Isosorbide-based polycarbonates, method of making, and articles formed therefrom

1. A polycarbonate polymer comprising: an isosorbide unit, a polysiloxane unit, and an aliphatic unit different from the isosorbide unit, wherein the isosorbide unit, polysiloxane unit, and aliphatic unit are each carbonate, or a combination of carbonate and ester units, the aliphatic unit different from the isosorbide unit is derived from an aliphatic oligomer having a molecular weight of 900 to 4000 g/mol, and the calculated bio-content is greater than or equal to 40 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polycarbonate polymer, wherein the polycarbonate polymer has a glass transition temperature of 140 to 170° C.

2. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 1 , wherein the isosorbide units are present in an amount of 50 to 92 weight percent based on the total weight of dihydroxy compound, polyol and diacid used to make the polycarbonate.

3. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polysiloxane units are present in an amount of 3 to 30 weight percent based on the total weight of dihydroxy compound, polyol and diacid used to make the polycarbonate.

4. The polycarbonate of claim 1 , wherein the aliphatic oligomer has a weight average molecular weight of 900 to 3000 g/mol.

5. The polycarbonate of claim 1 , wherein the aliphatic oligomer has a weight average molecular weight of 900 to 2500 g/mol.

6. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 1 , wherein the aliphatic units are present in an amount of 5 to 20 weight percent based on the total weight of dihydroxy compound, polyol and diacid used to make the polycarbonate.

7. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 1 , wherein the aliphatic units are derived from a monomer of the formula X-L-X wherein X represents a carboxylic acid (—C(O)OH) or a methylol group (CH 2 —OH) and L represents a group having greater than or equal to 60 carbon atoms.

8. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 1 , further comprising a carbonate unit derived from an aromatic dihydroxy compound.

9. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polycarbonate has calculated bio-content greater than or equal to 65 weight percent based on the total weight of the polycarbonate.

10. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polycarbonate has calculated bio-content of 75 to 85 weight percent based on the total weight of the polycarbonate.

11. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polycarbonate has a glass transition temperature of 150 to 170° C.

12. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polycarbonate has a notched Izod impact strength greater than or equal to 13 kilojoules per square meter (kJ/m 2 ) at 23° C.

13. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 1 , wherein the polysiloxane units are derived from a dihydroxy compound that comprises diorganosiloxane units blocks of formula (15):

wherein each occurrence of R is same or different, and is a C 1-13 monovalent organic group and E has an average value of about 10 to about 70.

14. A polycarbonate polymer comprising: 70 to 89 weight percent of isosorbide units, 5 to 15 weight percent of polysiloxane units, and 6 to 15 weight percent of aliphatic units different from the isosorbide unit, wherein the isosorbide unit, polysiloxane unit, and aliphatic unit different from the isosorbide units are each carbonate, or a combination of carbonate and ester units, the aliphatic units have a molecular weight of 900 to 4000 g/mol, the amounts of isosorbide units, polysiloxane units and aliphatic units are based on the total weight of dihydroxy compound, polyol and diacid used to make the polycarbonate, and the calculated bio-content is greater than or equal to 40 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polycarbonate polymer, wherein the polycarbonate polymer has a glass transition temperature of 140 to 170° C.

15. The polycarbonate of claim 14 , wherein the aliphatic units have a weight average molecular weight of 900 to 3000 g/mol.

16. The polycarbonate of claim 14 , wherein the aliphatic units have a weight average molecular weight of 900 to 2500 g/mol.

17. The polycarbonate polymer of claim 14 , wherein the aliphatic units are derived from a monomer of the formula X-L-X wherein X represents a carboxylic acid (—C(O)OH) or a methylol group (CH 2 —OH) and L represents a group having greater than or equal to 60 carbon atoms.

18. A thermoplastic composition comprising a polymer and a polycarbonate polymer comprising an isosorbide unit, a polysiloxane unit, and an aliphatic unit different from the isosorbide unit, wherein the isosorbide unit, polysiloxane unit, and aliphatic unit are each carbonate, or a combination of carbonate and ester units and the aliphatic unit is derived from an aliphatic oligomer having a molecular weight of 900 to 4000 g/mol, wherein the polycarbonate polymer has a glass transition temperature of 140 to 170° C.

19. A polycarbonate polymer comprising: 70 to 89 weight percent of isosorbide units, 5 to 15 weight percent of polydimethylsiloxane units, and 6 to 15 weight percent of aliphatic units different from the isosorbide unit, wherein the isosorbide unit, polydimethylsiloxane unit, and aliphatic unit different from the isosorbide units are each carbonate, or a combination of carbonate and ester units, the aliphatic unit different from the isosorbide unit is derived from an aliphatic oligomer having a molecular weight of 900 to 2500 g/mol, the amounts of isosorbide units, polydimethylsiloxane units and aliphatic units are based on the total weight of dihydroxy compound, polyol and diacid used to make the polycarbonate, and the calculated bio-content is greater than or equal to 40 weight percent, based on the total weight of the polycarbonate polymer, wherein the polycarbonate polymer has a glass transition temperature of 140 to 170° C.