Thermoplastic polymer, use thereof in polyamide compositions with improved hydrophily and anti-staticity

1. Thermoplastic polymer comprising a thermoplastic polymer block and at least one polyalkylene oxide block, wherein:

a) the thermoplastic polymer block comprises:

a star-configured macromolecular polyamide chain comprising at least one multifunctional core and at least one thermoplastic polymer branch or segment linked to the core, the core comprising at least three identical reactive functional groups;

and

optionally a linear macromolecular chain, comprising a difunctional core and at least one thermoplastic polymer segment linked to the core;

b) the polyalkylene oxide block or blocks are linked to at least some of the free end of the thermoplastic polymer block in the following manner:

at least one free end of the star-configured macromolecular chain, selected from among the ends of the thermoplastic polymer branch or segment and the ends of the multifunctional core, is linked to a polyalkylene oxide block;

and

optionally at least one free end of the linear macromolecular chain, selected from among the ends of the thermoplastic polymer segment and the ends of the difunctional core, is linked to a polyalkylene oxide block

 wherein the polyalkylene oxide block linked to the at least some of the free end of the thermoplastic polymer block comprises a single reactive terminal functional group.

2. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the star-configured macromolecular polyamide chain is a star-configured polyamide obtained by copolymerization from a monomer mixture comprising:

a) a multifunctional compound comprising at least three identical reactive functional groups selected from the amine functional group and the carboxylic acid functional group;

b) monomers of formulae (IIa) and/or (IIb) below:

c) optionally, monomers of formula (III) below:

Z-R 2 -Z  (III)

in which:

 Z represents a functional group identical to that of the reactive functional groups of the multifunctional compound;

 R 1 , R 2 represent substituted or unsubstituted, aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic radicals, which may be identical or different, comprising from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and optionally comprising heteroatoms;

 Y is a primary amine functional group when X represents a carboxylic acid functional group; or

 Y is a carboxylic acid functional group when X represents a primary amine functional group.

3. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer block is obtained by extruding a blend comprising a polyamide, of the type obtained by polymerization of lactams and/or amino acids, and of a multifunctional compound comprising at least three identical reactive functional groups selected from the amine or carboxylic acid functional group.

4. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 2 , wherein the multifunctional compound has a dendritic structure.

5. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 2 , wherein the multi-functional compound is selected from compounds represented by the formula (IV):

R1 A−z] m   (IV)

in which:

R 1 is an aromatic or aliphatic, linear or cyclic, hydrocarbon radical comprising at least two carbon atoms and optionally comprising heteroatoms;

A is a covalent bond or an aliphatic hydrocarbon radical comprising from 1 to 6 carbon atoms;

Z represents a primary amine radical or a carboxylic acid radical; and

m is an integer between 3 and 8.

6. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 5 , wherein the multifunctional compound is selected from 2,2,6,6-tetra(β-carboxyethyl)-cyclohexanone, trimesic acid, 2,4,6-tri(aminocaproic acid)-1,3,5-triazine and 4-aminoethyl-1,8-octane diamine.

7. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the linear macromolecular chain of the thermoplastic polymer block is a linear polyamide obtained by copolymerization using a monomer mixture comprising:

a) a difunctional compound comprising two identical reactive functional groups selected from the amine functional group and the carboxylic acid functional group;

b) monomers of formulae (Va) and/or (Vb) below:

in which:

 R represents a substituted or unsubstituted, aliphatic, cycloaliphatic or aromatic hydrocarbon radical containing from 2 to 36 carbon atoms and optionally comprising heteroatoms;

 Y is a primary amine functional group when X is a carboxylic acid functional group;

 Y is a carboxylic acid functional group when X is a primary amine functional group.

8. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 7 , wherein R is a divalent linear radical.

9. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 7 , wherein the difunctional compound is represented by formula (VI):

Z-A-R 1 —B-Z  (IV)

in which:

R 1 is a hydrocarbon radical comprising at least two substituted or unsubstituted, aromatic or aliphatic, linear or cyclic carbon atoms, and which may include heteroatoms;

A and B are covalent bonds or aliphatic hydrocarbon radicals containing from 1 to 6 carbon atoms, A and B being identical or different; and

Z is a functional group selected from the amine functional group and the carboxylic acid functional group.

10. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1 , which comprises linear polyamide macromolecular chains not containing multifunctional and/or difunctional cores.

11. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the polyalkylene oxide block is linear.

12. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the polyalkylene oxide block is a polyethylene oxide block.

13. Thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1 , wherein all the free ends of the macromolecular chain of the thermoplastic polymer block are linked to a polyalkylene oxide block.

14. Process for preparing a thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the following are made to react:

 on the one hand, polyalkylene oxide blocks possessing reactive terminal functional groups B;

 the other hand:

thermoplastic polymer macromolecular chains possessing at least reactive terminal functional groups A

and/or

compounds of at least two types:

multifunctional and/or difunctional compounds comprising reactive functional groups A

monomers each comprising reactive functional groups A and B and/or a thermoplastic polymer comprising reactive functional groups A and B,

the functional groups A and B optionally reacting together to fix the polyalkylene oxide blocks to the thermoplastic polymer macromolecular chains and/or the monomers and/or the thermoplastic polymer;

and the above is heated to a temperature high enough to carry out the reaction between these various functional groups.

15. Process according to claim 14 , wherein the reactive terminal functional groups A and B are selected from carboxylic acid functional groups and amine functional groups.

16. Process according to claim 14 , wherein:

the terminal functional groups A are carboxylic acid functional groups when the terminal functional groups B are amine functional groups;

the terminal functional groups B are carboxylic acid functional groups when the terminal functional groups A are amine functional groups.

17. An additive for addition to a polymeric composition, the additive comprising the thermoplastic copolymer according to claim 1 .

18. Thermoplastic polymer composition comprising at least:

a first hydrophilic thermoplastic polymer according to claim 1 ;

a second thermoplastic polymer comprising PA-6 or PA-6,6.

19. Thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 18 , wherein the second thermoplastic polymer is a polyamide selected from PA-6, PA-11, PA-12, PA-6,6, blends thereof and copolymers thereof.

20. Thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 18 , wherein the proportion by weight of the first thermoplastic polymer in the composition is between 4 and 20%.

21. Thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 18 , which further comprises additives and optionally delustrants.

22. Thermoplastic polymer composition according to claim 18 , which further comprises fillers.

23. Yarns, fibers and filaments obtained by melt spinning a composition according to claim 18 .

24. Textile article obtained from yarns, fibers and filaments according to claim 23 .

25. Article formed from a composition according to claim 18 .