Laser weldable compositions, articles formed therefrom, and methods of manufacture

• US 10,456,987 B2
• Filed: 04/28/2017
• Issued: 10/29/2019
• Est. Priority Date: 04/28/2016
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: SHPP Global Technologies BV
• Original Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Inventors: Farrell, Tony, Sybert, Paul Dean
• Primary Examiner(s): McNally, Daniel
• Application Number:
  US16/096,010
• Publication Number:
  US 20190134919A1
• Time in Patent Office: 914 Days
• Field of Search: 1562722, 1562728
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1616 Near infrared radiation [NIR], e.g. by YAG lasers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1635 at least passing through one of the parts to be joined, i.e. laser transmission welding
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 65/1677 making use of an absorber or impact modifier
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/71 characterised by the composition of the plastics material of the parts to be joined welding bar compositions B29C65/125
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/712 the composition of one of the parts to be joined being different from the composition of the other part
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/7212 characterised by the composition of the fibres
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/72143 Fibres of discontinuous lengths
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 66/73321 both parts to be joined being coloured
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/00 Use of polyesters or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/003 PET, i.e. poylethylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2067/006 PBT, i.e. polybutylene terephthalate
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2069/00 Use of PC, i.e. polycarbonates or derivatives thereof, as moulding material
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2105/0085 Copolymers
• CPC Class Codes: B29K 2309/08 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 7/14 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/02 Polyesters derived from dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds C08L67/06 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 69/005 Polyester-carbonates
• CPC Class Codes: G02B 1/04 made of organic materials, e.g. plastics G02B1/08 takes precedence

Abstract

A laser weldable composition comprising a polyester component, 5 to 50 weight percent of a filler; and 10 to 30 wt. % of a poly(ester-carbonate) copolymer comprising carbonate units and ester units of the formula (I) wherein: T is a C_2-20 alkylene, a C_6-20 cycloalkylene, or a C_6-20 arylene; R¹ and J are each independently (a) a bisphenol A divalent group, and (b) a C₁₆ or higher divalent group (b1), (b2), or (b1) and (b2), wherein (b1) is a phthalimidine divalent group, and (b2) is a third divalent group, wherein the C₁₆ or higher divalent group (b1), (b2) or a combination of (b1) and (b2) is present in an amount of 40 mol % to 50 mol % based on the total moles of the bisphenol A divalent groups and the C₁₆ or higher divalent group; and the composition, when molded into an article having a 2.0 mm thickness, provides a near infrared transmission at 960 nanometers of greater than 50% and a thermal resistance according to HDT 1.8 MPa flat (ISO 75/Af) is greater than 160° C.

Claims

1. A laser weldable composition comprising

a polyester component comprising a poly(butylene terephthalate) homopolymer, a poly(ethylene terephthalate) homopolymer, a poly(cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) homopolymer, a poly(butylene terephthalate) copolymer, a poly(ethylene terephthalate) copolymer, a poly(cyclohexylenedimethylene terephthalate) copolymer, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;

5 to 50 weight percent of a filler; and

10 to 30 wt. % of a poly(ester-carbonate) copolymer comprising

carbonate units of the formula

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the C₁₆ divalent group (b) is the phthalimidine divalent group (b1).

3. The composition of claim 2, wherein R¹ and J are each independently the bisphenol A divalent group, or the phthalimidine divalent group, and at least a portion of the J groups are the phthalimidine divalent group.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the C₁₆ or higher divalent group (b) is the third divalent group (b2).

5. The composition of claim 4, wherein R¹ and J are each independently the bisphenol A divalent group or the third divalent group;

and at least a portion of the J groups are the third divalent group.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the C16 divalent group (b) is a combination of the phthalimidine divalent group (b1) and third divalent group (b2).

7. The composition of claim 6, wherein R¹ and J are each independently the bisphenol A divalent group, the phthalimidine divalent group, and the third divalent group;

and at least a portion of the J groups are the phthalimidine divalent group and the third divalent group.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the third divalent group has a formula

9. The composition of claim 8, wherein the third divalent group has a formula

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein T is a C_6-20 divalent aromatic group.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the molar ratio of the carbonate units relative to the ester units is 2:

1 to 1;

2.

12. The composition of claim 1, wherein:

the filler comprises a glass filler and is present in an amount of 10 wt. % to 30 wt. % based on the total weight of the composition;

the polyester component is a poly(butylene terephthalate) homopolymer; and

in the poly(ester-carbonate) copolymer, R¹ and J are each independently a bisphenol A divalent group and a phthalimidine divalent group wherein p, q, and j are zero, and R⁴ is phenyl, and both the bisphenol A divalent group and the phthalimidine divalent group are present in the poly(ester-carbonate) copolymer, and the poly(ester-carbonate) copolymer is present in an amount of 15 wt. % to 25 wt. % based on the total weight of the composition.

13. The composition of claim 1 wherein the filler is glass fiber.

14. A process for welding a laser-transmissive first part to a laser-absorbing second part of an article, the process comprising

contacting a first part comprising the composition of claim 1 with a second part comprising a thermoplastic composition comprising an NIR-absorbing agent, where at least a portion of a surface of the first part is placed in physical contact with at least a portion of a surface of the second part to form a welding join area, and

applying NIR-laser radiation to the first part such that the radiation substantially passes through the first part and is absorbed by the second part so that sufficient heat is generated to effectively weld the first part to the second part of the article.

15. The process of claim 14, wherein

the second part comprises a polymer comprising a polycarbonate, a polyester, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing;

and

the NIR absorbing material comprises carbon black, organic dyes, metal oxides, complex oxides, metal-sulphides, metal-borides, metal-phosphates, metal-carbonates, metal-sulphates, metal-nitrides, lanthanum hexaboride, cesium tungsten oxide, indium tin oxide, antimony tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

16. The process of claim 14, wherein the NIR absorbing material is present in the thermoplastic composition of the second part in an amount from 0.00001 to 5 wt. %, based on total weight of the thermoplastic composition of the second part.

17. A laser welded, molded article comprising a first laser-transmissive part welded to a second laser-absorbing part, wherein the first part comprises a product made by a process comprising melting-blending a composition of claim 1.

18. The article of claim 17, wherein the second part comprises a polymer comprising a polycarbonate, a polyester, polycarbonate copolymers, polyester copolymers, and combinations thereof.

19. The article of claim 18, wherein the second part further comprises a NIR absorbing material comprising carbon black, organic dyes, metal oxides, complex oxides, metal-sulphides, metal-borides, metal-phosphates, metal-carbonates, metal-sulphates, metal-nitrides, lanthanum hexaboride, cesium tungsten oxide, indium tin oxide, antimony tin oxide, indium zinc oxide, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

20. The article of claim 19, wherein the NIR absorbing material is present in the thermoplastic composition of the second part in an amount from 0.00001 to 5 wt. %, based on total weight of the second part.