X-ray and/or metal detectable articles and method of making the same

1. An article comprising a thermoplastic composition comprising:

a) 5 to 100 parts by weight polysiloxane-polycarbonate,

b) 0 to 95 parts by weight polycarbonate, based on combined 100 parts by weight of polysiloxane-polycarbonate and polycarbonate, and

c) 0.01 to 10 parts by weight, based on a combined 100 parts by weight of polysiloxane-polycarbonate and polycarbonate, of an X-ray contrast agent comprising X-ray scattering atoms having an atomic number of greater than or equal to 22,

wherein the thermoplastic composition has a siloxane content of 1 to 4 wt %, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic composition,

wherein an article molded from the thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of 3.2 mm has a notched Izod impact (NII) strength of greater than or equal to about 620J/m, when measured at a temperature of 0° C. according to ASTM D256-04, or a notched Izod impact strength of greater than or equal to about 409 J/m, when measured at a temperature of −30° C. according to ASTM D256-04,

wherein an article molded from the thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of 3.2 mm has an Equivalent Al Thickness of greater than 0.51 mm, when irradiated with 50 kV X-ray radiation, and

wherein for melt volume rates of the thermoplastic composition determined under a load of 1.2 kg at a temperature of 300° C. according to ASTM D123 8-04, a melt volume rate measured at a dwell time of 18 minutes increases relative to a melt volume rate measured at a dwell time of 6 minutes by less than or equal to 31%,

wherein the X-ray contrast agent has a median particle size of greater than 0.1micrometers to 5 micrometers.

2. The article of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray contrast agent has a median particle size of 0.2 to 0.5 micrometers.

3. The article of claim 1 , wherein the polycarbonate is present in an amount of 1 to 95 parts by weight, based on combined 100 parts by weight of polysiloxane-polycarbonate and polycarbonate.

4. The article of claim 1 , wherein the siloxane content is 1 to 3.5 wt %, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic composition.

5. The article of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises a metal detectable agent and wherein the metal detectable agent comprises magnetite.

6. The article of claim 5 , wherein the metal detectable agent is different from the X-ray contrast agent.

7. The article of claim 1 , wherein the polysiloxane-polycarbonate comprises 50 to 99.9 wt % of carbonate units and 0.1 to 50 wt % siloxane units, based on the total weight of the polysiloxane-polycarbonate.

8. The article of claim 1 , comprising polysiloxane-polycarbonate in an amount of 50 to 99 parts by weight, and polycarbonate in an amount of 1 to 50 parts by weight based on a combined 100 parts by weight of polysiloxane-polycarbonate and polycarbonate.

9. The article of claim 8 , wherein the polysiloxane-polycarbonate comprises 90 to 99 wt % of carbonate units and 1 to 10 wt % siloxane units, based on the total weight of the polysiloxane-polycarbonate.

10. The article of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises polysiloxane-polycarbonate in an amount of 5 to 30 parts by weight, and polycarbonate in an amount of 70 to 95 parts by weight based on a combined 100parts by weight of polysiloxane-polycarbonate and polycarbonate.

11. The article of claim 10 , wherein the polysiloxane-polycarbonate comprises 75 to 85 wt % of carbonate units and 15 to 25 wt % siloxane units, based on the total weight of the polysiloxane-polycarbonate.

12. The article of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray contrast agent comprises X-ray scattering atoms having an atomic number of greater than or equal to 24.

13. The article of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray contrast agent comprises X-ray scattering atoms in an amount greater than or equal to about 1 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the X-ray contrast agent.

14. The article of claim 1 , wherein the X-ray contrast agent comprises magnetite or rutile titanate.

15. The article of claim 14 , wherein the X-ray contrast agent comprises the magnetite and wherein the median particle size of the magnetite is less than about 1 micrometer.

16. The article of claim 14 , wherein the X-ray contrast agent comprises the rutile titanate and wherein the rutile titanate comprises Pigment Yellow 53, Pigment Yellow 163, Pigment Brown 24, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing.

17. The article of claim 1 , wherein for melt volume rates of the composition determined under a load of 1.2 kg at a temperature of 300° C. according to ASTM D1238-04, a melt volume rate measured at a dwell time of 18 minutes differs from a melt volume rate measured at a dwell time of 6 minutes by less than or equal to 20%.

18. The article of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition further comprises additives including impact modifiers, fillers, antioxidants, heat stabilizers, light, stabilizers, UV light stabilizers, plasticizers, lubricants, mold release agents, flame retardants, antistatic agents, anti-drip agents, radiation stabilizers, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing additives.

19. The article of claim 1 , wherein an article molded from the thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of 3.2 mm has an Equivalent Al Thickness of greater than 0.55 mm, when irradiated with 50 kV X-ray radiation.

20. The article of claim 1 , comprising a surface gloss, measured at an angle of 60 degrees on 3 mm colored chips, of greater than or equal to 90 gloss units, according to ASTM D2457.

