Microporous material having degradation properties and articles prepared therefrom

A biodegradable multilayer article comprising:

• (a) at least one layer of a microporous material and
• (b) at least one layer of a material that is the same as or different from the microporous material (a), wherein the microporous material comprises:
• (i) a polyolefin matrix,
• (ii) finely divided, substantially water-insoluble particulate filler distributed throughout the polyolefin matrix, said filler constituting from 30 to 90 weight percent of the microporous material,
• (iii) at least 35 percent by volume of a network of interconnecting pores communicating throughout the microporous material, and
• (iv) an amount of biodegradation promoting material distributed throughout the polyolefin matrix that is sufficient to render the microporous material biodegradable, said biodegradation promoting material comprising a furanone compound, a glutaric acid, a hexadecanoic acid compound, an organoleptic swelling agent or mixtures thereof.

A biodegradable microporous material comprising:

• (a) a polyolefin matrix,
• (b) from 50 to 85 weight percent of substantially water-insoluble finely divided, particulate filler distributed throughout the polyolefin matrix,
• (c) at least 35 percent by volume of a network of interconnecting pores communicating throughout the microporous material, and
• (d) an amount of biodegradation promoting material distributed throughout the polyolefin matrix that is sufficient to render the microporous material biodegradable, said biodegradation promoting material comprising a furanone compound, a glutaric acid, a hexadecanoic acid compound, an organoleptic swelling agent or mixtures thereof.

A biodegradable microporous material comprising:

• (a) a polyolefin matrix comprising a mixture of (i) ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene having an intrinsic viscosity of from 18 to 32 deciliters/gram and (ii) lower molecular weight polyethylene having an ASTM D 1238-86 Condition E melt index of less than 50 grams/10 minutes and an ASTM D 1238-86 Condition F melt index of at least 0.1 gram/10 minutes,
• (b) from 50 to 85 weight percent, based on the microporous material, of finely divided, particulate substantially water-insoluble filler distributed throughout the polyolefin matrix,
• (c) at least 35 percent by volume of a network of interconnecting pores communicating throughout the microporous material, and
• (d) an amount of a biodegradation promoting material distributed throughout the polyolefin matrix that is sufficient to render the microporous material biodegradable, said biodegradation promoting material comprising a furanone compound, a glutaric acid, a hexadecanoic acid compound, an organoleptic swelling agent or mixtures thereof.

A biodegradable microporous material comprising:

• (a) a polyolefin matrix comprising a mixture of (i) ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene having an intrinsic viscosity of from 18 to 39 deciliters/gram and (ii) lower molecular weight polyethylene having an ASTM D 1238-86 Condition E melt index of less than 25 grams/10 minutes and an ASTM D 1238-86 Condition F melt index of at least 0.5 gram/10 minutes,
• (b) from 50 to 85 weight percent, based on the microporous material, of finely divided, particulate substantially water-insoluble filler distributed throughout the polyolefin matrix,
• (c) at least 35 percent by volume of a network of interconnecting pores communicating throughout the microporous material, and
• (d) biodegradation promoting material distributed throughout the polyolefin matrix, said biodegradation promoting material comprising a furanone compound, a glutaric acid, a hexadecanoic acid compound, an organoleptic swelling agent, or mixtures thereof.