Sulfonated aromatic copolyesters containing hydroxyalkanoic acid groups and shaped articles produced therefrom
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorRichard Allen Hayes
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Sulfonated aromatic copolyesters and articles made therefrom, and processes for producing the sulfonated aromatic copolyesters and articles are provided. Articles that can be made from the sulfonated aromatic copolyesters include films, coatings and laminates. Some of the compositions and articles are biocompostable. The films can further be used to form shaped articles such as sheets, food packaging such as sandwich wraps, thermoformed containers, and coatings for, for example, films and other substrates. The sulfonated aromatic copolyesters contain a hydroxyalkanoic acid component.
Claims79
A sulfonated aromatic copolyester comprising an acid component, a glycol component, from 0 to about 5.0 mole percent of a polyfunctional branching agent selected from polyfunctional acid, glycol and mixtures thereof, and optionally an effective amount of a color reducing agent, wherein said acid component consists essentially of
- a. 98.9 to 1.0 mole percent of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid component based on 100 mole percent total acid component, and
- b. 1.0 to 99.0 mole percent of a hydroxyalkanoic acid component selected from lactic acid, glycolic acid and mixtures thereof, based on 100 mole percent total acid component, and
- c. about 0.1 to about 5.0 mole percent of a sulfonate component based on 100 mole percent total acid component,
- and wherein said glycol component comprises:
- a. about 99.0 to about 1.0 mole percent of a single first glycol component selected from ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol and 1,4-butanediol, and
- b. 1.0 to about 5.0 mole percent of one or more of a second glycol component based on 100 mole percent total glycol component.
A process for producing a package, comprising providing a substrate;
- forming said substrate into a desired package form;
- providing a sulfonated aromatic copolyester comprising an acid component, a glycol component, from 0 to about 5.0 mole percent of a polyfunctional branching agent selected from polyfunctional acid, glycol and mixtures thereof, and optionally an effective amount of a color reducing agent, wherein said acid component consists essentially of
- a. 98.9 to 1.0 mole percent of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid component based on 100 mole percent total acid component, and
- b. 1.0 to 99.0 mole percent of a hydroxyalkanoic acid component selected from lactic acid, glycolic acid and mixtures thereof, based on 100 mole percent total acid component, and
- c. about 0.1 to about 5.0 mole percent of a sulfonate component based on 100 mole percent total acid component, and wherein
- the glycol component comprises
- a. about 99.0 to about 1.0 mole percent of a single first glycol component selected from ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol and 1,4-butanediol, and
- b. 1.0 to about 5.0 mole percent of one or more of a second glycol component based on 100 mole percent total glycol component;
- and
- laminating or coating said substrate with said sulfonated aromatic copolyester to form said package.
A process for producing a sulfonated aromatic copolyester, comprising providing a reaction mixture comprising an aromatic dicarboxylic component, a first glycol component selected from ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol and 1,4-butanediol, 0.1 to 10.0 mole percent of a sulfonate component, and optionally a polyfunctional branching agent;
- and allowing said aromatic dicarboxylic acid component, said sulfonate component, said first glycol component, said second glycol component and said polyfunctional branching agent to polymerize to form a sulfonated aromatic copolyester comprising an acid component, and a glycol component, wherein said acid component consists essentially of
- a. 98.9 to 1.0 mole percent of an aromatic dicarboxylic acid component based on 100 mole percent total acid component, and
- b. 1.0 to 99.0 mole percent of a hydroxyalkanoic acid component selected from lactic acid, glycolic acid and mixtures thereof, based on 100 mole percent total acid component, and
- c. about 0.1 to about 5.0 mole percent of a sulfonate component based on 100 mole percent total acid component,
- and wherein said glycol component comprises:
- a. about 99.0 to about 1.0 mole percent of a single first glycol component selected from ethylene glycol, 1,3-propanediol and 1,4-butanediol, and
- b. 1.0 to about 5.0 mole percent of one or more of a second glycol component based on 100 mole percent total glycol component.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.