Scratch-resistant styrene copolymer composition containing modified organopolysiloxane compounds

1. A thermoplastic polymer composition (P) comprising:

(A) 88 to 99.9 wt.-% of at least one styrene-based copolymer, wherein the at least one styrene-based copolymer is selected from poly(a-methylstyrene-co-acrylonitrile) (AMSAN), poly(styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) (SMMA), and mixtures thereof;

(B) 0.1 to 5 wt.-% of at least one modified organopolysiloxane compound;

(C) 0 to 10 wt.-% of at least one colorant, dye or pigment; and

(D) 0 to 3 wt.-% of at least one further additive,

wherein the constituents (A) to (D) sum up to 100 wt.-% of the thermoplastic polymer composition (P),

wherein the at least one modified organopolysiloxane compound is a polyester-polysiloxane-block copolymer.

2. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition (P) comprises as constituent (A) 93 to 99.9 wt.-% of at least one styrene-based copolymer, wherein the at least one styrene-based copolymer is selected from poly(α-methylstyrene-co-acrylonitrile) (AMSAN), poly(styrene-co-methyl methacrylate) (SMMA), and mixtures thereof.

3. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition (P) comprises as constituent (B) 0.1 to 4 wt.-% of at least one modified organopolysiloxane compound.

4. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polymer composition (P) comprises as constituent (C) 0.1 to 6.9 wt.-% of at least one colorant, dye, or pigment.

5. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one modified organopolysiloxane compound has a weight average molecular weight Mw of 20,000 g/mol to 1,000,000 g/mol, determined by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) relative to polystyrene as standard.

6. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the at least one modified organopolysiloxane compound is a [polyester-b-polysiloxane-b-polyester] triblock copolymer or a [polysiloxane-b-polyester] brush copolymer.

7. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one modified organopolysiloxane compound is a [polyester-b-polysiloxane-b-polyester] triblock copolymer represented by the following formula (III):

wherein each

R 1 is independently selected from a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms;

R 2 is independently selected from a hydrogen atom and a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms;

R 3 is selected from a hydrogen atom and a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms;

m is an integer from 1 to 10; and

k and n are integers from 1 to 500.

8. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 6 , wherein the at least one modified organopolysiloxane compound is a [polysiloxane-b-polyester] brush copolymer comprising polysiloxane moieties derived from repeating units having the following formula (Ia) and from repeating units having the following formula (Ib):

wherein each

R 1 is independently selected from a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms;

R 4 represents a polyester moiety of the polyester modified organopolysiloxane compound (B) is derived from repeating units having the following formula (II):

wherein R 2 is independently selected from a hydrogen atom and a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; and

m is an integer from 1 to 10,

wherein each chain and side chain of the polymer is terminated by a hydrogen atom or a linear or branched, saturated or unsaturated hydrocarbon group having 1 to 10 carbon atoms; and wherein the repeating units of formula (Ib) are statistically distributed within the polysiloxane moieties and amount to 1 to 50 wt.-%, based on the entire weight of the polysiloxane moieties.

9. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 , wherein an article prepared from the thermoplastic polymer composition (P) requires a minimum normal load of at least 300 g in a scratch resistance test following ISO 1518-1 to achieve a full scratch mark on the surface of the article.

10. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the surface of the thermoplastic polymer composition (P) has a residual gloss of more than 15% after abrasion was effected according to norm PV3975 compared to the surface of the non-abraded thermoplastic polymer composition (P).

11. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the melt volume-flow rate (MVR, 220 ml/10 min according to ISO 1133) of the thermoplastic polymer composition (P) is increased by a factor of at least 1.2 compared to the melt volume-flow rate of a thermoplastic polymer composition which does not comprise the at least one modified organopolysiloxane compound (B).

12. The thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the Vicat softening temperature (VST B50, according to DIN EN ISO 306) of the thermoplastic polymer composition (P) is reduced by less than 5° C. compared to the Vicat softening temperature of a thermoplastic polymer composition which does not comprise the at least one modified organopolysiloxane compound (B).

13. A process for the preparation of the thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 , wherein the process comprises at least the following steps:

a) providing the components (A) to (D) in the predetermined amounts to an optionally heatable mixing device; and

b) blending the components (A) to (D) in the optionally heatable mixing device at temperatures above the glass transition temperature of the components (A) to (D) to obtain the thermoplastic polymer composition (P).

14. A molded article, prepared from the thermoplastic polymer composition (P) according to claim 1 .

15. The molded article according to claim 14 , wherein the molded article is a component of or article for electronic devices, household goods, and automotive parts.

16. The molded article according to claim 14 , where the molded article is a component of or article for A/B/C pillars of automobiles.