Polyester compositions containing phthalimidoesters

Claim 2

A polyester composition comprising: (a) a polyethylene terephthalate having an intrin­sic viscosity of at least about 0.4 deciliter/gram measured as a 0.5% by weight solution in a 60:40 mixture of phenol and tetrachloroethane at 25°C; and (b) a plasticizer comprising phthalimidoester of the formula: wherein X is phthalimido, dihydrophthalimido, tetrahydrophthalimido, or hexahydrophthalimido and where A is alkylene, or substituted alkylene with from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and where R is alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, or substituted alkenyl with from 4 to 20 carbon atoms, or where X' is the same as or different than X and is phthalimido, dihydrophthalimido, tetrahydrophthalimido or hexahydrophthalimido and where R' is alkylene, alkenylene, substituted alkylene, or substituted alkenylene with from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and A' is alkylene, or substituted alkylene with from 1 to 18 carbon atoms.

Claim 3

The composition of Claim 1, wherein the phthalimidoester comprises at least about 0.1% by weight of the polyethylene terephthalate.

Claim 4

A polyester molding composition comprising: (a) from about 40 to about 95 parts by weight of a polyethylene terephthalate having an intrinsic viscosity of at least bout 0.4 deciliter/gram measured as a 0.5% weight solution in a 60:40 mixture of phenol and tetrachloroethane at 25°C; (b) from about 0.1 to about 15 parts by weight of a plasticizer comprising a phthalimidoester of the formula: wherein X is phthalimido, dihydrophthalimido, tetrahydro­phthalimido, or hexahydrophthalimido and where A is alkylene, or substituted alkylene with from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and where R is alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, or substituted alkenyl with from 4 to 20 carbon atoms, or where X' is the same as or different than X and is phthalimido, dihydrophthalimido, tetrahydrophthalimido or hexahydrophthalimido and where R' is alkylene, substituted alkylene, alkenylene, or substituted alkenylene with from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and A' is alkylene, or substituted alkylene with from 1 to 18 carbon atoms. (c) from about 0.1 to about 10.0 parts by weight of a nucleating agent; and (d) from about 5 to about 60 parts by weight of a reinforcing agent.

Claim 5

A polyester molding composition comprising: (a) from about 40 to about 95 parts by weight of a polyethylene terephthalate having an intrinsic viscosity of at least bout 0.4 deciliter/gram measured as a 0.5% weight solution in a 60:40 mixture of phenol and tetrachloroethane at 25°C; (b) from about 0.1 to about 15 parts by weight of a plasticizer comprising a phthalimidoester of the formula: wherein X is phthalimido, dihydrophthalimido, tetrahydro­phthalimido, or hexahydrophthalimido and where A is alkylene, or substituted alkylene with from 1 to 18 carbon atoms and where R is alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, or substituted alkenyl with from 4 to 20 carbon atoms, or where X' is the same as or different than X and is phthalimido, dihydrophthalimido, tetrahydrophthalimido or hexahydrophthalimido and where R' is alkylene, substituted alkylene, alkenylene, or substituted alkenylene with from 2 to 20 carbon atoms and A' is alkylene, or substituted alkylene with from 1 to 18 carbon atoms. (c) from about 0.1 to about 10.0 parts by weight of a nucleating agent; and (d) from about 5 to about 60 parts by weight of a reinforcing agent.

Claim 6

The composition of Claim 3, wherein A, A' and R' are individually alkylene, and R is allkyl.

Claim 7

The composition of Claim 3, wherein the phthalimidoester comprises a monophthalimidoester in which the total number of carbon atoms of A and R is from 5 to 30 carbon atoms.

Claim 8

The composition of Claim 3, wherein the phthalimidoester comprises a diphthalimidoester in which the total number of carbon atoms of A, R' and A' is from 4 to 36 carbon atoms.

Claim 9

The composition of Claim 3, wherein the nucleating agent is selected from the salt of a dimer acid, the salt of a trimer acid or the salt of a mixture of a dimer and a trimer acid.

