellular articles or materials; After-treatment thereof (mechanical aspects of shaping of plastics or substances in a plastic state for the production of porous or cellular articles B29C) · CPC title