# US 4,393,167 A · Polymer blends containing polymer of .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid and chlorine or nitrile group containing polymer > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 4,393,167 A - Document ID: US4393167A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 06/320,127 - Filed: 1981-11-10 - Granted: 1983-07-12 - Earliest claimed: 1980-11-18 - Assignees: Imperial Chemical Industries PLC - Inventors: Paul A. Holmes; Frank M. Willmouth; Alan B. Newton - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4393167A ## CPC - C12P 7/625: Polyesters of hydroxy carboxylic acids - C08G 63/06: derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids - C08L 67/04: Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones (C08L67/06 takes precedence) - C12P: FERMENTATION OR ENZYME-USING PROCESSES TO SYNTHESISE A DESIRED CHEMICAL COMPOUND OR COMPOSITION OR TO SEPARATE OPTICAL ISOMERS FROM A RACEMIC MIXTURE {(brewing of beer C12C; producing vinegar C12J; producing specific peptides or proteins C07K; producing enzymes C12N9/00; DNA or RNA concerning genetic engineering, vectors, e.g. plasmids, or their isolation, preparation or purification C12N15/00; measuring or testing processes involving enzymes or microorganisms C12Q; measuring or testing processes involving nucleic acid amplification reactions C12Q1/6844; fermentation processes to form a food composition, A21 or A23; compounds in general, see the relevant compound class, e.g. C01, C07)} - C08G: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED OTHERWISE THAN BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING UNSATURATED CARBON-TO-CARBON BONDS - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) ## Abstract Polymer blends containing (i) 0.2-95% by weight of a high molecular weight .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid homo- or copolymer and (ii) a polymer containing at least 25% by weight of chlorine or nitrile groups, such as chlorinated polyethylene, polyvinyl chloride, or a high acrylonitrile resin. In small quantities the .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer acts as a processing aid for the chlorine or nitrile containing polymer. In larger quantities the properties of the .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer or the chlorine or nitrile containing polymer are improved. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A polymer blend comprising (i) 0.2 to 95% by weight of a .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer of molecular weight above 50,000 and containing 100 to 50 mole % of .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid residues and correspondingly 0-50 mole % of .beta.-hydroxyvaleric acid residues in the polymer chain, and (ii) an organic polymer containing at least 25% by weight of chlorine and/or nitrile groups. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) A polymer blend according to claim 1 wherein said organic polymer is a polymer containing at least 50% by weight of units derived from vinyl chloride, vinylidene chloride, and/or acrylonitrile and 0 to 50% by weight of units derived from at least one other ethylenically unsaturated monomer. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) A polymer blend according to claim 2 wherein said organic polymer is a graft copolymer of (i) 99.5 to 50% by weight of a monomer mixture containing at least 50% by weight of acrylonitrile and 0 to 50% by weight of at least one comonomer on (ii) 0.5 to 50% by weight of a butadiene/acrylonitrile copolymer trunk. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) A polymer blend according to claim 1 wherein said organic polymer is a chlorinated, or chlorosulphonated, hydrocarbon polymer. ### Claim 5 (depends on 4) A polymer blend according to claim 4 wherein said organic polymer is a chlorinated or chlorosulphonated polyolefin. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) A polymer blend according to claim 5 wherein said organic polymer is a chlorinated or chlorosulphonated polyethylene. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) A polymer blend according to claim 1 wherein said organic polymer is a chlorinated polyether. ### Claim 8 (depends on 4, 5, 6, 7) A polymer blend according to any one of claims 4 to 7 wherein said organic polymer has a glass transition temperature below 10.degree. C. ### Claim 9 (depends on 8) A polymer blend according to claim 8 containing 10 to 50% by weight of said organic polymer. ### Claim 10 (depends on 2) A polymer blend according to claim 2 containing less than 50% by weight of the .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 10) A polymer blend according to claim 10 wherein the .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer is a copolymer containing 1 to 40 mole % of comonomer units. ### Claim 12 (depends on 2) A polymer blend according to claim 2 wherein said organic polymer is a polymer of vinyl chloride containing at least 80% by weight of units derived from vinyl chloride. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) A polymer blend according to claim 12 containing 10 to 30% by weight of the .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) A polymer blend according to claim 1 wherein the .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer has a molecular weight above 100,000. ### Claim 15 (depends on 13) A polymer blend according to claim 13 in the form of a shaped article having a thickness of less than 2 mm. ### Claim 16 (depends on 1) A method of making a polymer blend according to claim 1 comprising blending the organic polymer with a solution of the .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer in a volatile solvent and then removing said solvent by volatilisation. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) A method of making a polymer blend according to claim 1 comprising forming a slurry of the organic polymer, the .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer and a volatile liquid and then removing said liquid by volatilisation. ### Claim 18 (depends on 16, 17) A method according to claim 16 or claim 17 wherein the mixture is granulated before, during, or after, volatilisation of the liquid. ### Claim 19 (depends on 12) A method of making a polymer blend according to claim 12 comprising polymerising a monomeric material containing at least 80% by weight of vinyl chloride in the presence of the .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer. ### Claim 20 (depends on 1) A method of making shaped articles comprising fabricating a polymer blend according to claim 1 at a temperature above the melting point of the .beta.-hydroxybutyric acid polymer but below 220.degree. C.