Claim 10

The composition of Claim 3, wherein the nucleating agent is a copolymer consisting essentially of 85 wt. % ethylene and 15 wt. % methacrylic acid which has been partially neutralized with sodium ions.

Claim 11

The composition of Claim 3, wherein the reinforcing agent is fiberglass.

Claim 12

The composition of Claim 3, containing from about 0.1 to about 5 parts by weight of a chain extender.

Claim 13

The composition of Claim 10, wherein the chain extender is polyepoxide.

Claim 14

The composition of Claim 3, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate has an intrinsic viscosity of at least about 0.6.

Claim 15

The composition of Claim 3, wherein the polyethylene terephthalate comprises a mixture of polyetheylene terephthalate and polybutylene terephthalate.

Claim 16

The composition of Claim 3, further comprising at least one additive selected from impact modifiers, flow promoters, coloring agents, flame retardants, coupling agents and stabilizers for thermal oxidative and light stabilization in effective amounts.

Claim 17

A polyester molding composition, comprising: (a) from about 40 to about 95 parts by weight of polyetheylene terephthalate having an intrinsic viscosity of at least about 0.4 deciliters per gram; (b) from about 0.5 to about 5.0 parts by weight of a nucleating agent; (c) from about 5 to about 60 parts by weight of fiberglass; (d) from about 0.5 to about 15 parts by weight of a plasticizer comprising a phthalimdoester of the formula: where A is alkylene or with from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and where R is alkyl, or alkenyl with from 4 to 20 carbon atoms, or where R' is alkylene or alkenylene with from 2 to 10 carbon atoms and A' is alkylene with from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

Claim 18

A polyester molding composition, comprising: (a) from about 40 to about 95 parts by weight of polyetheylene terephthalate having an intrinsic viscosity of at least about 0.4 deciliters per gram; (b) from about 0.5 to about 5.0 parts by weight of a nucleating agent; (c) from about 5 to about 60 parts by weight of fiberglass; (d) from about 0.5 to about 15 parts by weight of a plasticizer comprising a phthalimdoester of the formula: where A is alkylene or with from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and where R is alkyl, or alkenyl with from 4 to 20 carbon atoms, or where R' is alkylene or alkenylene with from 2 to 10 carbon atoms and A' is alkylene with from 1 to 12 carbon atoms.

Claim 19

A polyester molding composition, comprising: (a) from about 40 to about 95 parts by weight of polyetheylene terephthalate having an intrinsic viscos­ity of at least about 0.4 deciliters per gram; (b) from about 0.5 to about 5.0 parts by weight of a nucleating agent; (c) from about 5 to about 60 parts by weight of fiberglass; (d) from about 0.5 to about 15 parts by weight of a plasticizer comprising a phthalimdoester of the formula: where A is alkylene or substituted alkylene with from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and where R is alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, or substituted alkenyl with from 4 to 20 carbon atoms.

Claim 20

A polyester molding composition, comprising: (a) from about 40 to about 95 parts by weight of polyetheylene terephthalate having an intrinsic viscos­ity of at least about 0.4 deciliters per gram; (b) from about 0.5 to about 5.0 parts by weight of a nucleating agent; (c) from about 5 to about 60 parts by weight of fiberglass; (d) from about 0.5 to about 15 parts by weight of a plasticizer comprising a phthalimdoester of the formula: where A is alkylene or substituted alkylene with from 1 to 12 carbon atoms and where R is alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkenyl, or substituted alkenyl with from 4 to 20 carbon atoms.

Claim 21

A process for producing a phthalimid­oester comprising reacting phthalic anhydride with a lactam in the presence of an alcohol to produce a phthalimidocarboxylic acid, which then reacts with the alcohol to produce the phthalimidoester.

Claim 22

A process for producing a phthalimid­oester comprising reacting phthalic anhydride with a lactam in the presence of an alcohol to produce a phthalimidocarboxylic acid, which then reacts with the alcohol to produce the phthalimidoester.