EVOH/polypropylene gas-impermeable polymer alloys
AssigneeAtochem
InventorsJean-Claude Moulies, Patrick Borg, Pierre Nogues
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Polymer alloys that can facilely be shaped into gas barrier, crack-resistant packaging materials, e.g., by thermoforming, include an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer matrix, a polypropylene disperse phase and a phase-compatibilizing amount of an .alpha.-monoolefin graft copolymer.
Claims7
A gas barrier polymer alloy composition comprising (i) an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer matrix, (ii) a polypropylene disperse phase, and (iii) a phase-compatibilizing amount of an .alpha.-monoolefin graft copolymer, said .alpha.-monoolefin graft copolymer having the formula:
- AaMbXcPd
- in which AaMb represents the backbone (co)polymer;
- XcPd represents the polymers grafted onto the backbone (co)polymer;
- A is a recurring structural unit derived from an .alpha.-monoolefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms;
- M is a recurring structural unit derived from .alpha.-monoolefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, a recurring structural unit derived from a plurality of such .alpha.-monoolefins, either admixed or randomly or sequentially copolymerized, or a recurring structural unit derived from a monomer polymerizable with such .alpha.-monoolefins;
- with the proviso that the units A and M comprising said backbone (co) polymer are copolymerized randomly or sequentially, or are only admixed;
- X is a recurring structural unit derived from a monomer which can be grafted onto an .alpha.-monoolefin homo- or copolymer and which comprises a functional group reactable with an amine;
- P is derived from a polyamide oligomer having the formula:
- ##STR3## in which f is a number ranging from 3 to 11;
- g is a number ranging from 3 to 80;
- R.sub.5 is hydrogen or a linear or branched chain alkyl radical having up to 20 carbon atoms;
- and R.sub.6 is a linear or branched chain alkyl or alkenyl radical having up to 20 carbon atoms, a saturated or unsaturated cycloaliphatic radical, an aromatic radical, or a combination thereof;
- a, b, c and d are numbers such that a has a value ranging from 0 to 5,000, the sum a+b ranges from 350 to 45,000, c has a value such that the weight content of the unit grafted onto the backbone (co)polymer relative to the copolymer grafted with X ranges from 500 ppm to 10%, and d is greater than 0 and less than or equal to c.
A packaging material comprising a gas barrier polymer alloy composition, wherein said gas barrier polymer alloy composition of said packaging material comprises (i) an ethylene-vinyl alcohol copolymer matrix, (ii) a polypropylene disperse phase, and (iii) a phase compatibilizing amount of an .alpha.-monoolefin graft copolymer, said .alpha.-monoolefin graft copolymer having the formula:
- AaMbXcPd
- in which AaMb represents the backbone (co)polymer;
- XcPd represents the polymers grafted onto the backbone (co)polymer;
- A is a recurring structural unit derived from an .alpha.-monoolefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms;
- M is a recurring structural unit derived from .alpha.-monoolefin having from 2 to 8 carbon atoms, a recurring structural unit derived from a plurality of such .alpha.-monoolefins, either admixed or randomly or sequentially copolymerized, or a recurring structural unit derived from a monomer polymerizable with such .alpha.-monoolefins;
- with the proviso that the units A and M comprising said backbone (co)polymer are copolymerized randomly or sequentially, or are only admixed;
- X is a recurring structural unit derived from a monomer which can be grafted onto an .alpha.-monoolefin homo- or copolymer and which comprises a functional group reactable with an amine;
- P is derived from a polyamide oligomer having the formula:
- ##STR4## in which f is a number ranging from 3 to 11;
- g is a number ranging from 3 to 80;
- R.sub.5 is hydrogen or a linear or branched chain alkyl radical having up to 20 carbon atoms;
- and R.sub.6 is a linear or branched chain alkyl or alkenyl radical having up to 20 carbon atoms, a saturated or unsaturated cycloaliphatic radical, an aromatic radical, or a combination thereof;
- a, b, c and d are numbers such that has a value ranging from 0 to 5,000, the sum a+b ranges from 350 to 45,000, c has a value such that the weight content of the unit grafted onto the backbone (co)polymer relative to the copolymer grafted with X ranges from 500 ppm to 10%, and d is greater than 0 and less than or equal to c.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.