Compositions of polyesters and fibrous clays
AssigneeE. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
InventorsDavid T. Williamson, Thomas M. Herrod, William M. Simmons, Henry Max Schleinitz
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Abstract
Compositions of thermoplastic polyesters containing dispersed nanoparticles of fibrous clay are made by polymerizing the polyester precursors in the presence of exfoliated fibrous clay that has not been organically modified. The compositions have good physical properties and can be melt molded into various articles. Many of these articles may be coated (painted) and are especially useful for appearance parts such as visible exterior automotive body parts.
Claims11
A process for manufacturing a thermoplastic polyester nanocomposite composition via a condensation polymerization, the process comprising the steps of:
- (i) mixing exfoliated fibrous clay with at least one thermoplastic polyester precursor composition wherein the components of the precursor composition are selected from the group consisting of
- a) at least one diacid or diester and at least one diol;
- b) at least one polymerizable polyester monomer;
- c) at least one linear polyester oligomer;
- and
- d) at least one macrocyclic polyester oligomer,
- and, optionally, a polymerization catalyst in addition to the exfoliated fibrous clay, and
- (ii) subsequently polymerizing said at least one polyester precursor in the absence of a solvent,
- wherein said exfoliated fibrous clay is a nano-sized clay that has not been organically modified prior to mixing.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.