# US 2014/0154445 A1 · Methods and compositions related to recycling polymer waste

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- Number: US 2014/0154445 A1
- Document ID: US20140154445A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/009,312
- Filed: 2012-06-19
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2011-06-20
- Assignees: Imerys Minerals Limited
- Applicants: Imerys Minerals Limited
- Inventors: John Slater
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140154445A1

## CPC

- C08L 23/06: Polyethylene
- C08J 11/04: of polymers
- C08L 23/02: not modified by chemical after-treatment
- C08L 23/04: Homopolymers or copolymers of ethene
- C08L 23/10: Homopolymers or copolymers of propene
- C09C 1/021: {Calcium carbonates}
- C01P 2004/51: Particles with a specific particle size distribution
- C01P 2004/61: Micrometer sized, i.e. from 1-100 micrometer
- C08J 2323/02: not modified by chemical after treatment
- C08L 2207/20: Recycled plastic
- Y02P 20/143: the feedstock being recycled material, e.g. plastics
- Y02W 30/62: Plastics recycling; Rubber recycling
- Y10T 428/1372: Randomly noninterengaged or randomly contacting fibers, filaments, particles, or flakes
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- C08J: WORKING-UP; GENERAL PROCESSES OF COMPOUNDING; AFTER-TREATMENT NOT COVERED BY SUBCLASSES C08B, C08C, C08F, C08G or C08H (working, e.g. shaping, of plastics B29)
- C09C: TREATMENT OF INORGANIC MATERIALS, OTHER THAN FIBROUS FILLERS, TO ENHANCE THEIR PIGMENTING OR FILLING PROPERTIES (treatment of materials specially adapted to enhance their filling properties in mortars, concrete or artificial stone C04B14/00, C04B18/00, C04B20/00); PREPARATION OF CARBON BLACK {; PREPARATION OF INORGANIC MATERIALS WHICH ARE NO SINGLE CHEMICAL COMPOUNDS AND WHICH ARE MAINLY USED AS PIGMENTS OR FILLERS}
- C01P: INDEXING SCHEME RELATING TO STRUCTURAL AND PHYSICAL ASPECTS OF SOLID INORGANIC COMPOUNDS
- Y02P: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES IN THE PRODUCTION OR PROCESSING OF GOODS
- Y02W: CLIMATE CHANGE MITIGATION TECHNOLOGIES RELATED TO WASTEWATER TREATMENT OR WASTE MANAGEMENT
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

Described herein are polymer compositions, for example, recycled polymer compositions, processes for the production thereof, functional fillers for use in the polymer compositions, and articles formed from the polymer compositions.

## Claims

### Claim at position 1

1-35. (canceled)

### Claim 36

A functional filler comprising:
an inorganic particulate material, wherein the inorganic particulate material has a d50 of less than about 10 μm; and
a coating comprising a first compound including a terminating propanoic group or ethylenic group with one or two adjacent carbonyl groups.

### Claim 37 (depends on 36)

A functional filler according to claim 36, wherein the inorganic particulate material has a d50 ranging from about 0.5 μm to about 10 um.

### Claim 38 (depends on 36)

A functional filler according to claim 36, wherein the inorganic particulate material has a d50 ranging from about 0.5 μm to about 2 μm.

### Claim 39 (depends on 36)

A functional filler according to claim 36, wherein the inorganic particulate material is calcium carbonate, and wherein the functional filler further comprises talc as a secondary filler component.

### Claim 40 (depends on 39)

A functional filler according to claim 39, wherein the inorganic particulate material is present in the functional filler in amount of at least 80% of the total dry weight of the mixed inorganic particulate material and the secondary filler component.

### Claim 41 (depends on 36)

A functional filler according to claim 36, wherein the inorganic particulate material has a d50 ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5 μm.

### Claim 42 (depends on 36)

A functional filler according to claim 36, wherein the inorganic particulate material is ground calcium carbonate.

### Claim 43 (depends on 36)

A functional filler according to claim 36, wherein the first compound is present in the functional filler in an amount ranging from about 0.6 wt. % to about 1.2 wt. %.

### Claim 44 (depends on 36)

A functional filler according to claim 36, wherein the first compound has the following formula:
A-(X—Y—CO)m(O—B—CO)nOH,
wherein:
A is a moiety containing a terminating ethylenic bond with one or two adjacent carbonyl groups;
X is O and m is 1 to 4, or X is N and m is 1;
Y is C1-15-alkylene or C2-18-alkenylene;
B is C2-6-alkylene;
n is 0 to 5,
provided that when A contains two carbonyl groups adjacent to the ethylenic group, X is N.

