Data storage media containing transparent polycarbonate blends
View Patent ↗The invention relates to transparent blends of polymers suitable for use in optical articles; the polymers contain residues of BCC and its derivatives, and have properties particularly suited for use in high density optical data storage media. The polymers further contain residues of other polymers, such as α-methyl polystyrene and polystyrene derivatives; bisphenols, such as bisphenol A; cycloaliphatic polyester resins, such as PCCD and its derivatives or some combination of each.
1. A miscible polymer blend selected from the group consisting of:
(i) a first polymer A, a second polymer B, a third polymer C, and an optional additive used in optical applications, wherein
(A) is a polycarbonate comprising structural units corresponding to structure (I)
where R 1 and R 2 independently comprise a C 1 -C 6 alkyl; X comprises CH 2 ; m is an integer from 4 to 7; n is an integer from 1 to 4; and p is an integer from 1 to 4, with the proviso that at least one of R 1 or R 2 in the 3 or 3′ position,
(B) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (II)
where R 3 comprises a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, hydrogen, cyano or methoxy, and
(C) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (III)
where R 4 , R 5 and R 6 independently comprise a C 1 -C 6 alkyl,
(ii) a first polymer A, a second polymer B, a third polymer E, and an optional additive used in optical applications, wherein
(A) is a polycarbonate comprising structural units corresponding to structure (I)
where R 1 and R 2 independently comprise a C 1 -C 6 alkyl; X comprises CH 2 ; m is an integer from 4 to 7; n is an integer from 1 to 4; and p is an integer from 1 to 4, with the proviso that at least one of R 1 or R 2 is in the 3 or 3′ position,
(B) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (II)
where R 3 comprises a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, hydrogen, cyano or methoxy, and
(E) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (V)
where R 9 comprises a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, hydrogen, cyano or methoxy; and
(iii) a first polymer B, a second polymer C, a third polymer E, and an optional additive used in optical applications, wherein
(B) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (II)
where R 3 comprises a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, hydrogen, cyano or methoxy,
(C) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (III)
where R 4 , R 5 and R 6 independently comprise a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, and
(E) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (V)
where R 9 comprises a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, hydrogen, cyano or methoxy,
where the polymer blend has a glass transition temperature of from about 100° C. to about 185° C.
2. The miscible polymer blend as defined in claim 1 , wherein (A) is selected to be carbonate structural units of structure (I), the carbonate structural units of structure (I) further selected from the group consisting of residues of 1,1-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methylphenyl)cyclohexane (BCC); 1,1-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methylphenyl)cyclopentane; 1,1-bis(4-hydroxy-3-methylphenyl)cycloheptane and mixtures thereof.
3. The miscible polymer blend as defined in claim 1 , wherein (B) is selected to be vinyl polymer structural units of structure (II), the vinyl polymer structural units of structure (II) selected from residues of α-methyl polystyrene (AMPS).
4. The miscible polymer blend as defined in claim 1 , wherein (E) is selected to be vinyl polymer structural units of structure (V), the vinyl polymer structural units of structure (V) selected from residues polystyrene (PS).
5. The miscible polymer blend as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first polymer (A) comprises from 1 to 80 weight %, the second polymer (B) comprises from 1 to 50 weight %, and the third polymer (C) comprises from 1 to 80 weight % of the blend.
6. The miscible polymer blend as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first polymer (A) comprises from 50 to 98 weight %, the second polymer (B) comprises from 1 to 30 weight %, and the third polymer (E) comprises from 1 to 20 weight % of the blend.
7. The miscible polymer blend as defined in claim 1 , wherein the first polymer (B) comprises from 1 to 30 weight %, the second polymer (C) comprises from 50 to 98 weight %, and the third polymer (E) comprises from 1 to 20 weight % of the blend.
8. The miscible polymer blend as defined in claim 1 , wherein the polymer blend is transparent.
9. An article comprising the miscible polymer blend of claim 1 .
10. The article of claim 9 , wherein the article is an optical article.
11. The article of claim 9 , wherein the article is an optical data storage medium.
12. The article of claim 9 , wherein the optical data storage medium comprises a data layer and a transparent overlayer adjacent to the data layer, wherein the transparent overlayer has a thickness of equal to or less than 0.6 mm.
13. The article of claim 9 , wherein the optical data storage medium comprises a data layer and a transparent overlayer adjacent to the data layer, wherein the data layer has a thickness of equal to or less than 1.1 mm and the transparent overlayer has a thickness equal to or loss than 100 microns.
14. The miscible polymer blend as defined in claim 1 , wherein the optional additive used in optical applications is from 0.0001 to 10% weight of the blend.
15. A miscible polymer blend selected from the group consisting of:
(i) a first polymer A, a second polymer B, a third polymer C, and an optional additive used in optical applications, wherein
(A) is a polycarbonate comprising structural units corresponding to structure (I)
where R 1 and R 2 independently comprise a C 1 -C 6 alkyl; X comprises CH 2 ; m is an integer from 4 to 7; n is an integer from 1 to 4; and p is an integer from 1 to 4, with the proviso that at least one of R 1 or R 2 is in the 3 or 3′ position,
(B) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (II)
where R 3 comprises a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, hydrogen, cyano or methoxy, and
(C) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure
(ii) a first polymer A, a second polymer B, a third polymer E, and an optional additive used in optical applications, wherein
(A) is a polycarbonate comprising structural units corresponding to structure (I)
where R 1 and R 2 independently comprise a C 1 -C 6 alkyl; X comprises CH 2 ; m is an integer from 4 to 7; n is an integer from 1 to 4; and p is an integer from 1 to 4, with the proviso that at least one of R 1 or R 2 is in the 3 or 3′ position,
(B) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (II)
where R 3 comprises a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, hydrogen, cyano or methoxy, and
(E) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (V)
where R 9 comprises a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, hydrogen, cyano or methoxy; and
(iii) a first polymer B, a second polymer C, a third polymer E, and an optional additive used in optical applications, wherein
(B) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (II)
where R 3 comprises a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, hydrogen, cyano or methoxy,
(C) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to
(E) is a polymer comprising structural units corresponding to structure (V)
where R 9 comprises a C 1 -C 6 alkyl, hydrogen, cyano or methoxy,
where the polymer blend has a glass transition temperature of from about 100° C. to about 185° C.