US 9,068,076 B2Granted

Fiber reinforced TPU composites

AssigneeLubrizol Advanced Materials, Inc.

InventorsJerome J. Blayne, Kemal Onder, Shane R. Parnell, Kimberly L. Young

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Abstract

A catalyst masterbatch is disclosed, which when used with a rigid TPU polymer, will cause the rigid TPU to depolymerize during melt processing and repolymerize as the melt is being cooled. This feature is of particular interest in a pultrusion process to create TPU/fiber composites. The catalyst masterbatch contains a relative soft TPU polymer where the catalyst has been swelled or absorbed into the soft TPU polymer. A carrier, such as a plasticizer, can be used to aid the transport of the catalyst into the soft TPU polymer. The catalyst masterbatch is used as an additive to the rigid TPU in a pultrusion process to make the composites. The catalyst masterbatch can also be used in non-fiber reinforced rigid TPU compositions to increase the Mw of melt processed rigid TPU.

Claims20

Dependent claims

A process for making a thermoplastic polyurethane composition comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane polymer, said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane polymer being made by reacting a polyisocyanate with a chain extender, without any polyol being present;
and
(b) providing a second thermoplastic polyurethane polymer;
(c) absorbing at least one hydrolytically and thermally stable catalyst into said second thermoplastic polyurethane polymer after polymerization of said second thermoplastic polyurethane polymer, said catalyst being capable of depolymerizing said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane at melt processing temperatures and repolymerizing said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane as said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane is cooled below melt processing temperatures, wherein said catalyst comprises dimethyl tin dilauryl mercaptide, dibutyl tin dilauryl mercaptide, or dioctyl tin dilauryl mercaptide;
(d) blending said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane polymer and said second thermoplastic polyurethane polymer to form a thermoplastic polyurethane polymer blend;
(e) melting said thermoplastic polyurethane blend, wherein while the thermoplastic polyurethane blend is melting, said catalyst depolymerizes said first thermoplastic polyurethane polymer;
and
(f) cooling said thermoplastic polyurethane blend, wherein while the thermoplastic polyurethane blend is cooling, said catalyst repolymerizes said first thermoplastic polyurethane polymer.

5 more elements

A process for preparing a fiber-reinforced rigid thermoplastic polyurethane composite article comprising the steps of:

(a) providing a first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane polymer, said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane polymer being made by reacting a polyisocyanate with a chain extender, without any polyol being present, and wherein said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane polymer has a hardness of greater than 60 Shore D;
(b) providing a second thermoplastic polyurethane polymer;
(c) absorbing at least one hydrolytically and thermally stable catalyst into said second thermoplastic polyurethane polymer after polymerization of said second thermoplastic polyurethane polymer, said catalyst being capable of depolymerizing said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane at melt processing temperatures and repolymerizing said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane as said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane is cooled below melt processing temperatures, wherein said catalyst comprises dimethyl tin dilauryl mercaptide, dibutyl tin dilauryl mercaptide, or dioctyl tin dilauryl mercaptide;
(d) blending said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane polymer and said second thermoplastic polyurethane polymer to form a thermoplastic polyurethane polymer blend;
(e) heating said thermoplastic polyurethane polymer blend to a temperature sufficient to melt said thermoplastic polyurethane polymer blend and depolymerize said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane polymer;
(f) drawing a fiber bundle continuously through the melted thermoplastic polyurethane polymer blend;
(g) impregnating the drawn fiber bundle with the thermoplastic polyurethane polymer blend to form a composite melt;
(h) cooling said composite melt to repolymerize said first rigid thermoplastic polyurethane polymer.

5 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Facts

Application: 12/991,992Filed 20 May 2009 · us provisional application
Priority: 23 May 2008
Published: US 2011/0143031 A116 Jun 2011
Granted: 30 Jun 2015
Term ends: Not estimatedThe source records don’t support an estimate.