LUBRICIOUS COMPOSITIONS AND ARTICLES MADE THEREFROM

• US 20120041354A1
• Filed: 10/26/2011
• Published: 02/16/2012
• Est. Priority Date: 08/04/2006
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Edgewell Personal Care Brands, LLC (Edgewell Personal Care Company)
• Original Assignee: Eveready Battery Company Incorporated (Energizer Holdings, Inc.)
• Inventors: Dougherty, Eugene P. Jr.
• Granted Patent: US 8,551,034 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 604/12
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/266 Insertion devices, e.g. rods or plungers, separate from the tampon
• CPC Class Codes: A61F 13/28 with lubricating means
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/34 Silicon-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/0016 Plasticisers
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/20 Carboxylic acid amides
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/06 Polyethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0869 Acids or derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2555/40 Mixtures based upon bitumen or asphalt containing functional additives
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• 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 53/00 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 53/02 of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1397 Single layer [continuous layer]

Abstract

The present disclosure provides a lubricious polymeric composition that includes polymer and one or more lubricants. Articles formed from the lubricious polymeric composition possess enhanced softness, flexibility and lubricity. The present disclosure also provides a method for making an article formed from a lubricious polymeric composition having polymer and one or more lubricants.

Claims

1. An injection molded article formed from a lubricious polymeric composition, the composition consisting essentially of:

about 80 wt. % to about 99 wt. %, based on the weight of the polymeric composition, of low density polyethylene; and

one or more lubricants.

2. The injection molded article of claim 1, wherein said low density polyethylene is present in an amount of about 95 wt. % to about 99.5 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymeric composition.

3. The injection molded article of claim 1, wherein said one or more lubricants are selected from the group consisting of fatty acid amide, erucamide, oleamide, stearamide, stearyl erucamide, bis-erucamide, metallic stearate, calcium stearate, ethylene bis stearamide, ethylene bis oleamide, glycerol monostearate, magnesium stearate, calcium stearate, zinc stearate, aluminum di-stearate, fatty acid glycerol ester, calcium soaps of montanic acids, triglycerol esters of hydroxy saturated fatty acids, ethylene methyl acrylate copolymer, Teflon (polytetrafluoroethylene), micronized PTFE, mineral oil, Teflon micropowder, C14-18 alkyl di(2-hydroxyethylamine), sodium alkane sulfonate, Nucrel, dimethicone, polydimethyl siloxane, t-Butyldiphenylchlorosilane, polar aromatic silane, polar aliphatic silane, chloromethyldimethylchlorosilane, epoxylated soybean oil, oxidized polyethylene wax, K-Y jelly, glycerol, and any combinations thereof.

4. The injection molded article of claim 1, wherein said one or more lubricants are selected from the group consisting of erucamide, stearyl erucamide, bis-erucamide, and any combinations thereof.

5. The injection molded article of claim 1, wherein said one or more lubricants are present in an amount about 0.001 wt. % to about 40 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymeric composition.

6. The injection molded article of claim 1, wherein said one or more lubricants are present in an amount about 0.01 wt. % to about 20 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymeric composition.

7. The injection molded article of claim 1, wherein said one or more lubricants are present in an amount about 0.1 wt. % to about 1 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymeric composition.

8. The injection molded article of claim 1, wherein said one or more lubricants are present in an amount about 0.12 wt. % to about 0.55 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymeric composition.

9. The injection molded article of claim 1, wherein said composition further comprises one or more components selected from the group consisting of thermoplastic elastomer, plasticizer, compatibilizer/flow modifier, pigment, antioxidant, antistatic agent, filler, reinforcement, dye, mineral, pearlescent, surfactant, light/UV stabilizer, thermal stabilizer, impact modifier, processing aid, extender, flame retardant, biocide, fungicide, antiozonant, blowing agent, foaming agent, and any combinations thereof.

10. The injection molded article of claim 9, wherein said one or more components are one or more pigments and pearlescents selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, mica, colorant, carbon black, phthalate esters, quinacridone red, phthalo (GS) blue phthalate esters, lead chromate, inorganic aluminosilicate, cadmium sulfoselenide, cadmium sulfide, barium sulfate, and any combinations thereof.

11. The injection molded article of claim 10, wherein said one or more pigments and pearlescents are present in an amount about 0.01 wt. % to about 5 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymeric composition.

12. The injection moldable article of claim 1, wherein said composition further comprises one or more antistatic agents.

13. The injection moldable article of claim 1, wherein said composition excludes an antistatic agent.

14. The injection moldable article of claim 1, wherein said article is selected from the group consisting of baby bottle, nurser bottle, nurser holder, pacifier, toothbrush, catamenial device, tampon applicator barrel, and tampon applicator plunger.

15. A tampon applicator comprising a barrel, a plunger or both a barrel and plunger formed from a lubricious polymeric composition consisting essentially of:

about 80 wt. % to about 99 wt. %, based on the weight of the polymeric composition, of low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene , or a combination thereof; and

one or more lubricants selected from the group consisting of erucamide, stearyl erucamide, bis-erucamide, and any combinations thereof.

16. The tampon applicator of claim 15, wherein the tampon applicator comprises said barrel, and wherein said barrel has an average ejection force less than about 21 ounces.

17. The tampon applicator of claim 15, wherein the tampon applicator comprises said barrel, and wherein said barrel has a normalized coefficient of friction about 5% to about 20% less than a normalized coefficient of friction of a barrel formed from a composition without one or more lubricants.

18. The tampon applicator of claim 15, wherein said one or more polymers are present in an amount about 95 wt. % to about 99.5 wt. % of the total weight of the polymeric composition.

19. The tampon applicator of claim 15, wherein said one or more lubricants are present in an amount about 0.1 wt. % to about 1 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymeric composition.

20. The tampon applicator of claim 15, wherein said composition further comprises about 0.5 wt. % to about 1.2 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymeric composition, of one or more pigments and pearlescents selected from the group consisting of titanium dioxide, mica, colorant, carbon black, phthalate esters, quinacridone red, phthalo (GS) blue phthalate esters, lead chromate, inorganic aluminosilicate, cadmium sulfoselenide, cadmium sulfide, barium sulfate, and any combinations thereof.