Method of improving abrasion resistance of plastic article using functionalized polymers and article produced thereby

1. A method for improving the abrasion resistance of a plastic article, said method comprising:

(a) providing a composition comprising at least one e-beam active co-polyestercarbonate comprising ester structural units derive from a combination of a C 3 -C 40 aromatic diol and a diol selected from the group consisting of a C 2 -C 20 aliphatic diol, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic diol or a combination thereof;

(b) forming an article from the composition of step (a); and

(c) exposing the article formed in step (b) to an electron-beam source.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said e-beam active co-polyestercarbonate comprises carbonate structural units of the formula

wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently at each occurrence a halogen atom, a nitro group, a cyano group, a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical; W is a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical; and “a” and ‘b” are independently at each occurrence an integer from 0 to 4, with the proviso that “a+b” is greater than or equal to 1.

3. The method according to claim 2 , wherein W is a cyclohexylidene radical and R 1 and R 2 are both methyl radicals.

4. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said e-beam active co-polyestercarbonate comprises carbonate structural units of the formula

wherein R 3 and R 4 are independently at each occurrence a halogen atom, a nitro group, a cyano group, a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical; R 5 is independently at each occurrence a C 2 -C 10 aliphatic group or an oxygen atom, R 6 , R 7 , R 8 and R 9 are independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical; “c” and ‘d” are independently at each occurrence an integer from 0 to 4; and “n” is an integer from 0 to 10.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said electron-beam active co-polyestercarbonate comprises structural units of the formula

wherein R 10 comprises a combination of a divalent C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical, a radical selected from the group consisting a C 2 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, and a combination thereof, and R 11 comprises a divalent C 2 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a divalent C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical, a divalent C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or comprises structural units of the formula

wherein R 12 and R 13 are independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical and “p” is an integer from 1 to 10.

6. The method according to claim 5 , wherein R 10 is an aromatic C 6 radical and a radical selected from the group consisting of a hexanediol residue, a butanediol resdue, a diethylene glycol residue, and a combination thereof; and R 11 is selected from the group consisting of an isophthalic acid, acid halide, or acid ester residue, a terephthalic acid, acid halide, or acid ester residue and a combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said electron-beam active co-polyestercarbonate comprises at least one terminally connected moiety comprising structural units of the formula

wherein R 14 is a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical, or comprises structural units of the formula

wherein R 14 , R 15 and R 16 are independently at each occurrence a hydrogen atom, a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical; and “p” is an integer from 1 to 10.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said electron-beam active co-polyestercabonate further comprises structural units of the formula

wherein R 17 is a divalent C 2 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a divalent C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical, or a divalent C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical.

9. The method according to claim 8 , wherein said electron-beam active co-polyestercarbonate comprises bisphenol A polycarbonate structural units.

10. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said electron-beam active co-polyestercarbonate comprises structural units of the formula

wherein R 18 and R 19 are independently at each occurrence a halogen atom, a nitro group, a cyano group, a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical; and “f” and “g” are independently at each occurrence an integer from 0 to 4.

11. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises extruding said composition to form an article, which is a film.

12. The method according to claim 11 , wherein said film has a thickness in a range from about 10 microns to about 1000 microns.

13. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises co-extruding said composition with a second polymeric material to form a multi-layered article.

14. The method according to claim 13 , wherein said second polymeric material is selected different from said electron-beam active thermoplastic polymeric material provided in step (a), and said second polymeric material is selected from the group consisting of polycarbonates, co-polycarbonates, co-polyestercarbonates, and combinations thereof.

15. The method according to claim 1 , wherein step (b) comprises solvent casting said composition to form a film.

16. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said exposing is conducted in the presence of nitrogen or hydrogen.

17. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said exposing is conducted in vacuum.

18. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electron beam source has an operating voltage in the range from about 80 kV to about 20 MV.

19. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the electron beam source has an operating voltage of about 150 kV.

20. The method according to claim 1 , wherein said exposing to an electron beam source results in an electron beam dosage in the range from about 1 Mrad to about 5000 Mrad.

21. An article comprising an abrasion resistant surface; wherein said article is prepared by a method comprising:

(a) providing a composition comprising at least one electron-beam active co-polyestercarbonate comprising ester structual units derived from a C 3 -C 40 aromatic diol and a diol selected from the group consisting of a C 2 -C 20 aliphatic diol, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic diol, or a combination thereof;

(b) forming an article from the composition of step (a); and

(c) exposing the article formed in step (b) to an electron-beam source.

22. A method for improving the abrasion resistance of a plastic article, said method comprising:

(a) providing a composition comprising at least one e-beam active co-polyestercarbonate comprising

ester structural units of the formula

wherein R 10 is a C 2 -C 20 aliphatic radical and R 11 is a divalent C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical,

ester structural units of the formula

wherein R 18 and R 19 are independently at each occurrence a halogen atom, a nitro group, a cyano group, a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical; and “f” and “g” are independently at each occurrence an integer from 0 to 4; and

carbonate structural units of the formula

wherein R 1 and R 2 are independently at each occurrence a halogen atom, a nitro group, a cyano group, a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical; W is a C 1 -C 20 aliphatic radical, a C 3 -C 40 cycloaliphatic radical, or a C 3 -C 40 aromatic radical; and “a” and ‘b” are independently at each occurrence an integer from 0 to 4;

(b) forming an article from the composition of step (a); and

(c) exposing the article formed in step (b) to an electron-beam source.