Process of making acrylic-filled thermoformable acrylic sheet
AssigneeAristech Chemical Corporation
InventorsEttore Minghetti, John E. Eitel
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A monomer-rich acrylic syrup is cast including about 10% to about 20% ground acrylic particles. During curing, the particles absorb over half their weight in monomer, and a cured sheet is formed in which the matrix monomer and uncrosslinked polymer form a phase which extends through the particles, while the particles appear to be fused together. Including a crosslinker in the syrup further insures the interpenetration of the matrix phase into the swollen particles. A textured surface is formed, which is useful as an anti-slip surface in bathtubs and shower stalls, after thermoforming.
Claims8
A method of making an acrylic product having a textured surface, comprising the steps of:
- (a) mixing (i) a syrup comprising about 80 to about 95 percent by weight of methylmethacrylate and about 5 to about 20 percent by weight of polymethylmethacrylate and (ii) about 5 to about 25 percent based on the weight of said syrup of polymethylmethacrylate particles, said polymethylmethacrylate particles comprising up to 1 percent by weight of a crosslinking agent and about 10 to about 30 percent by weight of uncrosslinked polymethylmethacrylate;
- (b) permitting said particles to absorb methylmethacrylate whereby said particles swell to about 200 percent or more of their original volume;
- and
- (c) curing said syrup containing said particles, whereby said resulting acrylic product is thermoformable.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.