Polymer having a small average particle size
The present invention relates to a polymer comprising: (a) polymeric units derived from vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, styrene, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, or combinations thereof; and (b) polymeric units derived from one or more compounds according to formula I: wherein: R1 is CH 3 or H; R2 is a moiety comprising 1-20 carbon atoms; and n is an integer from 1-10; wherein the polymer has an average particle size of 10-80 μm expressed as D 50 determined in accordance with ISO 9276-2 (2014); and a porosity of ≤0.20 ml/g as determined as the quantity of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate in ml absorbed by 1 g of polymer upon subjecting the polymer at 23° C. to vacuum, submerging in di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate for 10 min, and subsequently centrifuging at 2000 rpm for 45 min. Such polymer may be used as viscosity reducing agent in PVC plastisol compositions.
1. A polymer comprising:
(a) polymeric units derived from vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, styrene, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, or combinations thereof; and
(b) polymeric units derived from one or more compounds according to formula I:
formula I
wherein:
R1 is CH 3 or H;
R2 is a moiety comprising 1-20 carbon atoms; and
n is an integer from 1-10;
wherein the polymer has
an average particle size of 10-80 μm expressed as D 50 determined in accordance with ISO 9276-2 (2014); and
a porosity of ≤0.20 ml/g as determined as the quantity of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate in ml absorbed by 1 g of polymer upon subjecting the polymer at 23° C. to vacuum, submerging in di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate for 10 min, and subsequently centrifuging at 2000 rpm for 45 min.
2. A polymer according to claim 1 , wherein R2 is a moiety comprising at least one hydroxyl moiety.
3. A polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer comprises ≥500 ppm of units (b), with regard to the total weight of the polymer.
4. A polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric units (a) are derived from vinyl chloride.
5. A polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric units (b) are derived from one or more compounds selected from glycerol (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl (meth)acrylate, tetritol mono(meth)acrylate, xylitol mono(meth)acrylate, sorbitol mono(meth)acrylate, polyethyleneglycol (meth)acrylate, polypropyleneglycol (meth)acrylate, or combinations thereof.
6. A polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the polymeric units (b) are derived from glycerol (meth)acrylate.
7. A polymer according to claim 1 , wherein the polymer is produced in a suspension polymerisation process.
8. A polymer according to claim 7 , wherein the suspension polymerisation process comprises reacting a reaction mixture comprising:
a quantity of a reaction medium;
a quantity of vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, styrene, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, or combinations thereof; and
a quantity of one or more compounds according to formula I:
formula I
wherein:
R1 is CH 3 or H;
R2 is a moiety comprising 1-20 carbon atoms; and
n is an integer from 1-10.
9. A polymer according to claim 7 , wherein the suspension polymerisation process comprises reacting a reaction mixture comprising:
a quantity of a reaction medium;
a quantity of vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, styrene, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, or combinations thereof; and
a quantity of one or more compounds selected from glycerol (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl (meth)acrylate, tetritol mono(meth)acrylate, xylitol mono(meth)acrylate, sorbitol mono(meth)acrylate, polyethyleneglycol (meth)acrylate, polypropyleneglycol (meth)acrylate, or combinations thereof.
10. A polymer according to claim 7 , wherein the suspension polymerisation process comprises reacting a reaction mixture comprising:
a quantity of a reaction medium;
a quantity of vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, styrene, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, or combinations thereof; and
a quantity of ≥500 ppm by weight, with regard to the weight of the quantity of vinyl chloride, vinyl acetate, styrene, methyl methacrylate, acrylonitrile, or combinations thereof, of a one or more compounds selected from glycerol (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl (meth)acrylate, tetritol mono(meth)acrylate, xylitol mono(meth)acrylate, sorbitol mono(meth)acrylate, polyethyleneglycol (meth)acrylate, polypropyleneglycol (meth)acrylate, or combinations thereof.
11. A polymer according to claim 7 , wherein the suspension polymerisation process comprises reacting a reaction mixture comprising:
a quantity of a reaction medium;
a quantity of vinyl chloride; and
a quantity of ≥500 ppm by weight, with regard to the weight of the quantity of vinyl chloride, of a glycerol (meth)acrylate.
12. A method of reducing a viscosity of a plastisol composition, comprising combining the polymer according to claim 1 with the plastisol compositions.
13. A plastisol composition comprising a polymer according to any claim 1 and a polyvinyl chloride polymer having an average particle size of 1-20 μm.
14. A plastisol composition comprising 10.0-30.0 wt % of the polymer according to claim 1 with regard to the total weight of the plastisol composition.
15. A plastisol composition according claim 14 further comprising a polyvinyl chloride polymer having an average particle size of 1-20 μm.
16. A plastisol composition according claim 14 , wherein the polymeric units (a) are derived from vinyl chloride, and the polymeric units (b) are derived from one or more compounds selected from glycerol (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxyethyl (meth)acrylate, 2-hydroxypropyl (meth)acrylate, tetritol mono(meth)acrylate, xylitol mono(meth)acrylate, sorbitol mono(meth)acrylate, polyethyleneglycol (meth)acrylate, polypropyleneglycol (meth)acrylate, or combinations thereof.
17. A polymer according to claim 16 , wherein the polymeric units (b) are derived from glycerol (meth)acrylate.