### Claim 45 (depends on 36)

A functional filler according to claim 36, wherein the inorganic particulate material is selected from the group consisting of: an alkaline earth metal carbonate, sulphate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, dolomite, gypsum, a hydrous kandite clay, kaolin, halloysite, ball clay, an anhydrous kandite clay, a calcined kandite clay, metakaolin, fully calcined kaolin, talc, mica, perlite, diatomaceous earth, magnesium hydroxide, aluminium trihydrate, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 46 (depends on 36)

A polymer composition comprising at least one polymer and the functional filler according to claim 36, wherein the functional filler is present in an amount ranging from about 5 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of the polymer.

### Claim 47 (depends on 46)

A polymer composition according to claim 46, wherein the functional filler is present in an amount ranging from about 5 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of the polymer.

### Claim 48 (depends on 46)

A polymer composition according to claim 46, wherein the polymer composition has a first notched Charpy peak energy greater than a second notched Charpy peak energy of the polymer composition devoid of the functional filler.

### Claim 49 (depends on 46)

An article of manufacture formed from a polymer composition according to claim 46.

### Claim 50 (depends on 49)

An article of manufacture according to claim 49, wherein the article is a pipe or tubing.

### Claim 51 (depends on 36)

A method of using a functional filler according to claim 36 in a polymer composition for improving a notched Charpy impact property of a moulded component formed from the polymer composition, wherein the functional filler is present in the polymer composition in an amount ranging from about 5 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of the polymer.

### Claim 52 (depends on 51)

A method of using a functional filler according to claim 51, wherein the functional filler is present in the polymer in an amount ranging from about 5 wt. % to about 30 wt. % of the polymer.

### Claim 53

A polymer composition comprising:
polymer; and
at least 3 wt. % of a functional filler,
wherein the polymer comprises from 90 wt. % to 100 wt. % of a mixture of polyethylene and polypropylene, and wherein the functional filler comprises:
an inorganic particulate material; and
a coating comprising a first compound including a terminating propanoic group or ethylenic group with one or two adjacent carbonyl groups.

### Claim 54 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the inorganic particulate material has a d50 of less than about 10 μm.

### Claim 55 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the inorganic particulate material has a d50 ranging from about 0.5 μm to about 10 um.

### Claim 56 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the polymer composition comprises greater than 90 wt. % of a mixture of polyethylene and polypropylene.

### Claim 57 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the polymer is a blend of 75% polyethylene and 25% polypropylene.

### Claim 58 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the polymer composition is a recycled polymer composition, and the polymer is derived from waste polymer.

### Claim 59 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the functional filler is present in an amount ranging from about 5 wt. % to about 50 wt. % of the polymer.

### Claim 60 (depends on 59)

A polymer composition according claim 59, wherein the functional filler is present in an amount ranging from about 5 wt % to about 30 wt. % of the polymer.

### Claim 61 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the inorganic particulate material has a d50 ranging from about 0.5 to about 1.5 μm.

### Claim 62 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the inorganic particulate material is ground calcium carbonate.

### Claim 63 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the first compound is present in the functional filler in an amount ranging from about 0.6 wt. % to about 1.2 wt. %.

### Claim 64 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the first compound has the following formula:
A-(X—Y—CO)m(O—B—CO)nOH,
wherein:
A is a moiety containing a terminating ethylenic bond with one or two adjacent carbonyl groups;
X is O and m is 1 to 4, or X is N and m is 1;
Y is C1-18-alkylene or C2-18-alkenylene;
B is C2-6-alkylene;
n is 0 to 5,
provided that when A contains two carbonyl groups adjacent to the ethylenic group, X is N.

### Claim 65 (depends on 64)

A polymer composition according to claim 64, wherein the first compound comprises β-acryloyloxypropanoic acid or an oligomeric acrylic acid of the following formula:
CH2═CH—COO[CH2—CH2—COO]nH,
wherein n represents a number from 1 to 6.

### Claim 66 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the coating further comprises a peroxide-containing additive selected from the group consisting of di-cumyl peroxide, and 1,1-Di(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane.

### Claim 67 (depends on 53)

A polymer composition according to claim 53, wherein the inorganic particulate material is selected from the group consisting of: an alkaline earth metal carbonate, sulphate, calcium carbonate, magnesium carbonate, dolomite, gypsum, a hydrous kandite clay, kaolin, halloysite, ball clay, an anhydrous kandite clay, calcined kandite clay, metakaolin, fully calcined kaolin, talc, mica, perlite, diatomaceous earth, magnesium hydroxide, aluminium trihydrate, and combinations thereof.

### Claim 68 (depends on 53)

An article of manufacture formed from a polymer composition according to claim 53.

### Claim 69 (depends on 68)

An article of manufacture according to claim 68, wherein the article is an injected moulded or extruded component.

### Claim 70 (depends on 69)

An article of manufacture according to claim 69, wherein the article is at least one of industrial piping, commercial piping, residential piping, industrial tubing, commercial tubing, residential tubing, guttering for commercial buildings, and guttering for residential buildings.