High performance plastic pallets

• US 6,784,234 B2
• Filed: 10/07/1998
• Issued: 08/31/2004
• Est. Priority Date: 10/07/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: SABIC Global Technologies BV (Government of Saudi Arabia)
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Adedeji, Adeyinka, Riding, Geoffrey Henry, Torrey, Bruce Marshall
• Primary Examiner(s): SZEKELY, PETER A
• Application Number:
  US09/167,286
• Publication Number:
  US 20010031807A1
• Time in Patent Office: 2,155 Days
• Field of Search: 524/127, 524/140-141, 525/68, 108/901, 108/902, 108/53.7, 108/57.12, 108/57.34, 108/53.5, 528/347
• US Class Current: 524/140
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 19/38 Details or accessories
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00034 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00069 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00104 Plastic
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00273 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00288 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00293 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00298 skeleton type
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00308 grid type, e.g. perforated plate
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00318 made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00323 made of more than one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00333 contact surface having a stringer-like shape
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00363 grid type, e.g. perforated plate
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 2519/00373 whereby at least one spacer is made of one piece
• CPC Class Codes: B65D 65/38 Packaging materials of special type or form
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/523 with hydroxyaryl compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/14 Macromolecular compounds according to C08L59/00 - C08L87/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/24 Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 69/00 Compositions of polycarbonates; Compositions of derivatives of polycarbonates
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/00 : Compositions of polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain of polyacetals C08L59/00; of epoxy resins C08L63/00; of polythioether-ethers C08L81/02; of polyether-sulfones C08L81/06; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/12 : Polyphenylene oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/123 : not modified by chemical after-treatment
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 79/08 : Polyimides; Polyester-imides; Polyamide-imides; Polyamide acids or similar polyimide precursors
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 108/901 : Synthetic plastic industrial platform, e.g. pallet
• CPC Class Codes: Y10S 108/902 : Made with deformable integral fastening elements

Abstract

The invention relates to plastic pallets that pass the Underwriters Laboratory UL 2335 protocol for pallets wherein said pallets comprises at least one resin selected from the group consisting of:

(a) polyphenylene ether resin and blends containing polyphenylene ether resin,

(b) polycarbonate resin and blends containing polycarbonate resin,

(c) vinyl aromatic graft copolymer resin;

(d) polyetherimide resin and blends containing polyetherimide resin, and

(e) thermosetting resins.

In a preferred embodiment, the plastic pallet has an open deck design. The invention also relates to a method to make pallets that pass the UL 2335 protocol.

Claims

1. A plastic pallet comprising:

a polyphenylene ether resin;

a high impact polystyrene;

a linear low density polyethylene;

at least one flame retardant in an amount sufficient to impart a degree of flame retardancy to the pallet to pass UL 2335 protocol for pallets; and

at least one impact modifier,

wherein the pallet meets or exceeds Underwriters Laboratory UL 2335 protocol for pallets.

2. The plastic pallet of claim 1, wherein the flame retardant is an organophosphate.

3. The plastic pallet of claim 2, wherein the organophosphate is an aromatic phosphate compound of the formula

where R is the same or different and is alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkyl substituted aryl, halogen substituted aryl, aryl substituted alkyl, halogen, or a combination of any of the foregoing, provided at least one R is aryl.

4. The plastic pallet of claim 1, wherein the pallet comprises:

about 30 to about 70 part. of the polyphenylene ether resin,

about 20 to about 60 parts of the high impact polystyrene resin, and

about 10 to about 30 parts of the organophosphate, wherein all weights are based on 100 parts by weight of the polyphenylene ether resin, high impact polystyrene resin and organophosphate together.

5. The plastic pallet of claim 1, wherein the pallet has at least one deck containing holes.

11. The plastic pallet of claim 1, further comprising zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, or combinations of the foregoing.

6. A plastic pallet consisting of:

polyphenylene ether resin;

high impact polystyrene;

at least one flame retardant;

at least one additive, wherein the additive is selected from the group consisting of mineral filler, clay, reinforcing agent, glass fiber, glass flakes, glass spheres, plasticizer, stabilizer, colorant, processing aids, and a combination of the foregoing additives; and

at least one impact modifier wherein at least one impact modifier is linear low density polyethylene;

wherein the pallet meets or exceeds Underwriters Laboratory UT 2335 protocol for pallets.

7. The plastic pallet of claim 6, wherein the flame retardant is an organophosphate.

8. The plastic pallet of claim 7 wherein the organophosphate is an aromatic phosphate compound of the formula

where R is the same or different and is alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, alkyl substituted aryl, halogen substituted aryl, aryl substituted alkyl, halogen, or a combination of any of the foregoing, provided at least one R is aryl.

9. The plastic pallet of claim 7 wherein the polyphenylene ether resin is present amount of about 30 to about 70 parts, the high impact polystyrene resin is present in an amount of about 20 to about 60 parts, and the organophosphate is present in an amount of about 10 to about 30 parts, wherein all weights are based on 100 parts by weight of the polyphenylene ether resin, high impact polystyrene resin and organophosphate together.

10. The plastic pallet of claim 6, wherein the pallet has at least one deck containing holes.

13. The plastic pallet of claim 6, wherein the additive is zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, or combinations of the foregoing.

12. A method for making a plastic pallet comprising:

injection molding a composition comprising polyphenylene ether resin;

a high impact polystyrene;

at least one flame retardant in an amount necessary to impart a degree of flame retardancy to the pallet to pass the UL 2335 protocol for pallets;

at least one impact modifier; and

zinc oxide, zinc sulfide, or combinations of the foregoing, wherein the pallet meets or exceeds Underwriters Laboratory UL 2335 protocol for pallets.