Bi-modal ionomers

• US 7,488,778 B2
• Filed: 08/17/2007
• Issued: 02/10/2009
• Est. Priority Date: 08/11/2000
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Performance Materials NA, Inc. (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Chen, John Chu
• Primary Examiner(s): Nutter; Nathan M
• Application Number:
  US11/893,831
• Publication Number:
  US 20080058465A1
• Time in Patent Office: 543 Days
• Field of Search: 525/191, 525/221, 525/222, 525/240, 524/430, 524/432, 524/500, 524/515
• US Class Current: 525/191
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0003 Golf balls
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0024 Materials other than ionomers or polyurethane
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0034 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0039 characterised by the material
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0046 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0051 Materials other than polybutadienes; Constructional details
• CPC Class Codes: A63B 37/0065 Deflection or compression
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/02 containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/025 containing two or more polymers of the same hierarchy C08L, and differing only in parameters such as density, comonomer content, molecular weight, structure
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2205/035 containing four or more polymers in a blend
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/025 Copolymer of an unspecified olefin with a monomer other than an olefin
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/08 Copolymers of ethene C08L23/16 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0869 Acids or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0876 Neutralised polymers, i.e. ionomers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/04 Macromolecular compounds according to groups C08L7/00 - C08L49/00, or C08L55/00 - C08L57/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/14 Macromolecular compounds according to C08L59/00 - C08L87/00; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/025 containing polyether sequences
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 75/04 Polyurethanes

Abstract

The present invention relates to compositions and preparative process of partially or fully neutralized mixtures of carboxylate functionalized ethylene high copolymers or terpolymers (Mw between 80,000 and 500,000) with carboxylate functionalized ethylene low copolymers (Mw between 2,000 and 30,000) and organic acid salts and injection or compression molded applications such as golf ball components thereof.

Claims

1. A composition comprising a bimodal composition consisting essentially of:

(a) one or more E/X/Y copolymers, wherein E represents copolymerized residues of ethylene, X represents copolymerized residues of a C3 to C8, α

,β

-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and Y represents copolymerized residues of a softening comonomer selected from the group consisting of alkyl acrylates and alkyl methacrylates wherein the alkyl groups have from 1-8 carbon atoms, wherein the level of X is about 2 to 30 wt % and the level of Y is 0 to about 35 wt %, based on the total weight of the E/X/Y copolymer, and wherein the molecular weight (Mw) of the E/X/Y copolymer is in the range of 80,000 to 500,000; and

(b) one or more E/(M)AA copolymers comprising 3 to 25 wt % of copolymerized residues of (M)AA based on the total weight of the E/(M)AA copolymer, wherein the molecular weight (Mw) of the E/(M)AA copolymer is in the range of 2,000 and 30,000; and

wherein the acid residues of (a) and of (b) are at least partially neutralized.

2. The composition of claim 1, comprising more than one E/X/Y copolymer.

3. The composition of claim 1, comprising more than one E/(M)AA copolymer.

4. The composition of claim 1, comprising two or more of the bimodal compositions.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of the E/X/Y copolymer ranges from about 1 to about 15.

6. The composition of claim 2, wherein the polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of the E/X/Y copolymer ranges from 5.1 to 11.5.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of the E/(M)AA copolymer ranges from about 1 to about 10.

8. The composition of claim 7, wherein the polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of the E/(M)AA copolymer ranges from 1.7 to 5.4.

9. The composition of claim 1, wherein the one or more E/(M)AA copolymers are present at a level of about 5 to about 50 wt %, based on the total weight of (a) and (b).

10. The composition of claim 1 wherein the level of X is 5 to 25 wt %.

11. The composition of claim 10, wherein the level of X is 8 to 20 wt %.

12. The composition of claim 1 wherein the level of Y is 3 to 25 wt %.

13. The composition of claim 12 wherein the level of Y is 10 to 25 wt %.

14. The composition of claim 1, wherein the level of copolymerized residues of (M)AA is 5 to 15 wt %.

15. The composition of claim 14, wherein the level of copolymerized residues of (M)AA is 5 to 10 wt %.

16. The composition of claim 1, wherein about 40 to about 100% of the acid residues of (a) and of (b) are neutralized.

17. The composition of claim 1, further comprising up to 100 parts by weight of one or more organic acid salts, up to 200 parts by weight of one or more thermoplastic elastomers, or up to 170 parts by weight of one or more fillers, based on 100 parts by weight of the bimodal composition.

18. The composition of claim 17, further comprising one or more optical brighteners, surfactants or processing aids.

19. A golf ball comprising the composition of claim 1.

20. An injection molded article, a film, a protective coating, flooring or an article of footwear comprising the composition of claim 1.

21. A composition comprising a bimodal composition consisting essentially of:

(a) one or more high copolymers comprising copolymerized residues of an alpha olefin, copolymerized residues of a C3 to C8, α

,β

-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and, optionally, copolymerized residues of a softening comonomer selected from the group consisting of vinyl acetate, alkyl acrylates and alkyl methacrylates, wherein the alkyl groups have from 1 to 12 carbon atoms, wherein the molecular weight (Mw) of the high copolymer is in the range of 80,000 to 500,000; and

(b) one or more low copolymers comprising copolymerized residues of an alpha olefin and a C3 to C8, α

,β

-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, wherein the molecular weight (Mw) of the low copolymer is in the range of 2,000 and 30,000; and

wherein the acid residues of (a) and of (b) are at least partially neutralized.

22. The composition of claim 21, comprising more than one high copolymer.

23. The composition of claim 21, comprising more than one low copolymer.

24. The composition of claim 21, comprising two or more of the bimodal compositions.

25. The composition of claim 21 wherein the polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of the high copolymer ranges from about 1 about 15.

26. The composition of claim 21 wherein the polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of the low copolymer ranges from about 1 to about 10.

27. The composition of claim 21, wherein the one or more low copolymers are present at a level of about 5 to about 50 wt %, based on the total weight of (a) and (b).

28. The composition of claim 21, wherein about 40 to about 100% of the acid residues of (a) and of (b) are neutralized.

29. The composition of claim 21, further comprising up to 100 parts by weight of one or more organic acid salts, up to 200 parts by weight of one or more thermoplastic elastomers, or up to 170 parts by weight of one or more fillers, based on 100 parts by weight of the bimodal composition.

30. The composition of claim 29, further comprising one or more optical brighteners, surfactants or processing aids.

31. An injection molded article, a film, a protective coating, flooring or an article of footwear comprising the composition of claim 21.

32. A golf ball comprising the composition of claim 21.