Ionomers and/or chain extended/branched copolymers of impact modified vinylidene aromatic monomer and unsaturated compounds

1. A composition comprising one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups, the copolymer having on average about 0.01 to about 15.0 percent by weight of nucleophilic groups pendant from the copolymer, wherein;

a) the copolymer is chain extended and or branched by one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds having electrophilic groups; or,

b) a portion of the chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more nucleophilic groups are crosslinked with other chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more nucleophilic groups by i) ionic bonding of anions formed from the pendant nucleophilic groups with a metal cation having a valence of 2 or greater or ii) complexation between pendant nucleophilic groups and metal oxides;

wherein the composition contains a rubber based impact modifier; and,

has a Mz+1 of about 600,000 to about 2,500,00 measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and a gel content of 30 or higher measured as described in the description.

2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein the composition exhibits a Brinkman Crosslink Index of from 0.6 to 0.8.

3. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the content of the rubber impact modifier is about 6 percent by weight or greater based on the weight of the copolymer and the impact modifier.

4. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the impact modifier has a volumetric mean particle size of about 2 to about 10 microns greater measured by an extensional viscosity measurement as described in the description.

5. A composition according to claim 1 , wherein the elongational viscosity after 3 seconds at 200° C. is 75,000 Pas or greater measured by an extensional viscosity measurement as described in the description.

6. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more one or more unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups, the copolymer having about 0.01 to about 15.0 percent by weight of the one or more unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups wherein the nucleophilic groups are pendant from the copolymer; wherein a portion of the chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated acids are crosslinked with other chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated acids by i) ionic bonding of anions formed from the pendant nucleophilic groups with the metal cation having a valence of 2 or greater or ii) complexation between the pendant nucleophilic groups and the metal oxides.

7. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups, the copolymer having on average about 0.02 to about 3.0 percent by weight of nucleophilic groups pendant from the copolymer, the copolymer being chain extended and or branched by one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds having electrophilic groups.

8. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups, the copolymer having on average about 0.01 to about 15.0 percent by weight of nucleophilic groups pendant from the copolymer, wherein

a) the copolymer being chain extended and or branched by one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds having electrophilic groups in an amount sufficient to react with about 0.02 to about 3.0 percent by weight of nucleophilic groups pendant from the copolymer; and,

b) a portion of the chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more nucleophilic groups are crosslinked with other chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more nucleophilic groups by i) ionic bonding of anions formed from the pendant nucleophilic groups with the metal cation having a valence of 2 or greater or ii) complexation between the pendant nucleophilic groups and the metal oxides.

9. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the nucleophilic groups are carboxylate, carboxylic acid, alcohol, phenol, amine, aniline, imidazole, tetrazole, thiol, boronic acid, glycol, hydrazine and hydroxyl amine groups and the electrophilic groups are one or more of epoxide, anhydride, imide, ester, acyl halide, acyl nitrile, aldehyde, ketone, isocyanate and isothiocyanate groups.

10. The composition according to claim 9 , wherein the nucleophilic groups are carboxylic acid groups and the electrophilic groups are one or more of epoxide groups.

11. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the crosslinks i) ionic bonding of anions formed from the pendant nucleophilic groups with the metal cation having a valence of 2 or greater or ii) complexation between the pendant nucleophilic groups and the metal oxides are reversible and the weight average molecular weight of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and the one or more unsaturated acids is substantially the same after the crosslinking is reversed as it is before crosslinking.

12. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the metal cation and the metal oxides are one or more of transition metals, post transition metals, metalloids or an alkaline earth metals.

13. The composition according to claim 1 , wherein the equivalents ratio of metal ions to equivalents of anions formed from pendant nucleophilic groups on the copolymer is from about 40:1 to about 1:40.

14. A structure comprising a sheet having a polymeric layer comprising a composition comprising one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups, the copolymer having on average about 0.01 to about 15.0 percent by weight of nucleophilic groups pendant from the copolymer, wherein;

a) the copolymer is chain extended and or branched by one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds having electrophilic groups; or,

b) a portion of the chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more nucleophilic groups are crosslinked with other chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more nucleophilic groups by i) ionic bonding of anions formed from the pendant nucleophilic groups with a metal cation having a valence of 2 or greater or ii) complexation between pendant nucleophilic groups and metal oxides;

wherein the composition contains a rubber based impact modifier; and,

has a Mz+1 of about 600,000 to about 2,500,00 measured by gel permeation chromatography (GPC) and a gel content of 30 or higher measured as described in the description.

15. A structure according to claim 14 wherein the sheet has more than one layer and one of the outer most layer comprises a composition according to any one of the preceding claims .

16. The composition according to claim 14 , wherein one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more one or more unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups, the copolymer having about 0.01 to about 15.0 percent by weight of the one or more unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups wherein the nucleophilic groups are pendant from the copolymer; wherein a portion of the chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated acids are crosslinked with other chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated acids by i) ionic bonding of anions formed from the pendant nucleophilic groups with a metal cation having a valence of 2 or greater or ii) complexation between pendant nucleophilic groups and metal oxides.

17. The composition according to claim 14 , wherein the one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups, the copolymer having on average about 0.02 to about 3.0 percent by weight of nucleophilic groups pendant from the copolymer, the copolymer being chain extended and or branched by one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds having electrophilic groups.

18. The composition according to claim 14 , wherein the one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds containing nucleophilic groups, the copolymer having on average about 0.01 to about 15.0 percent by weight of nucleophilic groups pendant from the copolymer, wherein

a) the copolymer being chain extended and or branched by one or more copolymers of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more unsaturated compounds having electrophilic groups in an amount sufficient to react with about 0.02 to about 3.0 percent by weight of nucleophilic groups pendant from the copolymer; and,

b) a portion of the chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more nucleophilic groups are crosslinked with other chains of the copolymer of one or more vinylidene aromatic monomers and one or more nucleophilic groups by i) ionic bonding of anions formed from the pendant nucleophilic groups with a metal cation having a valence of 2 or greater or ii) complexation between pendant acid groups and metal oxides.

19. The composition according to claim 14 , wherein the nucleophilic groups are carboxylate, carboxylic acid, alcohol, phenol, amine, aniline, imidazole, tetrazole, thiol, boronic acid, glycol, hydrazine and hydroxyl amine groups and the electrophilic groups are one or more of epoxide, anhydride, imide, ester, acyl halide, acyl nitrile, aldehyde, ketone, isocyanate and isothiocyanate groups.

20. The composition according to claim 19 , wherein the nucleophilic groups are carboxylic acid groups and the electrophilic groups are one or more of epoxide groups.