Thermoplastic composition, method of making, and articles formed therefrom

1. A polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer comprising:

a polycarbonate block comprising aromatic carbonate units, and

a polyacrylate block derived from a difunctional polyacrylate polymer having the formula

Z 1 -(M) x -Z 2

wherein M is an acrylate block unit comprising a reaction residue of a (meth)acrylate monomer, a non-(meth)acrylate monomer, or a combination comprising a (meth)acrylate and a non-(meth)acrylate monomer, and wherein at least one acrylate block unit is a reaction residue of a (meth)acrylate monomer; x is greater than one; and Z 1 and Z 2 are each independently functionalized terminal groups of the formula

-(A 3 ) y -B,

wherein B is a reactive end group comprising a hydroxy group or non-hydroxy group, A 3 is an aliphatic linking group, an aromatic linking group, or an aliphatic-aromatic linking group, and y is 0 or 1, and

wherein A 3 is free of hydrogen atoms located on a carbon atom in a position beta to B when B is a hydroxy group, and B and A 3 are each free of sulfur atoms;

wherein the polyacrylate block has a T g of less than or equal to −25° C.; and wherein the number and type of acrylate block units of the polyacrylate block, and the weight ratio of polyacrylate blocks and polycarbonate blocks of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer are selected such that a molded article consisting of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer having a thickness of 3.2±0.12 millimeters has a haze of less than or equal to 5% as determined according to ASTM D1003-00.

2. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the acrylate block units are present in an amount of 1 to 30 weight percent of the total weight of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer.

3. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 wherein the acrylate block units comprise the reaction residue of an acrylate monomer, methacrylate monomer, unsaturated vinyl compounds, unsaturated olefinic compounds, styrenic compounds, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

4. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 wherein the polyacrylate block has a T g of less than or equal to −30° C.

5. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 wherein x represents a degree of polymerization of 5 to 1,000.

6. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 wherein the polyacrylate polymer has end groups that can react to form a bond with acid groups, carbonate groups, acid chloride groups, chloroformate groups, phosgene, or hydroxy groups.

7. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 6 , wherein the polyacrylate polymer or oligomer has end groups comprising hydroxy, phenolic hydroxy, carboxylic acid, carboxylate salts, aliphatic carboxylate ester, aromatic carboxylate ester, carboxylic anhydride, carboxylic acid chloride, chloroformate, aryl carbonate, aliphatic amine, aromatic amine, imide, or imide salt.

8. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 6 , wherein the polyacrylate polymer has a polydispersity of less than or equal to 2.

9. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the polyacrylate block is a difunctional end group functionalized polyacrylate block prepared using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, nitroxide-mediated polymerization, or atom transfer radical polymerization.

10. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 9 wherein the polyacrylate block is derived from a difunctional, end group functionalized polyacrylate polymer prepared using nitroxide-mediated polymerization.

11. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 10 , wherein the number and type of acrylate block units of the polyacrylate block, and the weight ratio of polyacrylate blocks and polycarbonate blocks of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer are selected such that a molded article consisting of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer having a thickness of 3.2±0.12 millimeters has a haze of less than or equal to 2% as determined according to ASTM D1003-00.

12. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 wherein the polycarbonate block further comprises aromatic ester units.

13. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 wherein a molded color chip having a thickness of 3.2±0.12 mm and consisting of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate and less than or equal to 5 wt % additive has, after weathering according to ASTM G155-04a and when measured according to ASTM D2457-03 at an angle of 60 degrees (°) and calibrated using a black glass standard of 100 GU, a surface gloss loss of less than or equal to 20% when compared to a comparable molded color chip consisting of an otherwise compositionally identical polycarbonate but without a polyacrylate block, and identical types and amounts of any additive used.

14. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 wherein a molded article having a thickness of 3.2±0.12 mm and consisting of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate has, when measured for Notched Izod Impact (NII) strength according to the method of ASTM D1238-04, a reduction in the ductile-to-brittle transition point temperature of greater than or equal to 10° C., when compared to an otherwise compositionally identical polycarbonate but without a polyacrylate block.

