Vinylidene substituted aromatic monomer and cyclic (meth)acrylate ester polymers

1. A composition, comprising at least one or more impact modifiers and at least one copolymer comprising:

a) from about 20 to about 90 percent by weight of one or more vinylidene substituted aromatic compounds;

b) from about 10 to about 80 percent by weight of one or more polycyclic (meth)acrylate esters;

c) from about 0 to about 40 percent by weight of one or more unsaturated nitriles; and

d) from about 0 to 60 percent by weight of one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates;

wherein the weight percentage is based on the weight of the copolymer and the copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 120,000 g/mole or greater and a glass transition temperature of about 100° C. or greater wherein the molecular weight is determined by gel permeation chromatography using polystyrene standards and the glass transition temperature is determined using differential scanning calorimetry.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the copolymer contains from about 50 percent to about 90 percent by weight of one or more vinylidene substituted aromatic compounds and one or more polycyclic (meth)acrylate esters.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the copolymer contains from about 70 percent to about 90 percent by weight of one or more vinylidene substituted aromatic compounds and one or more polycyclic (meth)acrylate esters.

4. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the copolymer contains from about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent of one or more straight chain C 8 to C 16 alkyl acrylates based on the weight of the copolymers.

5. The composition according to claim 1 comprising from about 20 to about 95 percent by weight of the copolymer and from about 0.5 to about 50 percent by weight of the impact modifier based on the weight of the composition.

6. The composition according to claim 1 which comprises a continuous matrix of the copolymer containing one or more monovinylidene aromatic compounds and one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters and a dispersed phase comprising an impact modifier.

7. The composition according to claim 6 wherein the dispersed phase comprises particles of about 0.05 to about 6.0 microns.

8. The composition according to claim 6 wherein the dispersed phase comprises one or more diene rubbers, ethylene propylene rubbers, ethylene propylene diene (EPDM) rubbers, ethylene copolymer rubbers, acrylate rubbers, polyisoprene rubbers, silicon rubbers, silicon-acrylate rubbers, polyurethanes, thermoplastic elastomers, halogen containing rubbers, or mixtures thereof.

9. The composition according to claim 6 wherein the dispersed phase comprises one or more diene rubbers.

10. The composition according to claim 6 wherein the dispersed phase comprises polybutadiene, polyisoprene, polypiperylene, polychloroprene, or mixtures thereof.

11. The composition according to claim 6 wherein the dispersed phase comprises polybutadiene.

12. The composition according to claim 11 in the form of pellets.

13. The composition according to claim 1 wherein the ratio of the one or more vinylidene substituted aromatic compounds to the one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters is about 4:1 to about 1:4 and the composition exhibits a transparency of about 85 percent by weight or greater.

14. A method for preparing a composition according to claim 1 comprising:

a) contacting one or more monovinylidene aromatic compounds, one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters, optionally one or more unsaturated nitriles, and optionally one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates; optionally in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator under conditions such that a copolymer of the one or more monovinylidene aromatic compounds, the one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters, optionally one or more unsaturated nitriles, and optionally one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates is formed and optionally in an inert solvent or diluent;

b) removing unreacted starting materials and solvent or diluent; and

c) removing the formed copolymer,

wherein one or more impact modifiers are dispersed or dissolved into a mixture of the one or more vinylidene substituted aromatic compounds, one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters, optionally one or more unsaturated nitriles and optionally one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates before introduction of the mixture into a reactor; introducing the formed mixture into a reactor to produce a continuous matrix of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene substituted aromatic compounds, one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters, optionally one or more unsaturated nitriles, and optionally one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates and the dispersed phase comprising the impact modifier.

15. A method for preparing a composition according to claim 1 comprising:

a) contacting one or more monovinylidene aromatic compounds, one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters, optionally one or more unsaturated nitriles, and optionally one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates; optionally in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator under conditions such that a copolymer of the one or more monovinylidene aromatic compounds, the one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters, optionally one or more unsaturated nitriles, and optionally one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates is formed and optionally in an inert solvent or diluent;

b) removing unreacted starting materials and solvent or diluent; and

c) removing the formed copolymer,

wherein the recovered copolymer is are blended with one or more impact modifiers.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein the one or more vinylidene substituted aromatic compounds, the one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters, optionally one or more unsaturated nitriles and optionally one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates are contacted at a temperature of about 80° C. to about 200° C. for about 2 to about 10 hours using a mass polymerization process.

17. An article comprising the composition of claim 1 in the form of a molded or extruded object having a glass transition temperature of about 100° C. or greater and a transparency of 85 percent or greater.

18. A composition, comprising at least one copolymer comprising:

a) from about 20 to about 90 percent by weight of one or more vinylidene substituted aromatic compounds;

b) from about 10 to about 80 percent by weight of one or more polycyclic (meth)acrylate esters;

c) from about 5 percent to about 30 percent by weight of one or more unsaturated nitriles; and

d) from about 0 to 60 percent by weight of one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates;

wherein the weight percentage is based on the weight of the copolymer and the copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 120,000 g/mole or greater and a glass transition temperature of about 100° C. or greater wherein the molecular weight is determined by gel permeation chromatography using polystyrene standards and the glass transition temperature is determined using differential scanning calorimetry.

19. A method for preparing a composition according to claim 18 comprising:

a) contacting one or more monovinylidene aromatic compounds, one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters, optionally one or more unsaturated nitriles, and optionally one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates; optionally in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator under conditions such that a copolymer of the one or more monovinylidene aromatic compounds, the one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters, optionally one or more unsaturated nitriles, and optionally one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates is formed and optionally in an inert solvent or diluent;

b) removing unreacted starting materials and solvent or diluent; and

c) removing the formed copolymer.

20. The method of claim 19 wherein the one or more vinylidene substituted aromatic compounds, the one or more cyclic (meth)acrylate esters, optionally one or more unsaturated nitriles and optionally one or more alkyl (meth)acrylates are contacted at a temperature of about 80° C. to about 200° C. for about 2 to about 10 hours using a mass polymerization process.