High performance lignin-acrylonitrile polymer blend materials
A polymer blend material comprising: (i) a lignin component having a weight-average molecular weight of up to 1,000,000 g/mol; and (ii) an acrylonitrile-containing copolymer rubber component comprising acrylonitrile units in combination with diene monomer units, and having an acrylonitrile content of at least 20 mol %; wherein said lignin component is present in an amount of at least 5 wt % and up to about 95 wt % by total weight of components (i) and (ii); and said polymer blend material possesses a tensile yield stress of at least 5 MPa, or a tensile stress of at least 5 MPa at 10% elongation, or a tensile stress of at least 5 MPa at 100% elongation. Methods for producing the polymer blend, molded forms thereof, and articles thereof, are also described.
1. A polymer blend material comprising:
(i) a lignin component having a weight-average molecular weight of up to 1,000,000 g/mol; and
(ii) an acrylonitrile-containing copolymer rubber component comprising acrylonitrile units in combination with diene monomer units, and having an acrylonitrile content of at least 20 mol %;
wherein said lignin component is present in an amount of at least 5 wt % and up to about 95 wt % by total weight of components (i) and (ii);
wherein said polymer blend material excludes a modifying agent selected from carbon particles, ether-containing polymers, and Lewis acid compounds; and
said polymer blend material possesses either a tensile yield stress of at least 5 MPa, or a tensile stress of at least 5 MPa at 10% elongation, or a tensile stress of at least 5 MPa at 100% elongation.
2. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said acrylonitrile content is at least 30 mol %.
3. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said acrylonitrile content is at least 35 mol %.
4. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said acrylonitrile content is at least 40 mol %.
5. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said lignin is a softwood lignin, a hardwood lignin, or a grass-derived lignin.
6. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said lignin has a weight-average molecular weight of up to 10,000 g/mol.
7. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said lignin component is present in an amount of at least 20 wt % and up to about 60 wt % by total weight of components (i) and (ii).
8. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said lignin component is present in an amount of at least 30 wt % and up to about 50 wt % by total weight of components (i) and (ii).
9. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said lignin component is dispersed in said acrylonitrile-containing copolymer rubber component in the form of domains having a size of up to about 2000 nm.
10. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said lignin component is dispersed in said acrylonitrile-containing copolymer rubber component in the form of domains having a size of up to about 1000 nm.
11. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said lignin component is dispersed in said acrylonitrile-containing copolymer rubber component in the form of domains having a size of up to about 100 nm.
12. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said polymer blend material possesses a tensile yield stress of at least 10 MPa.
13. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said polymer blend material possesses a tensile stress of at least 10 MPa at 10% elongation.
14. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said polymer blend material possesses an ultimate elongation of at least 50%.
15. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said polymer blend material possesses an ultimate elongation of at least 100%.
16. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said polymer blend material possesses a tensile stress of at least 10 MPa at 100% elongation.
17. The polymer blend material of claim 1 , wherein said polymer blend material exhibits strain hardening during stretching beyond yield strain to ultimate failure.
18. A method for producing a polymer blend material, the method comprising homogeneously blending a mixture comprising:
(i) a lignin component having a weight-average molecular weight of up to 1,000,000 g/mol; and
(ii) an acrylonitrile-containing copolymer rubber component comprising acrylonitrile units in combination with diene monomer units, and having an acrylonitrile content of at least 20 mol %;
wherein said blending is conducted at a temperature of at least 100° C. and up to 200° C., at a shear rate of about 10 to 1000 s −1 , and for a time of about 5 to 45 minutes;
wherein said lignin component is present in an amount of at least 5 wt % and up to about 95 wt % by total weight of components (i) and (ii);
wherein said mixture and resulting polymer blend material exclude a modifying agent selected from carbon particles, silicon-containing particles, ether-containing polymers, and Lewis acid compounds; and
said polymer blend material possesses either a tensile yield stress of at least 5 MPa, or a tensile stress of at least 5 MPa at 10% elongation, or a tensile stress of at least 5 MPa at 100% elongation.
19. The method of claim 18 , wherein said temperature is at least 130° C. and up to 170° C.
20. The method of claim 18 , wherein said acrylonitrile content is at least 30 mol %.
21. The method of claim 18 , wherein said acrylonitrile content is at least 35 mol %.
22. The method of claim 18 , wherein said acrylonitrile content is at least 40 mol %.
23. The method of claim 18 , wherein said lignin is a softwood lignin, a hardwood lignin, or a grass-derived lignin.
24. The method of claim 18 , wherein said lignin has a weight-average molecular weight of up to 10,000 g/mol.
25. The method of claim 18 , wherein said lignin component is present in an amount of at least 20 wt % and up to about 60 wt % by total weight of components (i) and (ii).
26. The method of claim 18 , wherein said lignin component is present in an amount of at least 30 wt % and up to about 50 wt % by total weight of components (i) and (ii).
27. The method of claim 18 , wherein said polymer blend material contains said lignin component dispersed in said acrylonitrile-containing copolymer rubber component in the form of domains having a size of up to about 2000 nm.
28. The method of claim 18 , wherein said polymer blend material contains said lignin component dispersed in said acrylonitrile-containing copolymer rubber component in the form of domains having a size of up to about 1000 nm.
29. The method of claim 18 , wherein said polymer blend material contains said lignin component dispersed in said acrylonitrile-containing copolymer rubber component in the form of domains having a size of up to about 100 nm.
30. The method of claim 18 , wherein said polymer blend material possesses a tensile yield stress of at least 10 MPa.
31. The method of claim 18 , wherein said polymer blend material possesses a tensile stress of at least 10 MPa at 10% elongation.
32. The method of claim 18 , wherein said polymer blend material possesses an ultimate elongation of at least 50%.
33. The method of claim 18 , wherein said polymer blend material exhibits strain hardening during stretching beyond yield strain to ultimate failure.
34. The method of claim 18 , wherein said mixture further includes a radical crosslinking agent.
35. The method of claim 18 , further comprising subjecting the blended mixture of components (i) and (ii) to a shape-forming process to form a solid shaped article of said polymer blended material.
36. A plate or sheet comprising the polymer blend material of claim 1 .
37. An article comprising the polymer blend material of claim 1 .
38. The article of claim 37 , wherein the article is a plate or sheet.