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US 2003/0195295 A1Published application
Miscible blends of polyesters and polycarbonates with good thermal characteristics, and related processes and articles
AssigneeGeneral Electric Company
InventorsJames Alan Mahood, Zhaohui Su, Paul Honigfort
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Thermoplastic compositions are described, containing a cycloaliphatic polyester resin, along with selected polycarbonates or copolycarbonates. The polycarbonates are usually based on dihydroxydiphenyl cyclohexanes, or on bisphenols prepared from cyclic monoterpene precursors. The compositions may be transparent or translucent. Moreover, they may include a rubbery impact modifier. Related processes and articles are also described.
Claims41
A thermoplastic composition, comprising:
- a) from about 1 part by weight to about 99 parts by weight of a cycloaliphatic polyester resin;
- and
- b) from about 99 parts by weight to about 1 part by weight of a polycarbonate or copolycarbonate comprising
- (i) at least one of the structural units
- 10
- wherein each A1 is independently a divalent substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group;
- or
- 11
- wherein each R1 and R2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, C1-C8 alkyl, C5-C6 cycloalkyl, C5-C10 aryl, and C7-C12 aralkyl;
- m is an integer of from about 4 to about 7;
- R3 and R4 are individually selectable for each X, and independently represent hydrogen or C1-C6 alky;
- and
- X represents carbon, with the proviso that, for at least one atom X, both R3 and R4 are alkyl.
10 more elements
A transparent or translucent composition, comprising
- (I) poly(1,4-cyclohexane-dimethanol-1,4-dicarboxylate);
- (II) a copolycarbonate derived from a combination of
- (a) at least one of
- (i) 4-[1-[3-(4-hydroxyphenyl)-4-methylcyclohexyl]-1-methylethyl]-phenol (BPT-1);
- (ii) 4,4′-[1-methyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-1,3-cyclohexandiyl] bisphenol (BPT-2);
- and
- (iii) a dihydroxydiphenyl cycloalkane corresponding to the formula
- 17
- wherein each R1 and R2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, C1-C8 alkyl, C5-C6 cycloalkyl, C5-C10 aryl, and C7-C12 aralkyl;
- m is an integer of from about 4 to about 7;
- R3 and R4 are individually selectable for each X, and independently represent hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl;
- and X represents carbon, with the proviso that, for at least one atom X, both R3 and R4 are alkyl;
- and
- (b) at least one of the structural units of the formulae
- 18
- wherein A2 is a divalent substituted or unsubstituted aliphatic, alicyclic or aromatic radical;
- and A3 and A4 are each independently a monocyclic divalent aromatic radical, and Y is a bridging radical;
- and
- (III) a rubbery impact modifier;
- wherein the ratio of component I to component II ranges from about 80:20 to about 5:95, by weight;
- and wherein component III is present at a level of about 1% by weight to about 30% by weight, based on the weight of the entire composition.
18 more elements
A process for molding thermoplastic articles, comprising the following steps:
- (I) forming a resin blend of a cycloaliphatic polyester, a polycarbonate or copolycarbonate resin, and an impact modifier having a predetermined index of refraction, in selected proportions, wherein the relative proportions of the polyester and the polycarbonate or copolycarbonate resin are selected to match the index of refraction of the impact modifier;
- and then
- (II) molding an article from the resin blend;
- wherein the polycarbonate or copolycarbonate resin comprises
- (i) at least one of the structural units
- 19
- wherein each A1 is independently a divalent substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group;
- or
- 20
- wherein each R1 and R2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, C1-C8 alkyl, C5-C6 cycloalkyl, C5-C10 aryl, and C7-C12 aralkyl;
- m is an integer of from about 4 to about 7;
- R3 and R4 are individually selectable for each X, and independently represent hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl;
- and X represents carbon, with the proviso that, for at least one atom X, both R3 and R4 are alkyl.
10 more elements
A process for forming a molding composition for preparing substantially transparent articles, comprising the steps of
- selecting a substantially transparent impact modifier having a first index of refraction;
- selecting a cycloaliphatic polyester and a polycarbonate or copolycarbonate resin, wherein the combination of the polyester and the polycarbonate or copolycarbonate provides a second index of refraction;
- and then
- forming a resin blend of the cycloaliphatic polyester, the polycarbonate or copolycarbonate resin, and the impact modifier, by mixing the components in proportions which are selected to match the first index of refraction with the second index of refraction;
- and
- molding a substantially transparent article from the resin blend;
- wherein the polycarbonate resin is a homopolymer or copolymer comprising
- (i) at least one of the structural units
- 21
- wherein each A1 is independently a divalent substituted or unsubstituted aromatic group;
- or
- 22
- wherein each R1 and R2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, C1-C8 alkyl, C5-C6 cycloalkyl, C5-C10 aryl, and C7-C12 aralkyl;
- m is an integer of from about 4 to about 7;
- R3 and R4 are individually selectable for each X, and independently represent hydrogen or C1-C6 alkyl;
- and X represents carbon, with the proviso that, for at least one atom X, both R3 and R4 are alkyl.
13 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.