Binary and ternary blends comprising monovinylarene/conjugated diene block copolymers and monovinylarene/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymers
View Patent ↗We disclose compositions, comprising (i) from about 25 parts by weight to about 95 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-conjugated diene coupled block copolymer comprising at least one tapered block, having a blocky monovinylarene content of less than 90 wt % of total monovinylarene units, and comprising a terminal monovinylarene block having a molecular weight of less than 60,000 g/mol; and (ii) from about 5 parts by weight to about 75 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-alkyl(meth)acrylate copolymer, comprising (ii-a) monovinylarene units and (ii-b) either alkyl acrylate units, alkyl methacrylate units, or both. The compositions can be used in shrink film or rigid packaging applications.
1. A composition, comprising:
(i) from about 25 parts by weight to about 95 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-conjugated diene coupled block copolymer comprising at least one tapered block, having a blocky monovinylarene content of less than 90 wt % of total monovinylarene units, and comprising a terminal monovinylarene block having a molecular weight of less than 60,000 g/mol;
(ii) from about 5 parts by weight to about 75 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer, comprising (ii-a) monovinylarene units and (ii-b) at least one of ethyl acrylate units, propyl acrylate units, butyl acrylate units, pentyl acrylate units, or hexyl acrylate units; and
(iii) about 0.1 parts by weight to about 20 parts by weight of a macromolecular compound wherein all materials copolymerized in said macromolecular compound result in a monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber.
2. The composition of claim 1 , comprising from about 30 parts by weight to about 80 parts by weight of the monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer.
3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer comprises from about 20 wt % to about 30 wt % conjugated diene units.
4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer comprises two or three tapered blocks.
5. The composition of claim 1 , wherein in the monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer, the monovinylarene units are styrene units and the conjugated diene units are butadiene units.
6. The composition of claim 1 , comprising from about 10 parts by weight to about 70 parts by weight of the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer.
7. The composition of claim 6 , comprising from about 10 parts by weight to about 30 parts by weight of the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer.
8. The composition of claim 6 , comprising from about 24 parts by weight to about 65 parts by weight of the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer.
9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer comprises methyl acrylate units, ethyl acrylate units, propyl acrylate units, butyl acrylate units, pentyl acrylate units, or hexyl acrylate units.
10. The composition of claim 9 , wherein the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer comprises from about 10 wt % to about 25 wt % butyl acrylate units.
11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer comprises (i) from about 10 wt % to about 17.5 wt % butyl acrylate units or (ii) from about 17.5 wt % to about 25 wt % butyl acrylate units.
12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer comprises methyl methacrylate units, ethyl methacrylate units, propyl methacrylate units, butyl methacrylate units, pentyl methacrylate units, or hexyl methacrylate units.
13. The composition of claim 12 , wherein the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer comprises from about 3 wt % to about 10 wt % methyl methacrylate units.
14. The composition of claim 13 , wherein the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer comprises from about 10 wt % to about 15 wt % butyl acrylate units, and the butyl acrylate units and the methyl methacrylate units together comprise from about 10 wt % to about 25 wt % of the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer.
15. The composition of claim 1 , wherein in the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer, the monovinylarene units are styrene units.
16. The composition of claim 1 , comprising from about 1 part by weight to about 20 parts by weight of the monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber.
17. The composition of claim 1 , comprising from about 0.1 part by weight to about 10 parts by weight of the monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber.
18. The composition of claim 17 , comprising from about 1 part by weight to about 10 parts by weight of the monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber.
19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber comprises less than about 50 wt % monovinylarene units.
20. The composition of claim 1 , wherein in the monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber, the monovinylarene units are styrene units and the conjugated diene units are butadiene units or isoprene units.
21. A film, comprising:
a layer comprising:
a composition comprising:
(i) from about 25 parts by weight to about 95 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-conjugated diene coupled block copolymer comprising at least one tapered block, having a blocky monovinylarene content of less than 90 wt % of total monovinylarene units, and comprising a terminal monovinylarene block having a molecular weight of less than 60,000 g/mol;
(ii) from about 5 parts by weight to about 75 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer, comprising (ii-a) monovinylarene units and (ii-b) at least one of ethyl acrylate units, propyl acrylate units, butyl acrylate units, pentyl acrylate units, or hexyl acrylate units; and
(iii) about 0.1 parts by weight to about 20 parts by weight of a macromolecular compound wherein all materials copolymerized in said macromolecular compound result in a monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber.
