Method of introducing an additive into a polymeric materials
View Patent ↗Additives such as colorants may be incorporated into polymeric materials such as polyesters, such as in polyester fiber production, by use of a liquid formulation comprising colorant and a vehicle. The vehicle may comprise a functionalized pentaerythritol, trimethylolpropane or trimellitate. The liquid formulation is suitably contacted with the polymeric material in a melt processing apparatus.
1. A method of introducing an additive into a polymeric material comprising:
A) selecting a liquid formulation comprising an additive and a vehicle;
B) contacting the liquid formulation with said polymeric material;
C) melt-processing said polymeric material;
wherein said vehicle is selected from:
pentaerythritol tri or tetra esters wherein the ester is derived or derivable from reaction of pentaerythritol with a carboxylic acid with a carbon chain length of C 12 to C 22 ; and trimethylolpropanetriisostearate.
2. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said vehicle includes no atoms other than carbon, hydrogen and oxygen atoms.
3. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said polymeric material comprises a synthetic thermoplastic polymer selected from polyesters, polyamides, polypropylene, polycaprolactone, polycarbonates, acrylics and aramids.
4. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said polymeric material comprises a polyester.
5. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said additive comprises a colourant.
6. A method according to claim 3 , the method including introducing at least 0.05 wt % and less than 10 wt % of additive into said polymeric material via the liquid formulation.
7. A method according to claim 3 , wherein said liquid formulation includes at least 20 wt % of vehicle and 80 wt % or less of vehicle.
8. A method according to claim 3 , wherein in the method the liquid formulation is dosed into said polymeric material when said polymeric material is in a molten state.
9. A method according to claim 8 , wherein downstream of the point of contact of liquid formulation and polymeric material, there is a spinning means for spinning the polymeric material to define fibres.
10. A method of producing a fibre, the method comprising introducing an additive into a polymeric material using the method of claim 1 and spinning the polymeric material which includes the additive to produce a fibre.
11. A method according to claim 1 , wherein said vehicle is selected from:
(A) a vehicle of general formula
wherein each R 20 independently represents a C 11 to C 21 optionally-substituted, linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated alkyl group; and R 21 comprises a moiety R 20 COO— or an hydroxy group.
12. A method according to claim 11 , wherein R 21 comprises a moiety R 20 CO—.
13. A method according to claim 11 , wherein R 20 comprises carbon and hydrogen atoms only.
14. A method according to claim 11 , wherein R 20 has a carbon chain length of C 13 to C 19 .
15. A method according to claim 11 , wherein R 20 has a C 17 carbon chain length.
16. A method according to claim 11 , wherein R 20 consists of an aliphatic, unsubstituted, hydrocarbon moiety which optionally includes a —CH═CH— moiety.
17. A method according to claim 11 , wherein R 20 COO— comprises an isostearic acid residue.
18. A method according to claim 11 , wherein each R 20 represents the same group.
19. A method according to claim 11 , wherein said vehicle is pentaerithritol tetraisostearate.