Manipulating Surface Properties of Polymer with Migrating Additives

• US 20110034636A1
• Filed: 10/22/2008
• Published: 02/10/2011
• Est. Priority Date: 10/22/2007
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Cornell University
• Original Assignee: Cornell University
• Inventors: Archer, Lynden A., Qian, Zhenyu
• Application Number:
  US12/739,017
• Publication Number:
  US 20110034636A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 525/333.3
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 265/00 Macromolecular compounds obtained by polymerising monomers on to polymers of unsaturated monocarboxylic acids or derivatives thereof as defined in group C08F20/00
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 265/08 on to polymers of nitriles
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 283/06 on to polyethers, polyoxymethylenes or polyacetals C08F283/004 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 297/04 polymerising vinyl aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/003 grafted on to macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions only involving unsaturated carbon-to-carbon bonds C08L51/04, C08L51/06 take precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/006 grafted on to block copolymers containing at least one sequence of polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/005 Modified block copolymers

Abstract

A method of obtaining a selected surface property and attribute in a host polymer or a blend of a host polymer with other polymers by blending the host polymer or polymer blend with from 0.1 to 10% by weight of a low molecular weight molecule additive (“additive”) chemically identical to the host polymer except for having one or more cores. The cores are chemically bonded to and provide anchor points for the branches which have optionally functionalized end groups. The optionally functionalized end groups, chemistry of the core, and/or physical form of the core impart properties to the surface of the host polymer or polymer blend. The invention also relates to a surface-modified polymer or polymer blend produced by the method.

Claims

1. A method of obtaining a selected surface property and attribute in a host polymer, or a polymer blend containing the host polymer and at least one other polymer compatible with the host polymer, comprising the steps of:

blending the host polymer or polymer blend with 0.1 to 10% by weight of a low molecular weight molecule additive (“

additive'"'"'), wherein said additive comprises;

i) one or more cores; and

ii) branches optionally having functionalized end groups;

wherein said additive is chemically identical to, or compatible with, the host polymer with the exception that said additive comprises one or more cores chemically bonded to and that provide anchor points for the branches having optionally functionalized end groups, and

wherein the core and optional functionalized end groups impart the selected surface property and attribute to the host polymer or polymer blend to obtain a surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend.

2. The method according to claim 1, wherein the step of blending is selected from the group consisting of melt blending, solution blending, mixing said host polymer or polymer blend with said additive in a mutual solvent, and dispersion blending.

3. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of a multi-arm star, dendrimer, pom pom, stem flower, asymmetric, dumbbell, comb, randomly branched, and hyper-branched structure.

4. The method according to claim 3, wherein the additive has at least two branches or arms.

5. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive has an overall molecular weight or degree of polymerization below a critical value of the order of N^c_B, which can be estimated within an order of magnitude using the following formula:

6. The method according to claim 1, wherein the additive has a functionalized branched end group selected from the group consisting of carboxyl, anhydride, nitroxy, alkene, alkyne, epoxy, fluorine, chloride, bromide, siloxane, amine, sulfonic acid, and hydroxyl.

7. The method according to claim 1, wherein the one or more cores are molecules or nanoparticles with multifunctional groups selected from the group consisting of chlorosilanes, block polymers compatible with a host polymer, block polymers not compatible with a host polymer, a randomly linked polymer, silica, tin dioxide, titania, cobalt oxide, iron oxide, alumina, hafnia, ceria, copper oxide, gold, and silver.

8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is a polymer selected from the group consisting of a polystyrene host polymer with a carboxyl functionalized star additive, polycarbonate host polymer with polycarbonate star additive containing a liquid silica nanoparticle core, a polystyrene host polymer with poly(benzyl ether) dendrimer additives, desalination membrane host polymer comprising polyacrylonitrile-graft-poly (ethylene oxide) with polyacrylonitrile-graft-poly (ethylene oxide) comb copolymer additive to increase the anti-fouling ability, ultrafiltration membrane comprising polyacrylonitrile-graft-poly (ethylene oxide) host polymer with polyacrylonitrile-graft-poly (ethylene oxide) comb copolymer additive to increase the anti-fouling ability, a polypropylene host polymer with a polystyrene additive to impart styrenic functionality on the surface, a polyvinyl alcohol host polymer with a polyethylene additive to impart polyethylenic functionality on the surface properties, a polyethylene host polymer with a polypropylene additive to impart propylenic functionality on the surface, polymethacrylate host polymer with a polystyrene additive to impart styrenic functionality on the surface, a polyvinyl chloride host polymer with a polystyrene additive to impart styrenic functionality on the surface, and a linear polyester host polymer with hyperbranched polyester additives.