22. The film of claim 21 , wherein the film has been oriented in at least one direction.
23. The film of claim 22 , wherein the film has been oriented in two directions.
24. The film of claim 22 , wherein the monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer comprises from about 20 wt % to about 30 wt % conjugated diene units.
25. The film of claim 22 , wherein the monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer comprises two or three tapered blocks.
26. The film of claim 22 , wherein in the monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer, the monovinylarene units are styrene units and the conjugated diene units are butadiene units.
27. The film of claim 21 , wherein the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer comprises from about 10 wt % to about 25 wt % butyl acrylate units.
28. The film of claim 27 , wherein the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer comprises (i) from about 10 wt % to about 17.5 wt % butyl acrylate units or (ii) from about 17.5 wt % to about 25 wt % butyl acrylate units.
29. The film of claim 21 , wherein in the monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer, the monovinylarene units are styrene units and the alkyl (meth)acrylate units are butyl acrylate units.
30. The film of claim 1 , comprising from about 0.1 parts by weight to about 10 parts by weight of the monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber.
31. A method of applying a label to a container, comprising:
shrinking (a) a shrink film, comprising a layer, comprising a composition comprising (i) from about 25 parts by weight to about 95 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-conjugated diene coupled block copolymer comprising at least one tapered block, having a blocky monovinylarene content of less than 90 wt % of total monovinylarene units, and comprising a terminal monovinylarene block having a molecular weight of less than 60,000 g/mol; (ii) from about 5 parts by weight to about 75 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer, comprising (ii-a) monovinylarene units and (ii-b) at least one of ethyl acrylate units, propyl acrylate units, butyl acrylate units, pentyl acrylate units, or hexyl acrylate units; and (iii) about 0.1 parts by weight to about 20 parts by weight of a macromolecular compound wherein all materials copolymerized in said macromolecular compound result in a monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber, to (b) at least a portion of the exterior surface of a container structure.
32. The method of claim 31 , wherein the shrinking step comprises exposing the shrink film and the portion of the exterior surface of the container structure to a temperature less than about 150° C.
33. A packaging article, comprising:
a layer comprising:
a composition comprising:
(i) from about 25 parts by weight to about 95 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-conjugated diene coupled block copolymer comprising at least one tapered block, having a blocky monovinylarene content of less than 90 wt % of total monovinylarene units, and comprising a terminal monovinylarene block having a molecular weight of less than 60,000 g/mol;
(ii) from about 5 parts by weight to about 75 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer, comprising (ii-a) monovinylarene units and (ii-b) at least one of ethyl acrylate units, propyl acrylate units, butyl acrylate units, pentyl acrylate units, or hexyl acrylate units; and
(iii) about 0.1 parts by weight to about 20 parts by weight of a macromolecular compound wherein all materials copolymerized in said macromolecular compound result in a monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber.
34. The packaging article of claim 33 , wherein the monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer comprises two tapered blocks.
35. The packaging article of claim 33 , wherein the packaging article is in the form of a thermoformed package.
36. The packaging article of claim 35 , wherein the thermoformed package is a clamshell package, a blister pack, or a thermoformed tray.
37. A method of packaging a product, comprising:
forming a layer, comprising a composition, comprising (i) from about 25 parts by weight to about 95 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-conjugated diene coupled block copolymer comprising at least one tapered block, having a blocky monovinylarene content of less than 90 wt % of total monovinylarene units, and comprising a terminal monovinylarene block having a molecular weight of less than 60,000 g/mol; (ii) from about 5 parts by weight to about 75 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymer, comprising (ii-a) monovinylarene units and (ii-b) at least one of ethyl acrylate units, propyl acrylate units, butyl acrylate units, pentyl acrylate units, or hexyl acrylate units; and (iii) about 0.1 parts by weight to about 20 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-conjugated diene rubber into a packaging article structured to receive the product; and
sealing the product into the packaging article.