Expandable vinyl aromatic polymeric compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2016222181-A1
Application number	US-201615010320-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jan 29, 2016
Priority date	Jan 30, 2015
Publication date	Aug 4, 2016
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present patent application relates to an expandable polymeric composition with an enhanced processability which comprises:
i. a polymeric base comprising:
a) from 0% to 100% by weight measured on the total base (i) of a vinyl aromatic polymer, b) from 100% to 0% by weight measured on the total base (i) of a co-polymer containing from 50% to 99% by weight of vinyl aromatic monomers and from 1% to 50% of at least one type of alkyl ester having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, derivative of acrylic or methacrylic acid,
ii. from 0.2 to 10 parts by weight measured on 100 parts of polymeric base (i) of an expanding agent, and iii. alternatively:
A) from 0 to 10 parts by weight measured on 100 parts of polymeric base (i) of an additive with a plasticizing effect when (i) comprises at least 2% by weight of (b), or B) from 0.3 to 10 parts by weight measured on 100 parts of polymeric base (i) of an additive with a plasticizing effect when (i) comprises only (a),

said polymeric composition being characterized in that:
the molecular mass at the maximum peak Mp of (i) ranges from 130 kDa to 190 kDa and the centrifugal average molecular mass Mz of (i) ranges from 430 kDa to 900 kDa, the difference in the glass-transition temperature (DTg) measured between a vinyl aromatic polymer having a molecular weight distribution (MWD) of (i) and composition of the vinyl aromatic fraction alone of (i), and a polymeric composition consisting of (i) and (iii), ranges from 1° C. to 8° C.

First claim

1 . An expandable polymeric composition comprising:
i. a polymeric base comprising: a) from 0% to 100% by weight based on the total base (i) of a vinyl aromatic polymer, b) from 100% to 0% by weight based on the total base (i) of a co-polymer comprising from 50% to 99% by weight of a vinyl aromatic monomer and from 1% to 50% by weight of an alkyl ester having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms derived from acrylic or methacrylic acid, ii. from 0.2 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts of the polymeric base (i) of an expanding agent, and iii. alternatively: A) from 0 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts of the polymeric base (i) of an additive with a plasticizer effect when (i) comprises at least 2% by weight of (b), or B) from 0.3 to 10 parts by weight based on 100 parts of the polymeric base (i) of an additive with a plasticizer effect when (i) comprises only (a), wherein: the molecular weight at a peak maximum Mp of (i) is from 130 kDa to 190 kDa and a centrifuge average molecular weight Mz of (i) is from 430 kDa to 900 kDa, the difference in a glass-transition temperature (DTg) measured from a vinyl aromatic polymer having a molecular weight distribution (MWD) of (i) and a composition of a sole vinyl aromatic fraction of (i), and a polymeric composition consisting of (i) and (iii), is from 1° C. to 8° C.

2 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein Mp of (i) ranges from 140 kDa to 190 kDa.

3 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein Mp of (i) ranges from 140 kDa to 180 kDa.

4 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein Mz of component (i) ranges from 440 kDa to 900 kDa.

5 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein Mz of component (i) ranges from 440 kDa to 700 kDa.

6 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein Mp of (i) ranges from 140 kDa to 180 kDa and Mz of (i) is from 440 kDa to 700 kDa.

7 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein DTg ranges from 3° C. to 8° C.

8 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric base (i) comprises a vinyl aromatic copolymer (b) comprising from 1% to 6% of the alkyl ester having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and derived from acrylic or methacrylic acid, and comprising from 94% to 99% of a vinyl aromatic monomer.

9 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric base (i) comprises:
a) from 80% to 98% by weight based on the total base (i) of the vinyl aromatic polymer, b) from 20% to 2% by weight based on the total base (i) of a co-polymer comprising from 50% to 70% by weight of a vinyl aromatic monomer and from 30% to 50% by weight of an alkyl ester having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms derived from acrylic or methacrylic acid.

10 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein the co-polymer (b) is present and is at least one selected from the group consisting of styrene-ethyl acrylate, styrene-methyl methacrylate, styrene-butyl acrylate, styrene-2-ethylhexyl acrylate, styrene dodecyl acrylate, styrene dodecyl methacrylate, styrene-stearyl acrylate, styrene-stearyl methacrylate, and styrene-glycidyl methacrylate.

11 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein the additive with plasticizer effect is at least one selected from the group consisting of a linear or cyclic oligomer obtained by polymerization of a vinyl aromatic monomer; a saturated hydrocarbon; a mixture of paraffins with a boiling temperature higher than 70° C.; and a halogenated flame retardant additive comprising phosphorus, sulfur, or both.

12 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the additive with plasticizer effect is at least one flame retardant selected from the group consisting of hexabromocyclododecane, pentabromide monochloro cyclo-exane, pentabromophenyl allil ether, a brominated styrene-butadiene copolymer, tetrabromobisphenol A bis-dibromopropyl ether, and triphenyl phostate.

13 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein an acrylic monomer of the co-polymer (b) is an acrylic ester having from 1 to 18 carbon atoms derived from acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or from a mixture thereof.

14 . The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein an acrylic monomer of the co-polymer (b) is selected from the group consisting of ethyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, dodecyl acrylate, dodecyl methacrylate, stearyl acrylate, stearyl methacrylate, and glycidyl methacrylate.

Assignees

• Versalis Spa

Inventors

• La Piccirella Andrea
• Longo Aldo
• Ferri Dino
• Vannucci Giuditta

Classifications

• C08L25/14

  with unsaturated esters · CPC title

• C08L25/08 Primary

  Copolymers of styrene (C08L29/08, C08L35/06, C08L55/02 take precedence) · CPC title

• C08J9/141

  Hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C08J2325/14

  with unsaturated esters · CPC title

• C08F212/08

  Styrene · CPC title