Semi-crystalline thermoplastic polymers and articles manufactured therefrom
AssigneeUniversity of Massachusetts
InventorsAlan J. Lesser, Brian M. Cromer, Edward B. Coughlin
Life of this patent
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Abstract
Disclosed herein is a method comprising masticating a molten polymer; where the polymer is semicrystalline polymer prior to melting; where the masticating polymer is conducted at an elevated temperature of Tm−15K to Tm+90K; where Tm is the crystalline melting point of the polymer; masticating the molten polymer while it is cooled from the elevated temperature to a temperature of Ta; where Ta is a temperature that is greater than Tc−10K, where Tc is the crystallization temperature of the polymer; and masticating the polymer at the temperature of Ta for a time period of 0.1 to 50 minutes.
Claims17
A method comprising:
- masticating a molten polymer;
- where the polymer is semicrystalline polymer prior to melting;
- where the masticating polymer is conducted at an elevated temperature of Tm−15K to Tm+90K;
- where Tm is the crystalline melting point of the polymer;
- masticating the molten polymer while it is cooled from the elevated temperature to a temperature of Ta;
- where Ta is a temperature that is greater than Tc−10K, where Tc is the crystallization temperature of the polymer;
- and
- masticating the polymer at the temperature of Ta for a time period of 0.1 to 50 minutes.
An article produced by a method comprising:
- masticating a molten polymer;
- where the polymer is semicrystalline polymer prior to melting;
- where the masticating polymer is conducted at an elevated temperature of Tm−15K to Tm+90K;
- where Tm is the crystalline melting point of the polymer;
- masticating the molten polymer while it is cooled from the elevated temperature to a temperature of Ta;
- where Ta is a temperature that is greater than Tc−10K;
- and
- masticating the polymer at the temperature of Ta for a time period of 0.1 to 50 minutes;
- where the polymer after being masticated at the temperature of Ta for a time period of 0.1 to 50 minutes has a yield strength that is at least 10 percent greater than the yield strength of the same polymer that is melt processed without any melt mastication.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.