# US 8,785,545 B2 · Refrigerator interior liner > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 8,785,545 B2 - Document ID: US8785545B2 - Status: Granted - Kind: B2 - Application number: 13/203,886 - Filed: 2010-03-09 - Published: 2012-03-08 - Granted: 2014-07-22 - Earliest claimed: 2009-03-10 - Assignees: Total Research & Technology Feluy - Applicants: Michel Duc; Jan Neelen; Mark O'Neill - Inventors: Michel Duc; Jan Neelen; Mark O'Neill - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US8785545B2 ## CPC - C08L 25/06: Polystyrene - C08F 2/38: Polymerisation using regulators, e.g. chain terminating agents {, e.g. telomerisation} - C08F 12/08: Styrene - C08F 279/02: on to polymers of conjugated dienes - C08L 51/04: grafted on to rubbers - F25D 23/08: Parts formed wholly or mainly of plastics materials - F25D 23/066: {Liners} - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) - C08F: MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS OBTAINED BY REACTIONS ONLY INVOLVING CARBON-TO-CARBON UNSATURATED BONDS - F25D: REFRIGERATORS; COLD ROOMS; ICE-BOXES; COOLING OR FREEZING APPARATUS NOT OTHERWISE PROVIDED FOR (refrigerated showcases A47F3/04; thermally-insulated vessels for domestic use A47J41/00; refrigerated vehicles, see the appropriate subclasses of classes B60 - B64; containers with thermal insulation in general B65D81/38; heat-transfer, heat-exchange or heat-storage materials, e.g. refrigerants, or materials for the production of heat or cold by chemical reactions other than by combustion C09K5/00; thermally-insulated vessels for liquefied or solidified gases F17C; air-conditioning or air-humidification F24F; refrigeration machines, plants, or systems F25B; cooling of instruments or comparable apparatus without refrigeration G12B) ## Abstract A refrigerator interior liner can be made of a composition including a monovinylaromatic polymer matrix having an average molecular weight in weight Mw above 150,000 g/mol; rubber particles; and low- Mw plasticizers. The rubber particles can have an RPS volume of about 8.5 μm, a monomodal distribution, a swell index above 13.8, and an RPVF of at least 39%. The composition can be prepared by forming a polymerizable mixture including a monovinylaromatic monomer, and dissolving a viscous rubber in the polymerizable mixture. A free radical initiator and a chain transfer agent can be contacted with the polymerizable mixture at conditions whereby phase inversion subsequently occurs. The chain transfer agent can produce an increase of the rubber to PS phase viscosity ratio within the inversion reactor. Polymerization can be continued until a monovinylaromatic polymer matrix having rubber particles dispersed therein is obtained. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A refrigerator interior liner made of a rubber modified monovinylaromatic polymer composition comprising: a) a monovinylaromatic polymer matrix having an average molecular weight in weight Mw above 150,000 g/mol, b) rubber particles dispersed in the monovinylaromatic polymer matrix, said rubber particles having: a volume median particle size (RPS volume) of about 8.5 μm, a monomodal distribution with essentially no shoulder, a low-to-moderate crosslinking of the rubber expressed as a swell index (SI) above 13.8, a rubber phase volume fraction (RPVF) of at least 39%, c) an amount of low- Mw plasticizer, defined as the weight fraction of solubles in methanol, and such that the weight ratio c/(a+b+c) ranges from 1 to 4.5%. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 1 wherein Mw of the monovinylaromatic polymer matrix ranges from 150,000 to 250,000 g/mol. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 1, wherein the rubber has a solution viscosity (SV), measured at 5.43% weight in toluene, of 50 to 1000 centipoises. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 1, wherein the rubber has a Mooney viscosity (ML4+1, 100° C.) of 5 to 120. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 1, wherein the rubber has a SV-to-Mooney viscosity ratio of at least 2.8. ### Claim 6 (depends on 5) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 5 wherein the rubber has a SV-to-Mooney viscosity ratio of at least 3.3. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 1, wherein the RPVF is at least 40%. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 1, wherein the SI is at least 14. ### Claim 9 (depends on 1) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 1, wherein the RPS volume is in the range 7 to 10 μm. ### Claim 10 (depends on 9) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 9 wherein the RPS volume is in the range 8.0 to 9.0 μm. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 1, wherein the RPS surface is in the range 5 to 8 μm. ### Claim 12 (depends on 11) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 11 wherein the RPS volume-to-RPS surface ratio is below 2. ### Claim 13 (depends on 12) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 12 wherein the RPS volume-to-RPS surface ratio is below 1.5. ### Claim 14 (depends on 3) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 3, wherein the rubber has a solution viscosity (SV), measured at 5.43% weight in toluene, of from 100 to 500 centipoises. ### Claim 15 (depends on 3) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 3, wherein the rubber has a solution viscosity (SV), measured at 5.43% weight in toluene, of from 120 to 250 centipoises. ### Claim 16 (depends on 4) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 4, wherein the rubber has a Mooney viscosity (ML4+1, 100° C.) of 10 to 100. ### Claim 17 (depends on 4) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 4, wherein the rubber has a Mooney viscosity (ML4+1, 100° C.) of 30 to 60. ### Claim 18 (depends on 7) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 7, wherein the RPVF is at least 42%. ### Claim 19 (depends on 7) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 7, wherein the RPVF is at least 45%. ### Claim 20 (depends on 8) The refrigerator interior liner according to claim 8, wherein the SI is at least 16. ### Claim 21 (depends on 1) The refrigerator liner according to claim 1, wherein the low- Mw plasticizer comprises a mineral oil. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) The refrigerator liner according to claim 1, wherein the low- Mw plasticizer comprises a non-mineral oil. ### Claim 23 (depends on 1) The refrigerator liner according to claim 1, wherein the rubber modified monovinylaromatic polymer composition exhibits a melt flow index ranging from 2 to 10 g/10 min.