Block expandable polymeric compositions

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-2019309138-A1
Application number	US-201716314098-A
Country	US
Kind code	A1
Filing date	Jul 28, 2017
Priority date	Jul 29, 2016
Publication date	Oct 10, 2019
Grant date	—

Abstract

The present invention relates to an expandable polymeric composition that comprises: a) from 60% to 88% by weight of a vinyl aromatic polymer and/or copolymer, calculated respect to (a)+(b); b) from 12% to 40% by weight of a block copolymer, containing at least one vinyl aromatic polymer and/or copolymer and at least one hydrogenated diene polymer, calculated respect to (a)+(b); c) from 3 parts to 10 parts by weight of a blowing agent, calculated on 100 parts of (a)+(b).

First claim

1 . An expandable polymeric composition comprising:
a. from 60% to 88% by weight of a vinyl aromatic polymer and/or copolymer, calculated with respect to (a)+(b); b. from 12% to 40% by weight of a block copolymer, containing at least one vinyl aromatic polymer and/or copolymer and at least one hydrogenated diene polymer, calculated with respect to (a)+(b); c. from 3 parts to 10 parts by weight of a blowing agent, calculated on 100 parts of (a)+(b).

2 . Expandable polymeric composition consisting of:
a) from 60% to 88% by weight of a vinyl aromatic polymer and/or copolymer, calculated with respect to (a)+(b); b) from 12% to 40% by weight of a block copolymer, containing at least one vinyl aromatic polymer and/or copolymer and at least one hydrogenated diene copolymer; calculated with respect to (a)+(b); c) from 3 parts to 10 parts by weight of a blowing agent, calculated on 100 parts of (a)+(b).

3 . Polymeric composition according to claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer is a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene.

4 . Polymeric composition according to claim 1 wherein the vinyl aromatic polymer and/or copolymer is obtained from a vinyl aromatic monomer of formula (I)

alone, from mixtures of said monomers or mixtures in which there is up to 35% by weight of copolymerizable vinyl monomers; in which R is a hydrogen or a methyl group; n is zero or an integer that ranges from 1 to 3; Y is selected from a halogen; a chloromethyl; an alkyl group or an alkoxy group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

5 . Polymeric composition according to claim 4 wherein the vinyl aromatic monomer is selected from styrene, α-methylstyrene, methyl-styrene, ethyl-styrene, vinyltoluene isomers, ethylstyrene isomers, propylstyrene isomers, chloro styrene isomers, methylchlorostyrene isomers, methoxystyrene isomers, acetoxystyrene isomers, hydroxystyrene isomers, methylhydroxystyrene isomers, and mixtures thereof.

6 . Polymeric composition according to claim 4 wherein the copolymerizable vinyl monomers are selected from (meth)acrylic acid, maleic anhydride, alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, amides and nitriles of (meth)acrylic acid.

7 . Polymeric composition according to claim 1 wherein the block copolymers are selected from polystyrene-poly(ethylene-butylene)-polystyrene or block copolymers of polystyrene poly(ethylene-propylene)-polystyrene type.

8 . Polymeric composition according to claim 1 wherein the conjugated dienes used for the preparation of block copolymers (b) are those having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms.

9 . Polymeric composition according to claim 8 wherein the conjugated dienes are selected from 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, piperylene, and mixtures thereof.

10 . Polymeric composition according to claim 1 in which the vinyl aromatic component content in the block copolymer (b) ranges from 20% to 45% by weight.

11 . Composition Polymeric composition according to claim 1 , wherein the Melt Flow Index (MFI) of the vinyl aromatic component in the block copolymer is greater than or equal to 1 g/10 min, measured with ASTM D1238 method; 5 kg, 200° C.

12 . Polymeric composition according to claim 1 wherein the blowing agent is selected from aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbons containing from 3 to 6 carbon atoms and the halogenated derivatives of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

13 . Expanded beads which contain the polymeric composition according to claim 1 .

14 . Packaging comprising the beads according to claim 13 .

15 . Packaging comprising the polymeric composition according to claim 1 .

16 . Polymeric composition according to claim 2 , wherein the block copolymer is a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene.

17 . Polymeric composition according to claim 2 wherein the vinyl aromatic polymer and/or copolymer is obtained from a vinyl aromatic monomer of formula (I)

alone, from mixtures of said monomers or mixtures in which there is up to 35% by weight of copolymerizable vinyl monomers; in which R is a hydrogen or a methyl group; n is zero or an integer that ranges from 1 to 3; Y is selected from a halogen; a chloromethyl; an alkyl group or an alkoxy group having from 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

18 . Polymeric composition according to claim 17 wherein the vinyl aromatic monomer is selected from styrene, α-methylstyrene, methyl-styrene, ethyl-styrene, vinyltoluene isomers, ethylstyrene isomers, propylstyrene isomers, chloro styrene isomers, methylchlorostyrene isomers, methoxystyrene isomers, acetoxystyrene isomers, hydroxystyrene isomers, methylhydroxystyrene isomers, and mixtures thereof.

19 . Polymeric composition according to claim 17 wherein the copolymerizable vinyl monomers are selected from (meth)acrylic acid, maleic anhydride, alkyl esters of (meth)acrylic acid having 1 to 18 carbon atoms, amides and nitriles of (meth)acrylic acid.

20 . Polymeric composition according to claim 2 wherein the block copolymers are selected from polystyrene-poly(ethylene-butylene)-polystyrene or block copolymers of polystyrene poly(ethylene-propylene)-polystyrene type.

21 . Polymeric composition according to claim 2 wherein the conjugated dienes used for the preparation of block copolymers (b) are those having from 4 to 8 carbon atoms.

22 . Polymeric composition according to claim 21 wherein the conjugated dienes are selected from 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, piperylene, and mixtures thereof.

23 . Polymeric composition according to claim 2 in which the vinyl aromatic component content in the block copolymer (b) ranges from 20% to 45% by weight.

24 . Polymeric composition according to claim 2 , wherein the Melt Flow Index (MFI) of the vinyl aromatic component in the block copolymer is greater than or equal to 1 g/10 min, measured with ASTM D1238 method; 5 kg, 200° C.

25 . Polymeric composition according to claim 2 wherein the blowing agent is selected from aliphatic or cycloaliphatic hydrocarbons containing from 3 to 6 carbon atoms and the halogenated derivatives of aliphatic hydrocarbons containing from 1 to 3 carbon atoms.

26 . Expanded beads which contain the polymeric composition according to claim 2 .

27 . Packaging comprising the beads according to claim 26 .

28 . Packaging comprising the polymeric composition according to claim 2 .

Assignees

• Versalis Spa

Inventors

• Cuder Giovanni
• Comba Stefano

Classifications

• C08J2201/03

  Extrusion of the foamable blend · CPC title

• C09D125/06

  Polystyrene · CPC title

• C08J2203/14

  Saturated hydrocarbons, e.g. butane; Unspecified hydrocarbons · CPC title

• C08J2207/00

  Foams characterised by their intended use · CPC title

• C08J9/16

  Making expandable particles · CPC title