Polymer Composition For Producing Gel Extruded Articles and Polymer Articles Made Therefrom
AssigneeCelanese Sales Germany GmbH
InventorsChristian Ohm, Rainer Walkenhorst, Patrick Scheibe
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Abstract
A polymer composition for producing gel extruded articles is described. The polymer composition contains polyethylene particles combined with a plasticizer. The polyethylene particles are particularly selected so that the particles rapidly form a homogeneous gel-like material when combined with the plasticizer during gel processing. In one embodiment, the polyethylene used to produce the particles has a relatively low bulk density. Alternatively or in addition, the particles can have a carefully controlled particle size distribution. Polymer articles such as fibers and films can be produced having little to no imperfections.
Claims21
A polymer composition for producing gel extruded articles comprising:
- a plasticizer;
- and
- high density polyethylene particles combined with the plasticizer, the high density polyethylene particles having at least one of the following characteristics:
- (a) a bulk density of less than about 0.35 g/cm3;
- and/or
- (b) a median particle size (d50) of less than 125 microns and wherein 90% of the particles have a particle size of less than about 180 microns, and wherein the high density polyethylene has an average molecular weight of greater than about 1,500,000 g/mol.
A polymer article comprising a fiber, a film, or a membrane, the polymer article being produced by:
- combining a plasticizer with high density polyethylene particles to form a gel-like composition, the high density polyethylene particles having at least one of the following characteristics:
- (a) bulk density of less than about 0.35 g/cm3;
- and/or
- (b) a median particle size (d50) of less than 125 microns and wherein 90% of the particles have a particle size of less than about 180 microns, and wherein the high density polyethylene has an average molecular weight of greater than about 1,500,000 g/mol;
- and
- extruding the gel-like composition through a die to form the polymer article.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.