COPOLYETHERESTER FORMULATION WITH IMPROVED HEAT-STABILITY

1 . A copolyetherester resin composition comprising:

(A) at least one copolyetherester;

(B) at least one phenolic antioxidant;

(C) at least one thioester antioxidant;

(D) at least one phosphite and/or phosphonite antioxidant; and

(E) at least one epoxy compound, or a reaction product of the at least one epoxy compound.

2 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one copolyetherester is selected from copolyetheresters prepared from monomers comprising (1) poly(tetramethylene oxide) glycol or poly(trimethylene oxide) glycol, poly(propylene oxide) glycol and mixtures of two or more of these; (2) a dicarboxylic acid selected from the group consisting of isophthalic acid, terephthalic acid and mixtures of these; and (3) a diol selected from the group consisting of 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-propanediol and mixtures of these; or wherein the at least one copolyetherester is selected from copolyetheresters prepared from monomers comprising (1) poly(tetramethylene oxide) glycol; (2) terephthalic acid; and (3) a diol selected from the group consisting of 1,4-butanediol, 1,3-propanediol and mixtures of these.

3 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one phenolic antioxidant is selected from 1,3,5-Tris(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)-s-triazine-2,4,6(1H,3H,5H)-trione (AO-20), 1,1,3-Tris(2-methyl-4-hydroxy-5-tert-butylphenyl) butane (AO-30), 4,4′-butylidene-bis(6-tert-butyl-m-cresol) (AO-40), octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate (AO-50), benzenepropanoic acid, 3-(1,1-dimethylethyl)-4-hydroxy-5-methyl-(AO-80), 1,3,5-Trimethyl-2,4,6-tris(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)benzene (AO-330), pentaerythritol tetrakis (3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate (EVERNOX-10), octadecyl 3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)propionate (EVERNOX-76), octyl-3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxy-hydrocinnamate (EVERNOX-1135), 1,2-Bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyhydrocinnamoyl)hydrazine (EVERNOX MD-1024), 3,3′-Bis(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-N,N′-hexamethylenedipropionamide (EVERNOX-1098), N,N′-propane-1,3-diylbis[3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionamide], and mixtures of two or more of these; and preferably wherein the at least one phenolic antioxidant is selected from N,N′-propane-1,3-diylbis[3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionamide], N,N′-Hexane-1,6-diylbis[3-(3,5-di-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionamide], and mixtures of these.

4 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 3 , wherein the at least one phenolic antioxidant is a 1:1 mixture of N,N′-propane-1,3-diylbis[3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionamide] and N,N′-Hexane-1,6 diylbis[3-(3,5-di-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionamide].

5 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one thioester antioxidant is selected from dilauryl thiodipropionate, Thiodiethylene bis[3-[3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl]propionate], 3,3′-Thiodipropionic acid dioctadecylester, 4,4′-Thiobis(2-tert-butyl-5-methylphenol) bis(3-(dodecylthio)propionate), neopentanetetrayl 3-(dodecylthio)propionate, di(tridecyl) thiodipropionate, and mixtures of two or more of these; and preferably wherein the at least one thioester antioxidant is selected from dilauryl thiodipropionate, Thiodiethylene bis[3-[3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl]propionate], and mixtures of these.

6 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 5 , wherein the at least one thioester antioxidant is dilauryl thiodipropionate.

7 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one phosphite and/or phosphonite antioxidant is selected from diphosphites, sterically hindered aryl phosphites, Hindered Amine Stabilizer phosphites, pentaerythritol diphosphites, and mixtures of two or more of these.