9. A surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend obtained by the method according to claim 1.

10. A surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend, comprising:

a host polymer, or a polymer blend containing the host polymer and at least one other polymer compatible with the host polymer, wherein said host polymer, or polymer blend with 0.1 to 10% by weight of a additive, said low molecular weight molecule additive (“

additive”

), comprising;

i) one or more cores; and

ii) branches optionally having functionalized end groups;

wherein said additive is chemically identical to or compatible with, the host polymer with the exception that said additive comprises one or more cores chemically bonded to and that provide anchor points for the branches optionally having functionalized end groups, and

wherein the core and optional functionalized end groups impart the selected surface property and attribute to the host polymer or polymer blend to obtain a surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend.

11. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 10, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of a multi-arm star, dendrimer, pom pom, stem flower, asymmetric, dumbbell, comb, randomly branched, and hyper-branched structure.

12. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 11, wherein the additive has at least two branches or arms.

13. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 10, wherein the additive has an overall molecular weight or degree of polymerization below a critical value of the order of, N^c_B, which can be estimated using the following formula:

14. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 10, wherein the additive has a functionalized branched end group selected from the group consisting of carboxyl, anhydride, nitroxy, alkene, alkyne, epoxy, fluorine, chloride, bromide, siloxane, amine, sulfonic acid, and hydroxyl.

15. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 10, wherein the one or more cores are molecules or nanoparticles with multifunctional groups selected from the group consisting of chlorosilanes, block polymers, compatible with a host polymer, block polymer not compatible with a host polymer, a randomly linked polymer, silica, tin dioxide, titania, cobalt oxide, iron oxide, alumina, hafnia, ceria, copper oxide, gold, and silver.

16. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 10, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is a polymer selected from the group consisting of a polystyrene host polymer with a carboxyl functionalized star additive, polycarbonate host polymer with polycarbonate star additive containing a liquid silica nanoparticle core, a polystyrene host polymer with poly(benzyl ether) dendrimer additives, desalination membrane host polymer comprising polyacrylonitrile-graft-poly (ethylene oxide) with polyacrylonitrile-graft-poly (ethylene oxide) comb copolymer additive to increase the anti-fouling ability, ultrafiltration membrane comprising polyacrylonitrile-graft-poly (ethylene oxide) host polymer with polyacrylonitrile-graft-poly (ethylene oxide) comb copolymer additive to increase the anti-fouling ability, a polypropylene host polymer with a polystyrene additive to impart styrenic functionality on the surface, a polyvinyl alcohol host polymer with a polyethylene additive to impart polyethylenic functionality on the surface properties, a polyethylene host polymer with a polypropylene additive to impart propylenic functionality on the surface, polymethacrylate host polymer with a polystyrene additive to impart styrenic functionality on the surface, a polyvinyl chloride host polymer with a polystyrene additive to impart styrenic functionality on the surface, and a linear polyester host polymer with hyperbranched polyester additives.

17. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 10, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is functionalized to provide surface paintability.

18. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 17, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is a polystyrene host polymer with a carboxyl functionalized star additive.

19. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 10, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is functionalized to provide scratch resistance.

20. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 19, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is a polycarbonate host polymer with a polycarbonate star additive containing a liquid silica nanoparticle core.

21. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 10, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is coated on a silicon surface and functionalized to increase surface wetability of the silicon surface.

22. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 21, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is a polystyrene host polymer with poly(benzyl ether) dendrimer additives.

23. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 10, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is an ultrafiltration membrane containing an additive functionalized to increase anti-fouling capabilities of an ultrafiltration membrane.

24. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 23, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is an ultrafiltration membrane host polymer with a polyacrylonitrile-graft-poly (ethylene oxide) comb copolymer additive.

25. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 10, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is functionalized to modify surface tension of said surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend.

26. The surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend according to claim 25, wherein the surface-modified polymer or surface-modified polymer blend is a linear polyester host polymer with hyperbranched polyester additives.