Polymer Blend, a Film or Sheet Made Therefrom, Articles Made from the Film or Sheet or Pipe and Method of Preparing a Film or Sheet

A method of preparing a film or sheet comprising:

• selecting a polymer blend which comprises:
• (1) from 20 to 90 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the polymer blend, polyvinyl chloride resin;
• and
• (2) from 10 to 80 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the polymer blend, a flexible acrylic polymer which comprises
• (a) a crosslinked core which comprises greater than 95 weight percent of units derived from one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of alkyl (meth)acrylate monomers, from 0.1 to 5 weight percent of units derived from a cross-linking monomer, graft-linking monomer, or combination thereof, and wherein the crosslinked core has a Tg of from −85 to −10° C.;
• (b) an intermediate region which comprises one or more intermediate layers, wherein each of the intermediate layers comprises from 88.5 to 100 weight percent of units derived from a one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of alkyl (meth)acrylate monomers, from 0 to 5 weight percent of units derived from a cross-linking monomer, a graft-linking monomer, or a combination of two or more thereof, optionally from 0 to 2.0 weight percent units derived from one or more chain transfer agents;
• wherein there is a compositional gradient between the intermediate layers and said compositional gradient transitions between a lower Tg and an upper Tg, wherein said lower Tg is at least −30° C. and said upper Tg is 70° C. or less, and
• (c) an outermost layer which comprises from 98.5 to 100 weight percent units derived from one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of alkyl (meth)acrylate, styrenic monomers, and combinations of two or more thereof, from 0 to 1.5 weight percent units derived from one or more chain transfer agents, and has a Tg of from 40° C. to 110° C.;
• and
• forming the polymer blend into a film or sheet by one or more process selected from the group consisting of calendaring, cast extrusion and injection molding.

A method of preparing a pipe comprising:

• selecting a polymer blend which comprises:
• (1) from 20 to 90 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the polymer blend, polyvinyl chloride resin;
• and
• (2) from 10 to 80 percent by weight, based on the total weight of the polymer blend, a flexible acrylic polymer which comprises
• (a) a crosslinked core which comprises greater than 95 weight percent of units derived from one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of alkyl (meth)acrylate monomers, from 0.1 to 5 weight percent of units derived from a cross-linking monomer, graft-linking monomer, or combination thereof, and wherein the crosslinked core has a Tg of from −85 to −10° C.;
• (b) an intermediate region which comprises one or more intermediate layers, wherein each of the intermediate layers comprises from 88.5 to 100 weight percent of units derived from a one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of alkyl (meth)acrylate monomers, from 0 to 5 weight percent of units derived from a cross-linking monomer, a graft-linking monomer, or a combination of two or more thereof, optionally from 0 to 2.0 weight percent units derived from one or more chain transfer agents;
• wherein there is a compositional gradient between the intermediate layers and said compositional gradient transitions between a lower Tg and an upper Tg, wherein said lower Tg is at least −30° C. and said upper Tg is 70° C. or less, and
• (c) an outermost layer which comprises from 98.5 to 100 weight percent units derived from one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of alkyl (meth)acrylate, styrenic monomers, and combinations of two or more thereof, from 0 to 1.5 weight percent units derived from one or more chain transfer agents, and has a Tg of from 40° C. to 110° C.;
• and
• forming the polymer blend into a pipe by one or more process selected from the group consisting of extrusion and injection molding.