Method for improving the impact resistance and scratch resistance of polymeric systems

• US 6,423,779 B2
• Filed: 08/21/2001
• Issued: 07/23/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 12/22/1998
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Original Assignee: Texas A&M University System
• Inventors: Wei, G-X, Sue, H. J.
• Primary Examiner(s): Nutter, Nathan M.
• Application Number:
  US09/933,942
• Publication Number:
  US 20020013418A1
• Time in Patent Office: 336 Days
• Field of Search: 525/191, 525/232, 525/240, 525/241
• US Class Current: 525/191
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 21/00 Compositions of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/10 Homopolymers or copolymers of propene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 25/04 Homopolymers or copolymers of styrene
• 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 2666/22 Macromolecular compounds not provided for in C08L2666/16 - C08L2666/20
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 71/12 Polyphenylene oxides

Abstract

A method includes providing a starting material having a Young'"'"'s modulus (202). Second, from a plurality of possible modifiers, a modifier is identified and selected that has a Young'"'"'s modulus comparable to or greater than that of the starting material and that, when blended with the starting material, creates a blend with a stable morphology (204). Third, the scratch resistance of the starting material is increased by blending the modifier with the starting material to form a blend (206). Alternatively, the scratch resistance of the stating material is maintained while the toughness of the starting material is increased by blending the modifier with the starting material to form a blend.

Claims

1. A method for increasing the scratch resistance or toughness of polypropylene, the method comprising:

providing a starting material comprising polypropylene;

providing a modifier comprising polyphenylene oxide; and

blending the modifier with the starting material to form a blend.

2. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifier further comprises polystyrene and rubber.

3. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifier is about 10% by weight to about 45% by weight of the blend.

4. The method of claim 1, wherein the modifier is about 10% by weight to about 25% by weight of the blend.

5. The method of claim 1, wherein the blend has a shear modulus of at least about 0.6 GPa.

6. The method of claim 1, further comprising adding a compatibilizer to the blend.

7. The method of claim 6, wherein the compatibilizer comprises a styrene-ethylene-propylene diblock copolymer.

8. The method of claim 6, wherein the compatibilizer comprises a diblock copolymer.

9. The method of claim 6, wherein the compatibilizer comprises a triblock copolymer.

10. The method of claim 6, wherein the compatibilizer comprises a random copolymer.

11. The method of claim 6, wherein the weight of the compatibilizer is about 0.5% to about 10% of the combined weight of the blend and compatibilizer.

12. The method of claim 6, wherein the weight of the compatibilizer is about 2% to about 5% of the combined weight of the blend and compatibilizer.

13. A polymer material blend made by a process, the process comprising:

providing a starting material comprising polypropylene;

providing a modifier comprising polyphenylene oxide; and

blending the modifier with the starting material to form a polymer material blend.

14. The material of claim 13, wherein the modifier further comprises polystyrene and rubber.

15. The material of claim 13, wherein the modifier is about 10% by weight to about 45% by weight of the blend.

16. The material of claim 13, wherein the modifier is about 10% by weight to about 25% by weight of the blend.

17. The material of claim 13, wherein the blend has a shear modulus of at least about 0.6 GPa.

18. The material of claim 13, further comprising a compatibilizer.

19. The material of claim 18, wherein the compatibilizer comprises a styrene-ethylene-propylene diblock copolymer.

20. The material of claim 18, wherein the compatibilizer comprises a diblock copolymer.

21. The material of claim 18, wherein the compatibilizer comprises a triblock copolymer.

22. The material of claim 18, wherein the compatibilizer comprises a random copolymer.

23. The material of claim 18, wherein the weight of the compatibilizer is about 0.5% to about 10% of the combined weight of the blend and compatibilizer.

24. The material of claim 18, wherein the weight of the compatibilizer is about 2% to about 5% of the combined weight of the blend and compatibilizer.