Resin composition for powder coatings

1. A resin composition comprising a blend of:

10 to 90% by weight of at least one fluoropolymer resin and

90 to 10% by weight of at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin having a hydroxyl value of from 15 to 70 mg KOH/g and an acid value lower than 10 mg KOH/g,

based on the total weight of the at least one fluoropolymer resin and at least one

semi-crystalline polyester resin; and

wherein the at least one fluoropolymer resin is a polyvinylidene fluoride homopolymer or a polyvinylidene fluoride copolymer comprising vinylidene fluoride units and units from one or more other monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl fluoride, trifluoroethylene; chlorotrifluoroethylene, 1,2-difluoroethylene, tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, perfluoro(methyl viny) ether, perfluoro(ethyl viny) ether, perfluoro(propyl vinyl)ether, perfluoro(1,3-dioxole), perfluoro(2,2-dimethyl-1,3-dioxole), CF 2 ═CFOCF 2 CF(CF 3 )OCF 2 CF 2 X in which X is SO 2 F, CO 2 H, CH 2 OH, CH 2 OCN or CH 2 OPO 3 H; CF 2 ═CFOCF 2 CF 2 SO 2 F, F(CF 2 ) n CH 2 OCF═CF 2 in which n is 1, 2, 3, 4 or 5, R′CH 2 OCF═CF 2 in which R′ is hydrogen or F(CF 2 ) z and z is 1, 2, 3 or 4, R″OCF═CH 2 in which R″ is F(CF 2 ) z and z is 1, 2, 3 or 4, perfluorobutylethylene, 3,3,3-trifluoropropene, and 2-trifluoromethyl-3,3,3-trifluoro-1-propene.

2. The resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one semi-crystalline polyester comprises units derived from:

at least a poly-carboxylic acid chosen among a linear aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and/or a cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid, and

at least a polyol chosen among a linear aliphatic diol and/or a cycloaliphatic diol.

3. The resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the melting temperature of the at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin is from 75° to 150° C.

4. The resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the glass transition temperature of the at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin is lower than 55° C., as determined by DSC at a heating rate of 10° C./min and/or wherein the at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin has a heat of fusion of from 20 to 100 J/g, as determined by DSC at a heating rate of 10° C./min.

5. The resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin comprises a hydroxyl value of from 20 to 40 mg KOH/g and an acid value lower than 5 mg KOH/g.

6. The resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the number average molecular weight Mn of the at least one semi-crystalline polyester is from 1500 to 15000 and/or wherein the at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin has a melt viscosity of from 0.005 to 10 Pa·s at 165° C. and at a shear rate of 30 s −1 .

7. The resin composition of claim 1 , comprising from 60 to 90% by weight of said at least one fluoropolymer resin and from 10 to 40% by weight of said at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin, based on the total weight of the at least one fluoropolymer resin and at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin.

8. The resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluoropolymer resin comprises polyvinylidene fluoride homopolymers or poly(vinylidene fluoride-hexafluoropropylene) copolymers.

9. The resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one fluoropolymer resin has a melting temperature higher than that of the at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin.

10. The resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the resin composition comprises a form selected from the group consisting of flakes, pellets, and powder.

11. A method for producing the resin composition of claim 1 , comprising:

blending in a blender, the at least one fluoropolymer resin with the at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin, at a temperature higher than the melting point of the at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin, the at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin being in the molten state, to form a blend.

12. The method of claim 11 , wherein the at least one fluoropolymer resin remains in the solid state without melting during the step of blending.

13. A powder coating composition, comprising at least one resin composition as defined according to claim 10 and further comprising a crosslinking agent.

14. A powder coating obtained by applying and curing the powder coating composition of claim 13 .

15. The resin composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one semi-crystalline polyester resin has a linear aliphatic or/and cycloaliphatic structure.

16. The resin composition of claim 2 , wherein the poly-carboxylic acid is a linear aliphatic C 4 -C 8 dicarboxylic acid and/or a cycloaliphatic dicarboxylic acid.

17. The resin composition of claim 2 , wherein the polyol is chosen among a linear aliphatic C 2 -C 8 diol and/or a cycloaliphatic diol.

18. The resin composition of claim 2 , wherein the poly-carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of adipic acid, succinic acid, 1,5-pentanedioic acid, 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid and a combination thereof.

19. The resin composition of claim 2 , wherein the polyol is selected from the group consisting of 1,6-hexanediol, 1,4-butanediol, 1,4-cyclohexanedimethanol and a combination thereof.

20. The resin composition of claim 10 , in the form of a powder having a particle volume median diameter Dv50 of from 10 to 250 μm, as determined by laser granulometry.