# US 4,397,981 A · Ethylene polymer compositions that are flame retardant

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- Number: US 4,397,981 A
- Document ID: US4397981A
- Status: Granted
- Kind: A
- Application number: 06/217,461
- Filed: 1980-12-17
- Granted: 1983-08-09
- Earliest claimed: 1979-12-28
- Assignees: Mitsubishi Petrochemical Co., Ltd.
- Inventors: Shuhei Doi; Tsutomu Isaka
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US4397981A

## CPC

- C08K 5/02: Halogenated hydrocarbons {(C08K5/0091 takes precedence)}
- Y10T 428/294: including metal or compound thereof [excluding glass, ceramic and asbestos]
- Y10T 428/2962: Silane, silicone or siloxane in coating
- C08K: Use of inorganic or non-macromolecular organic substances as compounding ingredients (paints, inks, varnishes, dyes, polishes, adhesives C09)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

A novel flame-retardant ethylene polymer composition comprising a copolymer consisting essentially of ethylene and an olefinically unsaturated silane compound such as vinyltriethoxysilane, a silanol condensation catalyst such as dibutyltin dilaurate, and a flame retardant such as a chlorinated polyethylene.

## Claims

### Claim 1

An ethylene polymer composition which comprises:
(a) 100 parts by weight of a copolymer comprising, as predominant monomeric units ethylene and about 0.01 to 5% by weight based on the weight of the copolymer of an olefinically unsaturated silane compound represented by the formula,
RSiR.sub.n 'Y.sub.3-n
wherein: R is an ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbyl or hydrocarbyloxy group; R' is an aliphatic saturated hydrocarbyl group; Y is a hydrolyzable organic group; and n is 0, 1 or 2, said copolymer being obtained by radical copolymerization of said monomeric ethylene and said silane compound in the presence of a radical initiator under elevated pressure,
(b) 0.001 to 10 parts by weight of a silanol condensation catalyst, and
(c) 10 to 150 parts by weight of a flame retardant which is an organic halogen compound wherein the halogen is chlorine, bromine or iodine.

### Claim 2 (depends on 1)

The composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the ethylenically unsaturated silane compound is selected from the group consisting of:
CH.sub.2 .dbd.CHSi(OA).sub.3 and
CH.sub.2 .dbd.C(CH.sub.3)COOC.sub.3 H.sub.6 Si(OA).sub.3
wherein A is a hydrocarbyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The composition as claimed in claim 1 in which the silanol condensation catalyst is a metal or alkylmetal carboxylate.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The composition as claimed in claim 1 in which said ethylenically unsaturated silane compound is CH.sub.2 .dbd.CHSi(OA).sub.3, wherein A is a hydrocarbyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The composition as claimed in claim 1 in which said ethylenically unsaturated silane compound is CH.sub.2 .dbd.C(CH.sub.3)COOC.sub.3 H.sub.6 Si(OA).sub.3, wherein A is a hydrocarbyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms.

### Claim 6 (depends on 1)

The cross-linked flame-retardant composition obtained by contacting the composition defined in claim 1 with water.

### Claim 7

A method for producing a flame-retardant ethylene polymer composition comprising
copolymerizing ethylene with an unsaturated silane monomer of the formula
RSiR.sub.n 'Y.sub.3-n
wherein: R is an ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbyl or hydrocarbyloxy group; R' is an aliphatic saturated hydrocarbyl group; Y is a hydrolyzable organic group; and n is 0, 1 or 2 at a pressure of about 500 to 4,000 kg./cm., at temperature of about 100.degree. to 400.degree. C., in the presence of a radical polymerization initiator and in proportions such that the resultant polymer contains about 0.01 to 5% by weight of said silane monomer;
adding to 100 parts by weight of the resultant copolymer 0.001 to 10 parts by weight of a silanol condensation catalyst and 10 to 150 parts by weight of a flame-retardant which is an organic halogen compound wherein the halogen is chlorine, bromine or iodine;
molding the copolymer composition and exposing the copolymer composition to water to effect a crosslinking reaction during or after the molding of said copolymer composition.

### Claim 8 (depends on 7)

The process claimed in claim 7 in which the ethylenically unsaturated silane compound is selected from the group consisting of:
CH.sub.2 .dbd.CHSi(OA).sub.3 and
CH.sub.2 .dbd.C(CH.sub.3)COOC.sub.3 H.sub.6 Si(OA).sub.3
wherein A is a hydrocarbyl group having 1 to 8 carbon atoms.

### Claim 9 (depends on 7)

The process as claimed in claim 7 in which the silanol condensation catalyst is a metal or alkylmetal carboxylate.