Impact-modified polyamide compositions
View Patent ↗Described herein are polyamide compositions and processes for producing polyamide compositions, comprising: (i) a polyamide, (ii) an olefin-maleic anhydride copolymer (on its own or in a master batch form), and (iii) an impact modifier (or an elastomeric polymer with an optional compatibilizer), which exhibit enhanced ambient and low temperature impact strength complimented by excellent thermal, tensile and flexural properties.
1. A polyamide composition produced by a process comprising the step of compounding a mixture comprising
a polyamide,
a 1:1 alternating olefin-maleic anhydride copolymer, wherein the olefin is selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, isobutylene, 1-butene, 1-octene, butadiene, isoprene, 1-hexene, 1-dodecene, dodecene-1, and 1-tetradecene, and
an impact modifier selected from the group consisting of a grafted-maleic anhydride elastomer and a grafted-maleic anhydride terpolymer.
2. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyamide is selected from the group consisting of nylon-6, nylon 6-6, a copolymer of nylon-6and nylon 6-6, nylon-9, nylon-10, nylon-11, nylon-12, nylon 6-10, aromatic polyamides, elastomeric polyamides, and mixtures thereof.
3. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyamide is selected from the group consisting of nylon-6, nylon 6-6, a copolymer of nylon-6and nylon 6 6, and mixtures thereof.
4. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyamide is recycled polyamide.
5. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , wherein the olefin is ethylene.
6. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , wherein the olefin-maleic anhydride copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 1000 to about 900,000.
7. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , wherein the olefin-maleic anhydride copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 60,000 to about 400,000.
8. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more stabilizing agents.
9. The polyamide composition of claim 8 , wherein each of the one or more stabilizing agents is independently selected from the group consisting of cuprous iodide, potassium iodide, tris-(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite, and N,N′-hexane-1,6-diylbis(3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenylpropionamide)).
10. The polyamide composition of claim 8 , wherein each of the one or more stabilizing agents independently has a concentration of about 0.01 to about 1.0% w/w of the polyamide composition.
11. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , further comprising a compatibilizer selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid modified polypropylene homopolymer, maleic anhydride modified polypropylene homopolymer, ethylene acrylic acid copolymer, and ethylene-octene copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride.
12. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , wherein the impact modifier is a grafted-maleic anhydride elastomer or a grafted-maleic anhydride terpolymer having a maleic anhydride content of from about 0.5% to about 5%.
13. The polyamide composition of claim 12 , wherein the impact modifier is a grafted-maleic anhydride elastomer or terpolymer having a maleic anhydride content in the range of 0.8 to 2%.
14. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additives selected from the group consisting of a UV stabilizer, a halogenated or non-halogenated flame retardant additive, a reinforcement material, a heat stabilizer, a light stabilizer, a polymerization regulator, a plasticizer, a lubricant, a rheology modifier, a friction modifier, an anti-blocking agent, an antioxidant, an antistatic agent, a UV absorber, a pigment, and a dye.
15. The polyamide composition of claim 14 , wherein the reinforcement is a mineral, a glass fiber, a glass fabric, a glass roving filament, a glass tube, a glass yarn, carbon, graphite, or cellulose.
16. The polyamide composition of claim 1 , wherein the impact modifier is selected from the group consisting of a rubber copolymer produced in a reactor from ethylene and propylene (EPR) grafted with maleic anhydride, a rubber terpolymer of ethylene, propylene and diene-modifier (EPDM) grafted with maleic anhydride, and an ethylene alpha-olefin copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride.
17. An article comprising a polyamide composition according to claim 1 .
18. A polyamide composition produced by a process comprising the steps of:
(a) preparing a master batch composition comprising an impact modifier selected from the group consisting of a grafted-maleic anhydride elastomer and a grafted-maleic anhydride terpolymer and a 1:1 alternating olefin-maleic anhydride copolymer, wherein the olefin is selected from the group consisting of ethylene, propylene, isobutylene, 1-butene, 1-octene, butadiene, isoprene, 1-hexene, 1-dodecene, dodecene-1, and 1-tetradecene; and
(b) compounding a polyamide with the master batch composition.
19. The polyamide composition of claim 18 , wherein the impact modifier is a grafted-maleic anhydride elastomer or a grafted-maleic anhydride terpolymer having a maleic anhydride content of from about 0.5% to about 5%.
20. The polyamide composition of claim 18 , wherein the impact modifier is a grafted-maleic anhydride elastomer or terpolymer having a maleic anhydride content in the range of 0.8 to 2%.
21. The polyamide composition of claim 18 , wherein the impact modifier is selected from the group consisting of a rubber copolymer produced in a reactor from ethylene and propylene (EPR) grafted with maleic anhydride, a rubber terpolymer of ethylene, propylene and diene-modifier (EPDM) grafted with maleic anhydride, and an ethylene-alpha-olefin copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride.
22. The polyamide composition of claim 18 , wherein the master batch further comprises one or more stabilizing agents.
23. The polyamide composition of claim 22 , wherein the one or more stabilizing agents is selected from the group consisting of cuprous iodide, potassium iodide, tris-(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)phosphite, and N,N′-hexane- 1,6-diylbis(3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenylpropionamide)).
24. The polyamide composition of claim 18 , wherein the master batch further comprises one or more compatibilizers selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid modified polypropylene homopolymer, maleic anhydride modified polypropylene homopolymer, ethylene acrylic acid copolymer, and ethylene-octene copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride.
25. The polyamide composition of claim 18 , wherein the master batch further comprises one or more stabilizing agents and one or more compatibilizers selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid modified polypropylene homopolymer, maleic anhydride modified polypropylene homopolymer, ethylene acrylic acid copolymer, and ethylene-octene copolymer grafted with maleic anhydride.