# US 10,479,882 B2 · Rotational moldable composition comprising polyethylene, and a blend of a pigment and a polyethylene copolymer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 10,479,882 B2 - Document ID: US10479882B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 15/954,997 - Filed: 2018-04-17 - Published: 2019-03-14 - Granted: 2019-11-19 - Earliest claimed: 2017-09-14 - Assignees: Teknor Apex Company - Applicants: Teknor Apex Company - Inventors: John J. Wood, III; Charlie J. Allbritton; Troy F. Duckworth; Katherine A. Herrick - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US10479882B2 ## CPC - C08L 23/06: Polyethylene - B29C 41/003: {characterised by the choice of material} - B29C 41/04: Rotational or centrifugal casting, i.e. coating the inside of a mould by rotating the mould - B29K 2023/06: {PE, i.e. polyethylene} - B29K 2105/0032: {Pigments, colouring agents or opacifiyng agents} - B29K 2105/0085: {Copolymers} - B29K 2105/0088: {Blends of polymers} - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) - B29C: SHAPING OR JOINING OF PLASTICS; SHAPING OF MATERIAL IN A PLASTIC STATE, NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR; AFTER-TREATMENT OF THE SHAPED PRODUCTS, e.g. REPAIRING (making preforms B29B11/00; making laminated products by combining previously unconnected layers which become one product whose layers will remain together B32B37/00 - B32B41/00) - B29K: INDEXING SCHEME ASSOCIATED WITH SUBCLASSES B29B, B29C OR B29D, RELATING TO MOULDING MATERIALS OR TO MATERIALS FOR {MOULDS, } REINFORCEMENTS, FILLERS OR PREFORMED PARTS, e.g. INSERTS ## Abstract A preblend of one or more pigments and one or more polymers derived from ethylene monomers and α-olefin monomers when added to polyethylene unexpectedly results in high improvements in impact strength with regard to rotationally molded products as compared to the same products not blended with any preblend. The result is a cost effective, high impact resistant polyethylene that is a physical, dry color blend. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A physical, dry color composition, comprising: a mixture of a preblend of a pigment-polyethylene copolymer, and polyethylene; said pigment-copolymer preblend derived from about 0.06 to about 0.90 parts by weight of one or more pigments and about 1 part by weight of one or more polyethylene-α-olefin copolymers, said amounts based upon about 100 parts by weight of said polyethylene. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The physical, dry color composition of claim 1, wherein said polyethylene copolymer is derived from ethylene monomers and C4-C10 α-olefin monomers, and wherein the amount of said pigment in said pigment-polyethylene copolymer blend is from about 0.20 to about 0.80 parts by weight. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) The physical, dry color composition of claim 2, wherein said polyethylene copolymer is derived from ethylene monomers and 1-octene monomers, and wherein the amount of said pigment in said pigment-polyethylene copolymer blend is from about 0.40 to about 0.75 parts by weight. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The physical, dry color composition of claim 1, wherein the particle size of said polyethylene copolymer is from about 100 to about 1,000 microns, and wherein the particle size of said polyethylene is from about 74 to about 2,000 microns. ### Claim 5 (depends on 3) The physical, dry color composition of claim 3, wherein the particle size of said polyethylene copolymer is from about 200 to about 500 microns, and wherein the particle size of said polyethylene is from about 74 to about 2,000 microns. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The physical, dry color composition of claim 1, wherein said polyethylene is LLDPE, LDPE, or HDPE. ### Claim 7 (depends on 2) The physical, dry color composition of claim 2, wherein said polyethylene is LLDPE, LDPE, or HDPE. ### Claim 8 (depends on 3) The physical, dry color composition of claim 3, wherein said polyethylene is LLDPE, LDPE, or HDPE. ### Claim 9 (depends on 4) The physical, dry color composition of claim 4, wherein said polyethylene is LLDPE, LDPE, or HDPE. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) A process for making a physical, dry color polymer blend of claim 1, comprising the steps of: making a preblend comprising a mixture of one or pigments and one or more polyethylene copolymers; and subsequently mixing said preblend with about 100 parts by weight of a polyethylene. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said polyethylene copolymer is derived from ethylene monomers and an α-olefin having from about 4 to about 10 carbon atoms. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The method of claim 11, wherein said α-olefin is 1-octene. ### Claim 13 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said polyethylene is high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, or linear low density polyethylene, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 14 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said physical, dry color, polymer blend has improved impact strength as compared to a blend not containing any polyethylene copolymer therein, and wherein the amount of said pigment in said preblend is from about 0.06 to about 0.9 parts by weight per one part by weight of said polyethylene copolymer. ### Claim 15 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said physical, dry color, polymer blend has improved impact strength as compared to a blend not containing any polyethylene copolymer therein, and wherein the amount of said pigment in said preblend is from about 0.2 to about 0.80 parts by weight per one part by weight of said polyethylene copolymer. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein said physical, dry color, polymer blend has improved impact strength as compared to a blend not containing any polyethylene copolymer therein, and wherein the amount of said pigment in said preblend is from about 0.4 to about 0.75 parts by weight per one part by weight of said polyethylene copolymer. ### Claim 17 (depends on 14) The method of claim 14, wherein the amount of said pigment-polyethylene copolymer preblend is from about 1.06 to about 1.90 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said polyethylene. ### Claim 18 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein the amount of said pigment-polyethylene copolymer preblend is from about 1.2 to about 1.80 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said polyethylene. ### Claim 19 (depends on 16) The method of claim 16, wherein the amount of said pigment-polyethylene copolymer preblend is from about 1.4 to about 1.75 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said polyethylene. ### Claim 20 (depends on 10) The method of claim 10, wherein said polyethylene is high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, or linear low density polyethylene, or any combination thereof. ### Claim 21 (depends on 15) The method of claim 15, wherein said polyethylene is high density polyethylene, low density polyethylene, or linear low density polyethylene, or any combination thereof.