8 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 7 , wherein the at least one phosphite and/or phosphonite antioxidant is selected from tris(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl) phosphite, 1,3,7,9-tetratert-butyl-11-(2-ethylhexoxy)-5h-benzo[d][1,3,2]benzodioxaphosphocine, 3,9-Bis(octadecyloxy)-2,4,8,10-tetraoxa-3,9-diphosphaspiro[5.5]undecane, Bis(2,4-dicumylphenyl) pentaerythritol diphosphite, Tris(nonylphenyl) phosphite, Isodecyl diphenyl phosphite, 4,4′-Isopropylidenediphenol C12-15 alcohol phosphite, triisodecyl phosphite, 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphite, triphenyl phosphite, diisodecyl phenyl phosphite, Bis(2,6-di-ter-butyl-4-methylphenyl)pentaerythritol-di-phosphite (ADK STAB PEP-36), Bis(2,4-di-t-butylphenyl)Pentaerythritol diphosphite (Ultranox 626), 2,2′2″-nitrilo[triethyl-tris[3,3′,5,5′-tetra-tert-butyl-1,1′-biphenyl-2,2′-diyl]] phosphite, tetrakis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)[1,1-biphenyl]-4,4′diylbisphosphonite, and mixtures of two or more of these; and preferably wherein the at least one phosphite and/or phosphonite antioxidant is selected from bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)pentaerythritol diphosphite, bis(2,6-di-ter-butyl-4-methylphenyl)pentaerythritol-di-phosphite, bis (2,4-dicumylphenyl) pentaerythritol diphosphite, tetrakis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)[1,1-biphenyl]-4,4′diylbisphosphonite and mixtures of two or more of these.

9 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one epoxy compound is selected from those having two or more epoxy groups per molecule, and mixtures of two or more of these.

10 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 9 , wherein the at least one epoxy compound is selected from poly(bisphenol A-co epichlorohydrin) glycidyl end-capped, poly(bisphenol F-co epichlorohydrin) glycidyl end-capped, tetraglycidyl ethers of tetraphenol ethane, polypropyleneglycol diglycidyl ether copolymers of ethylene/n-butyl acrylate/glycidyl methacrylate, copolymers of ethylene/n-methyl acrylate/glycidyl methacrylate, resorcinol diglycidyl ether, and mixtures of two or more of these; and preferably wherein the at least one epoxy compound is poly(bisphenol A-co epichlorohydrin) glycidyl end-capped.

11 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 1 , further comprising at least one arylamine antioxidant, and preferably wherein the arylamine antioxidant is 4,4′-Bis(alpha, alpha-dimethylbenzyl)diphenylamine.

12 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the copolyetherester is present in an amount of 50 to 98 wt %; or wherein the at least one phenolic antioxidant is present in an amount of 0.1 to 0.6 wt %; or wherein the at least one thioester antioxidant is present at from 0.1 to 2.0 wt %; or wherein the at least one phosphite and/or phosphonite antioxidant is present at an amount of 0.05 to 2.0 wt %; or wherein the at least one epoxy compound is present in an amount such that the epoxide groups are present in the composition at 0.01 to 2.0 wt %; or wherein the arylamine antioxidant is present at an amount of 0.4 to 1.6 wt %, based on the total weight of the copolyetherester resin composition.

13 . A copolyetherester resin composition comprising:

(A) at least one copolyetherester;

(B) phenolic antioxidants being a 1:1 mixture of N,N′-propane-1,3-diylbis[3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionamide], N,N′-Hexane-1,6 diylbis[3-(3,5-di-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionamide];

(C) thioester antioxidant dilauryl thiodipropionate;

(D) phosphite antioxidant selected from bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)pentaerythritol diphosphite, bis(2,4-dicumylphenyl) pentaerythritol diphosphite, and mixtures of these; and

(E) epoxy compound selected from poly(bisphenol A-co epichlorohydrin) glycidyl end-capped, poly(bisphenol F-co epichlorohydrin) glycidyl end-capped, tetraglycidyl ethers of tetraphenol ethane, Polypropylenglycol diglycidyl ether, and mixtures of two or more of these; or a reaction product of the epoxy compound.

14 . A copolyetherester resin composition comprising:

(A) at least one copolyetherester;

(B) phenolic antioxidants selected from N,N′-propane-1,3-diylbis[3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionamide], N,N′-Hexane-1,6 diylbis[3-(3,5-di-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl) propionamide], and mixtures of these;

(C) thioester antioxidant dilauryl thiodipropionate;

(D) phosphite antioxidant bis(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)pentaerythritol diphosphite; and

(E) epoxy compound poly(bisphenol A-co epichlorohydrin) glycidyl end-capped; or a reaction product of the epoxy compound.

15 . The copolyetherester resin composition of claim 1 , having a time to retention of 50% strain at break measured according to ISO527-2 using test pieces according to ISO527-2/5a of at least 720 hours.

16 . A part made from the copolyetherester resin composition of claim 1 .

17 . The part of claim 16 , which is a fluid duct.

18 . The part of claim 16 , which is an automotive fluid duct or an automotive gas duct.