15. A polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer consisting essentially of:

a polycarbonate block consisting essentially of aromatic carbonate units, or a combination of arylate ester units and aromatic carbonate units, and

a polyacrylate block derived from a difunctional polyacrylate polymer having the formula

Z 1 -(M) x -Z 2

wherein M is an acrylate block unit consisting essentially of a reaction residue of a (meth)acrylate monomer, a non-(meth)acrylate monomer, or a combination of a (meth)acrylate and a non-(meth)acrylate monomer, and wherein at least one acrylate block unit is a reaction residue of a (meth)acrylate monomer; x is greater than one; and Z 1 and Z 2 are each independently functionalized terminal groups of the formula

-(A 3 ) y -B,

wherein B is a hydroxy group or non-hydroxy group, A 3 an aliphatic linking group, an aromatic linking group, or an aliphatic-aromatic linking group, and y is 0 or 1,

wherein A 3 is free of hydrogens located on a carbon atom in a position beta to B when B is a hydroxy group, and wherein B and A 3 are each free of sulfur atoms;

wherein the polyacrylate block has a T g of less than or equal to −25° C.; and wherein the number and type of acrylate block units of the polyacrylate block, and the weight ratio of polyacrylate blocks and polycarbonate blocks of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer are selected such that a molded article consisting of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer having a thickness of 3.2±0.12 millimeters has a haze of less than or equal to 5% as determined according to ASTM D1003-00.

16. A polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer, comprising the reaction product of:

a difunctional polyacrylate polymer having the formula

Z 1 -(M) x -Z 2

wherein M is an acrylate block unit comprising a reaction residue of a (meth)acrylate monomer, a non-(meth)acrylate monomer, or a combination comprising a (meth)acrylate and a non-(meth)acrylate monomer, and wherein at least one acrylate block unit is a reaction residue of a (meth)acrylate monomer; x is greater than one; and Z 1 and Z 2 are each independently functionalized terminal groups of the formula

-(A 3 ) y -B,

wherein B is a reactive end group comprising a hydroxy group or non-hydroxy group, A 3 is an aliphatic linking group, an aromatic linking group, or an aliphatic-aromatic linking group, and y is 0 or 1, and

wherein A 3 is free of hydrogen atoms located on a carbon atom in a position beta to B when B is a hydroxy group, and B and A 3 are each free of sulfur atoms;

a dihydroxy aromatic compound, or a combination of a dihydroxy aromatic compound and a dicarboxylic acid derivative;

phosgene; and

a chain stopper.

17. A thermoplastic composition comprising a blend of:

a first polymer comprising a polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer comprising

a polycarbonate block comprising aromatic carbonate units, and

a polyacrylate block derived from a difunctional polyacrylate polymer having the formula

Z 1 -(M) x -Z 2

wherein M is an acrylate block unit comprising a reaction residue of a (meth)acrylate monomer, a non-(meth)acrylate monomer, or a combination comprising a (meth)acrylate and a non-(meth)acrylate monomer, and wherein at least one acrylate block unit is a reaction residue of a (meth)acrylate monomer; x is greater than one; and Z 1 and Z 2 are each independently functionalized terminal groups of the formula

-(A 3 ) y -B,

wherein B is a reactive end group comprising a hydroxy group or non-hydroxy group, A 3 is an aliphatic linking group, an aromatic linking group, or an aliphatic-aromatic linking group, and y is 0 or 1,

wherein A 3 is free of hydrogen atoms located on a carbon atom in a position beta to B when B is a hydroxy group, and B and A 3 are each free of sulfur atoms;

wherein the polyacrylate block has a T g of less than or equal to −25° C.; and wherein the number and type of acrylate block units of the polyacrylate block, and the weight ratio of polyacrylate blocks and polycarbonate blocks of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer are selected such that a molded article consisting of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer having a thickness of 3.2±0.12 millimeters has a haze of less than or equal to 5% as determined according to ASTM D1003-00; and

a second polymer comprising a polycarbonate polymer,

wherein the first and second polymers are not identical, and wherein the polyacrylate block is derived from a difunctional, end group functionalized polyacrylate polymer prepared using reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization, nitroxide-mediated polymerization, or atom transfer radical polymerization.

18. The thermoplastic composition of claim 17 , wherein the second polymer comprises a polycarbonate, a polyester-polycarbonate, a polyester, a polysiloxane-polycarbonate, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing additional resins.

19. An article comprising the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 .

20. The polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the number and type of acrylate block units of the polyacrylate block, and the weight ratio of polyacrylate blocks and polycarbonate blocks of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer are selected such that a molded article consisting of the polyacrylate-polycarbonate copolymer having a thickness of 3.2±0.12 millimeters has a haze of less than or equal to 2% as determined according to ASTM D1003-00.