Elastomer-based polymeric compositions having amorphous silica fillers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9631110-B2
Application number	US-201314646251-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Dec 11, 2013
Priority date	Dec 19, 2012
Publication date	Apr 25, 2017
Grant date	Apr 25, 2017

Abstract

Polymeric compositions suitable for use as insulation materials in electrical applications. Such polymeric compositions comprise an ethylene/α-olefin-based elastomer and a filler, where the filler consists essentially of an amorphous silica. Such polymeric compositions can optionally further comprise an ethylene-based thermoplastic polymer. Also disclosed are coated conductors comprising such polymeric compositions as insulation materials.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1. A polymeric composition for use in coated conductors, said polymeric composition comprising:
(a) an ethylene/α-olefin-based elastomer; and
(b) a filler,
wherein said filler consists essentially of an amorphous silica, and wherein said filler is present in an amount ranging from 10 to 32 weight percent, based on the entire polymeric composition weight, wherein said amorphous silica is solid at 22° C. and standard atmospheric pressure, and wherein the polymeric composition does not contain more than 10 parts per million based on the entire polymeric composition weight of any other filler material; wherein the amorphous silica is selected from the group consisting of silica aerogels, fumed silica, and combinations thereof; and wherein the fumed silica is treated with a surface treatment.

2. The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein said ethylene/α-olefin-based elastomer is selected from the group consisting of an ethylene/propylene copolymer, ethylene/α-butene copolymer, an ethylene/α-hexene copolymer, an ethylene/α-octene copolymer, an ethylene-propylene-diene monomer (“EPDM”), and combinations of two or more thereof.

3. The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein said ethylene/α-olefin-based elastomer is an EPDM polymer.

4. The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein said ethylene/α-olefin-based elastomer is present in an amount ranging from 40 to 98 weight percent, based on the entire polymeric composition weight.

5. The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein said filler consists of said amorphous silica.

6. The polymeric composition of claim 1 , further comprising (c) an ethylene-based thermoplastic polymer, wherein said ethylene-based thermoplastic polymer is present in an amount ranging from 1 to 10 weight percent, based on the entire polymeric composition weight.

7. A coated conductor comprising:
(a) a conductive core; and
(b) an insulation layer at least partially surrounding said conductive core, wherein at least a portion of said insulation layer consists of the polymeric composition of any one of the foregoing claims.

8. The coated conductor of claim 7 , wherein said coated conductor is rated for use at voltages from 200 volts to 50,000 volts.

9. The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein the surface treatment is a polydimethylsiloxane coating.

Assignees

• Dow Global Technologies Llc

Inventors

• Fu Lin
• Caronia Paul J
• Song Susan
• Person Timothy J

Classifications

• H01B3/28

  natural or synthetic rubbers · CPC title

• H01B3/02 Primary

  mainly consisting of inorganic substances · CPC title

• C08K3/36 Primary

  Silica · CPC title

• C08L23/0807

  with unsaturated hydrocarbons only containing four or more carbon atoms · CPC title

• C09D109/00 Primary

  Coating compositions based on homopolymers or copolymers of conjugated diene hydrocarbons · CPC title