POLYCARBONATE COMPOSITION WHICH EXHIBITS A FLECKED APPEARANCE WHEN MOLDED
Disclosed are compositions comprising a) one or more polycarbonates; b) one or more first colorants; c) one or more flame retardants; and d) one or more particles having a melting point above the temperature at which polycarbonates are processed wherein the particles are coated with an organic polymer having a melting point above the processing temperature of the one or more polycarbonates; wherein the composition when molded exhibits a flecked appearance. The particles have a second colorant bound to the surface of the particles by the organic polymer. The organic polymer may be crosslinked. The one or more polycarbonates may comprise post-consumer recycled polycarbonates. Disclosed are molded products prepared from the disclosed compositions. The molded products exhibit good properties as disclosed herein. The molded products have a flecked appearance.
1 . A composition comprising:
a) one or more polycarbonates;
b) one or more first colorants;
c) one or more flame retardants; and
d) one or more particles having a melting point above the processing temperature at which polycarbonates are molded wherein the particles are coated with an organic polymer having a melting point above processing temperature of the one or more polycarbonates;
wherein the composition when molded exhibits a flecked appearance.
2 . The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the particles have a second colorant bound to the surface of the particles by the organic polymer.
3 . The composition according to claim 2 , wherein the organic polymer is crosslinked.
4 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles are metal, mineral, ceramic, polymeric, or glass.
5 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles have a particle size range in the range of from about 10 to about 700 microns.
6 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles comprise a synthetic or natural mineral.
7 . The composition of claim 5 wherein the particles comprise mica.
8 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the organic polymer comprises one or more polyepoxide, polyacrylate-siloxane, polyacrylate, polyepoxy-siloxane, polybenzoxazine, polysiloxane, polyurethane, urethane-acrylate, phenolic and alkyd polymers.
9 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles are present in the composition in an amount of about 0.01 to about 0.30 percent by weight based on the weight of the composition.
10 . The composition of claim 2 , wherein the first colorant and second colorant separately in each occurrence comprise a pigment or a dye and the color of the first colorant and second colorant contrast from one another.
12 . The composition of claim 5 , wherein the particles have a particle size range within the range of about 20 to about 500 microns.
13 . A molded article comprised of the composition of claim 1 and having a flecked appearance which exhibits a UL 94 Rating at 1.5 mm thickness of V-0 or at a 1.0 mm thickness of V-1.
14 . The composition of claim 12 , wherein the particles have a particle size range of about 100 microns to 300 microns.
15 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles comprise mica, graphite, silicate clay, magnesium hydroxide, laponite, zirconium hydrogen phosphate.
16 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particles are spherical, flakes and/or platelets.
17 . The composition of claim 1 further comprising an impact modifier.
18 . The composition of claim 17 , wherein the impact modifier is present in an amount from about 0.5 to 50 percent by weight of the composition.
19 . A composition comprising pellets formed from the composition of claim 1 .
20 . A method comprising melting of the pellets according to claim 19 and injecting the melted composition into a mold in molten form, cooling the composition to form a molded structure and removing the molded structure from the mold.