Process for the protection against corrosion of an article in a wet environment and composition therefore

1. A composition, comprising:

(a) an amorphous polymer composition comprising an amorphous polymer having a glass transition temperature of −20° C. or less, and

(b) a water-absorbing filler having a water-absorption of about 20 wt. % or higher as determined according to the procedure described in standard NEN-EN-ISO 10769:2011, wherein the water-absorbing filler comprises a filler that binds water by a chemical reaction,

wherein the composition comprises 20 to 80 wt. % of the amorphous polymer composition, based on the total weight of the composition, and wherein the amorphous polymer has a number average molecular weight M n in the range of 1,000 to 150,000 g mol −1 ,

wherein the composition is suitable for protection against corrosion of an article in a wet environment wherein water is present on a surface of the article or part thereof, or wherein the surface of the article is situated under water.

2. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amorphous polymer is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a polymer comprising about 50.0% to about 98% by weight of isobutene and about 2% to about 50.0% of a C 2 -C 12 alkene other than isobutene, a C 4 -C 12 alkadiene, or a mixture thereof, based on the total weight of the polymer;

(b) a polymer comprising more than about 98% to about 100% by weight of isobutene, based on the total weight of the polymer;

(c) a polymer comprising about 50.0% to about 99.9% by weight of propene and about 0.1% to about 50.0% of a C 2 -C 12 alkene other than propene, a C 4 -C 12 alkadiene, or a mixture thereof, or about 100 wt. % propene, based on the total weight of the polymer;

(d) a polymer comprising about 0.1% to about 50.0% by weight of ethene and about 50.0% to about 99.9% of a C 2 -C 12 alkene other than ethene, a C 4 -C 12 alkadiene, or a mixture thereof, based on the total weight of the polymer;

(e) a polymer comprising about 0.1% to about 50.0% by weight of 2-methyl-1-pentene and about 50.0% to about 99.9% of a C 2 -C 12 alkene other than 2-methyl-1-pentene, a C 4 -C 12 alkadiene, or a mixture thereof, or about 100 wt. % 2-methyl-1-pentene, based on the total weight of the polymer; and

(f) mixtures of (a), (b), (c), (d) and/or (e).

3. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the amorphous polymer is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a polymer comprising about 50.0% to about 98% by weight of isobutene and about 2% to about 50.0% of a C 2 -C 12 alkene other than isobutene, a C 4 -C 12 alkadiene, or a mixture thereof, based on the total weight of the polymer;

(b) a polymer comprising more than about 98% to about 100% by weight of isobutene, based on the total weight of the polymer; and

(c) mixtures thereof.

4. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises (c) a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of a wax, petrolatum and a mixture thereof.

5. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the water-absorbing filler comprises a clay mineral.

6. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the filler that binds water by a chemical reaction is a cement.

7. The composition according to claim 1 , having a water-absorption (g/m 2 ), w A (g/m 2 ), of about 600 g/m 2 or higher, wherein w A (g/m 2 ) is determined by:

(1) weighing a cup having a known depth in the range of 15 to 25 mm and a surface with a known diameter (round surface) or a known length and width (rectangular or square surface) in the range of 30 to 50 mm, to obtain mass A;

(2) filling the plastic cup completely with said composition, avoiding air entrapments, and smoothing the surface;

(3) weighing the filled cup to obtain mass B;

(4) placing the filled cup in a container of distilled water maintained at a temperature of 23±1° C., completely submerging the cup;

(5) placing the cup in a climate cabinet and maintaining the water temperature at 23±1° C. for 72 hours;

(6) taking the cup out of the container after 72 hours, drying its surfaces and weighing the dried cup to obtain mass C; and

(7) calculating the water-absorption (g/m 2 ), expressed in g/m 2 , as follows:

w

A

⁡

(

g

m

2

)

=

[

(

C

-

A

)

-

(

B

-

A

)

]

surface

⁢

⁢

of

⁢

⁢

cup

*

100

⁢

%

.

