Environmentally degradable ethylene polymeric compositions
AssigneeUnion Carbide Corporation
InventorsJames Edward Potts, Stephen Watson Cornell, Albert Martin Sracic
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Abstract
An environmentally degradable polymer composition comprising an ethylene polymer base resin, and a synergistic combination of an auto-oxidative polymer or low molecular weight organic compound; certain polyvalent transition metal salt; and an antioxidant additive for the ethylene polymer. A product of this composition when discarded to the environment is caused to deteriorate by the action of the elements, thereby hastening the deterioration of litter.
Claims26
An environmentally degradable polymer composition comprising,
- based on the total weight of said composition, a major portion by weight of ethylene polymer as the base resin,
- about 0.01 to about 40 percent by weight of at least one auto-oxidative susceptible additive having at least one hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom having an auto-oxidative susceptibility greater than that of a hydrogen atom bonded to a normal secondary carbon atom,
- at least one salt of at least one polyvalent metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc and cerium, in such amounts as to provide about 0.002 to about 2.0 percent by weight of the metal atom, and
- about 0.0025 to about 1 percent by weight of antioxidant for said ethylene polymer.
A method for producing a degradable polymer composition comprising the steps of
- a. dryblending to a uniform homogeneous mass
- i. a masterbatch of ethylene polymer as the base resin, antioxidant for said base resin and at least one auto-oxidative susceptible additive having at least one hydrogen atom bonded to a carbon atom having an auto-oxidative susceptibility greater than that of a hydrogen atom bonded to a normal secondary carbon atom with
- ii. a masterbatch of said base resin, and antioxidant for said base resin and at least one salt of at least one polyvalent metal selected from the group consisting of titanium, vanadium, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt, nickel, copper, zinc and cerium and
- b. then melt blending the dry blend.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.