21. A thermoplastic composition comprising:

a) 5 to 100 parts by weight of a polysiloxane-polycarbonate,

b) 0 to 95 parts by weight of a polycarbonate, and

c) 0.01 to 10 parts by weight of an X-ray contrast agent comprising rutile titanate having a median particle size of greater than 0.1 micrometers to less than or equal to about 5micrometers, magnetite having a median particle size of less than about 1 micrometer, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing contrast agents,

wherein the thermoplastic composition has a siloxane content of 1 to 4 wt %, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic composition,

wherein each of the polysiloxane-polycarbonate, polycarbonate, and X-ray contrast agent are present based on a combined 100 parts by weight of polysiloxane-polycarbonate and polycarbonate,

wherein an article molded from the thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of 3.2 mm has a notched Izod impact (NII) strength of greater than or equal to about 620J/m, when measured at a temperature of 0° C. according to ASTM D256-04, or a notched Izod impact strength of greater than or equal to about 409 J/m, when measured at a temperature of −30° C. according to ASTM D256-04,

wherein an article molded from the thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of 3.2 mm has an Equivalent Al Thickness of greater than 0.51 mm, when irradiated with 50 kV X-ray radiation, and

wherein for melt volume rates of the thermoplastic composition determined under a load of 1.2 kg at a temperature of 300° C. according to ASTM D123 8-04, a melt volume rate measured at a dwell time of 18 minutes increases relative to a melt volume rate measured at a dwell time of 6 minutes by less than or equal to 31%.

22. The thermoplastic composition of claim 21 , wherein the polysiloxane-polycarbonate has an average block length D for a polysiloxane unit of the polysiloxane-polycarbonate of about 5 to about 50 siloxane units.

23. The thermoplastic composition of claim 21 , comprising 1 to 10 parts by weight of rutile titanate.

24. A thermoplastic composition comprising:

a) 5 to 100 parts by weight polysiloxane-polycarbonate,

b) 0 to 95 parts by weight polycarbonate, based on combined 100 parts by weight of polysiloxane-polycarbonate and polycarbonate, and

c) 0.01 to 10 parts by weight, based on a combined 100 parts by weight of polysiloxane-polycarbonate and polycarbonate, of an X-ray contrast agent comprising X-ray scattering atoms having an atomic number of greater than or equal to 22,

wherein the thermoplastic composition has a siloxane content of 1 to 4 wt %, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic composition,

wherein an article molded from the thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of 3.2 mm has a notched Izod impact (NII) strength of greater than or equal to about 620J/m, when measured at a temperature of 0° C. according to ASTM D256-04, or a notched Izod impact strength of greater than or equal to about 409 J/m, when measured at a temperature of −30° C. according to ASTM D256-04,

wherein an article molded from the thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of 3.2 mm has an Equivalent Al Thickness of greater than 0.51 mm, when irradiated with 50 kV X-ray radiation, and

wherein for melt volume rates of the thermoplastic composition determined under a load of 1.2 kg at a temperature of 300° C. according to ASTM D123 8-04, a melt volume rate measured at a dwell time of 18 minutes increases relative to a melt volume rate measured at a dwell time of 6 minutes by less than or equal to 31%, and

wherein the X-ray contrast agent has a median particle size of greater than 0.1micrometers to 5 micrometers.

25. A method for increasing the X-ray contrast in an article comprising

a thermoplastic composition which comprises: a) 5 to 100 parts by weight polysiloxane-polycarbonate, b)0 to 95 parts by weight polycarbonate, based on combined 100 parts by weight of polysiloxane-polycarbonate and polycarbonate, and c) 0.01 to 10 parts by weight, based on a combined 100 parts by weight of polysiloxane-polycarbonate and polycarbonate, of an X-ray contrast agent,

wherein the X-ray contrast agent comprises an element having an atomic number of greater than or equal to 22, and

forming the article from the thermoplastic composition,

wherein the thermoplastic composition has a siloxane content of 1 to 4 wt %, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic composition,

wherein an article molded from the thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of 3.2 mm has a notched Izod impact (NII) strength of greater than or equal to about 620J/m, when measured at a temperature of 0° C. according to ASTM D256-04, or notched Izod impact strength of greater than or equal to about 409 J/m, when measured at a temperature of −30° C. according to ASTM D256-04,

wherein an article molded from the thermoplastic composition and having a thickness of 3.2 mm has an Equivalent Al Thickness of greater than 0.51 mm, when irradiated with 50 kV X-ray radiation, and

wherein for melt volume rates of the thermoplastic composition determined under a load of 1.2 kg at a temperature of 300° C. according to ASTM D123 8-04, a melt volume rate measured at a dwell time of 18 minutes increases relative to a melt volume rate measured at a dwell time of 6 minutes by less than or equal to 31%; and

wherein the X-ray contrast agent has a median particle size of greater than 0.1micrometers to 5 micrometers.