8. The composition according to claim 7 , wherein the water-absorbing filler comprises a clay mineral selected from the group consisting of a bentonite clay, a montmorillonite clay, a combination of two or more bentonite clays, a combination of two or more montmorillonite clays and a combination of one or more bentonite clay and one or more montmorillonite clay.

9. A tape comprising a layer of a corrosion protecting composition according to claim 1 .

10. An article, comprising:

(a) a layer of a corrosion protecting composition according to claim 1 , comprising:

(i) an amorphous polymer composition comprising an amorphous polymer having a glass transition temperature of −20° C. or less, and

(ii) a water-absorbing filler,

on a surface of the article, and

(b) a mechanical protective layer to protect the layer of the corrosion protecting composition.

11. A process for protecting against corrosion of an article, comprising:

(a) applying a layer of a corrosion protecting composition comprising:

(i) an amorphous polymer composition comprising an amorphous polymer having a glass transition temperature of −20° C. or less, and

(ii) a water-absorbing filler having a water-absorption of about 20 wt. % or higher, determined according to the procedure described in standard NEN-EN-ISO 10769:2011, wherein the water-absorbing filler comprises a filler that binds water by a chemical reaction, wherein the composition comprises 20 to 80 wt. % of the amorphous polymer composition, based on the total weight of the composition, and wherein the amorphous polymer has a number average molecular weight M n in the range of 1,000 to 150,000 g mol −1 ,

on a surface of the article, and

(b) application of a mechanical protective layer on top of the layer of said corrosion protecting composition,

wherein the article is in a wet environment wherein water is present on a surface of the article or part thereof, or the surface of the article is situated under water.

12. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the amorphous polymer has a number average molecular weight Mn in the range of 1,000 to 150,000 g/mol.

13. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the layer is applied in the form of a tape.

14. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the corrosion protecting composition further comprises (iii) a plasticizer selected from the group consisting of a wax, petrolatum and a mixture thereof.

15. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the filler that binds water by a chemical reaction is a cement.

16. A process according to claim 11 , wherein the amorphous polymer is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a polymer comprising about 50.0% to about 98% by weight of isobutene and about 2% to about 50.0% of a C 2 -C 12 alkene other than isobutene, a C 4 -C 12 alkadiene, or a mixture thereof, based on the total weight of the polymer;

(b) a polymer comprising more than about 98% to about 100% by weight of isobutene, based on the total weight of the polymer;

(c) a polymer comprising about 50.0% to about 99.9% by weight of propene and about 0.1% to about 50.0% of a C 2 -C 12 alkene other than propene, a C 4 -C 12 alkadiene, or a mixture thereof, or about 100 wt. % propene, based on the total weight of the polymer;

(d) a polymer comprising about 0.1% to about 50.0% by weight of ethene and about 50.0% to about 99.9% of a C 2 -C 12 alkene other than ethene, a C 4 -C 12 alkadiene, or a mixture thereof, based on the total weight of the polymer;

(e) a polymer comprising about 0.1% to about 50.0% by weight of 2-methyl-1-pentene and about 50.0% to about 99.9% of a C 2 -C 12 alkene other than 2-methyl-1-pentene, a C 4 -C 12 alkadiene, or a mixture thereof, or about 100 wt. % 2-methyl-1-pentene, based on the total weight of the polymer; and

(f) mixtures of (a), (b), (c), (d) and/or (e).

17. The process according claim 16 , wherein the amorphous polymer is selected from the group consisting of:

(a) a polymer comprising about 50.0% to about 98% by weight of isobutene and about 2% to about 50.0% of a C 2 -C 12 alkene other than isobutene, a C 4 -C 12 alkadiene, or a mixture thereof, based on the total weight of the polymer;

(b) a polymer comprising more than about 98% to about 100% by weight of isobutene, based on the total weight of the polymer; and

(c) mixtures thereof.

18. The process according to claim 11 , wherein the water-absorbing filler comprises a clay mineral.

19. The process according to claim 18 , wherein the water-absorbing filler comprises a clay mineral selected from the group consisting of a bentonite clay, a montmorillonite clay, a combination of two or more bentonite clays, a combination of two or more montmorillonite clays and a combination of one or more bentonite clay and one or more montmorillonite clay.