Polylactide blends

Claim 2

The polymer alloy according to claim 1, characterised by said polymer of lactic acid has a molecular weight of at least 60,000.

Claim 3

The polymer alloy according to claim 2, characterised by said polymer of lactic acid is present in an amount from 70 to 95 weight %.

Claim 4

The polymer alloy according to claim 3, characterised by said polymer of a C₂₋₆ alkylene oxide is selected from polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide.

Claim 5

The polymer alloy according to claim 4, characterised by said poly alkylene oxide has a molecular weight from 8,000 to 100,000.

Claim 6

The polymer alloy according to claim 5, characterised by said polymer of a C₂₋₆ alkylene oxide has a molecular weight from 8,000 to 60,000.

Claim 7

The polymer alloy according to claim 3, characterised by said C₂₋₆ alkylene ether of a C₂₋₁₀ alkanol is vinyl alcohol.

Claim 8

The polymer alloy according to claim 3, characterised by said polymer of vinyl aromatic monomer and conjugated diolefin monomer comprises: from 60 to 40 weight % of one or more C₈₋₁₂ vinyl aromatic monomers which are unsubstituted or substitute by a C₁₋₄ alkyl radical and from 40 to 60 weight % of one or more C₄₋₆ conjugated diolefins and from 0 to 3 weight % of one or more functional monomers selected from : (a) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; (b) C₄₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides of such acids; (c) amides of C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; and (d) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated aldehydes.

Claim 9

The polymer alloy according to claim 8, characterised by said vinyl aromatic monomer is selected from : styrene, alpha methyl styrene and tertiary butyl styrene.

Claim 10

The polymer alloy according to claim 9, characterised by said conjugated diolefin is selected from : 1,4 butadiene and isoprene.

Claim 11

The polymer alloy according to claim 10, characterised by said polymer of vinyl aromatic monomer and conjugated diolefin polymer comprises only vinyl aromatic monomer and conjugated diolefin.

Claim 12

The polymer alloy according to claim 10, characterised by said polymer of vinyl aromatic monomer and conjugated diolefin is a linear or radial block polymer comprising from 40 to 60 weight % of vinyl aromatic monomer, from 60 to 40 weight % of conjugated diolefin and from 0.5 to 3 weight % of an anhydride of a C₄₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid which polymer has been hydrogenated to at least 90 weight %.

Claim 13

The polymer alloy according to claim 3, characterised by said polymer of comprising at least two C₂₋₃ alpha olefins is a copolymer of ethylene and propylene in a weight ratio from 50:50 to 75:25.

Claim 14

The polymer alloy according to claim 3, characterised by said terpolymers comprise from 97 to 99.5 weight % of ethylene and propylene in a weight ratio from 50:50 to 75:25 and from 3 to 0.5 weight % of a non-conjugated diolefin monomer.

Claim 15

The polymer alloy according to claim 14, characterised by said non-conjugated diolefin monomer is selected from : of 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, 1,4-hexadiene and dicyclopentadiene.

Claim 16

The polymer alloy according to claim 3, characterised by said co- and homo-polymers of C₄₋₆ conjugated diolefins are co- and homo-polymers of one or more monomers selected from : butadiene, isoprene and chloroprene.

Claim 17

The polymer alloy according to claim 3, characterised by said copolymer of a conjugated diolefin and an alkenyl nitrile comprises: (a) from 60 to 95 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : butadiene, isoprene and chloroprene; (b) from 40 to 5 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile.

Claim 18

The polymer alloy according to claim 3, characterised by said copolymer of a conjugated diolefin and an alkenyl nitrile comprises: (a) from 57 to 94.5 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : butadiene, isoprene and chloroprene; (b) from 40 to 5 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile; and (c) from 0.5 to 3 weight % of one or more functional monomers selected from: (i) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, (ii) C₄₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides of such acids; (iii) amides of C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; and (iv) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated aldehydes.

Claim 19

The polymer alloy according to claim 3, characterised by said copolymer comprising isoprene and isobutylene is unhalogenated.

Claim 20

The polymer alloy according to claim 3, characterised by said urethane thermoplastic elastomer is a polyester urethane having a molecular weight from 10,000 to 150,000 based on adipic acid or caprolactone.

Claim 21

A blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article having a composition characterised by comprising from 60 to 98 weight % of one or more polymers selected from : co- and homo-polymers of D, L, or DL, lactic acid and; from 2 to 40 weight percent of one or more polymers selected from : (i) co- and homo-polymers of one or more C₂₋₆ alkylene oxides; (ii) a C₂₋₆ alkylene ether of a C₂₋₁₀ alkanol; (iii) copolymers comprising from 80 to 20 weight % of one or more C₈₋₁₂ vinyl aromatic monomers which are unsubstituted or substitute by a C₁₋₄ alkyl radical, from 20 to 80 weight % of one or more C₄₋₆ conjugated diolefins and from 0 to 5 weight % of one or more functional monomers selected from : (a) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; (b) C₄₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides of such acids; (c) amides of C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; and (d) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated aldehydes; which polymers are unhydrogenated or hydrogenated to not less than 80%; (iv) polymers comprising at least two C₂₋₃ alpha olefins; (v) terpolymers comprising from 95 to 99.5 weight % of at least two alpha C₂₋₃ olefins and from 5 to 0.5 weight % of a non-conjugated diolefin; (vi) synthetic co- and homo-polymers comprising one or more monomers selected from : C₄₋₆ conjugated diolefins which are unsubstituted or substituted by a halogen atom; (vii) copolymers comprising: (a) from 60 to 99 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : C₄₋₆ conjugated diolefins; (b) from 1 to 40 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : C₂₋₄ alkenyl nitriles; and (c) from 0 to 5 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : (1) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; (2) C₄₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides of such acids; (3) amides of C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; and (4) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated aldehydes; (viii) copolymers of isoprene and isobutylene in a molar ratio from 1:99 to 3:97 which copolymers are unhalogenaed or halogenated with up to 3 weight % of chlorine or bromine; and (ix) a polyurethane thermoplastic elastomer

Claim 22

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 21, characterised by said polymer of lactic acid has a molecular weight of at least 60,000.

Claim 23

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 22, characterised by said polymer of lactic acid is present in an amount from 70 to 95 weight %.

Claim 24

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 23, characterised by said polymer of a C₂₋₆ alkylene oxide is selected from : polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide.

Claim 25

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 24, characterised by said poly alkylene oxide has a molecular weight from 8,000 to 100,000.

Claim 26

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 25, characterised by said polymer of a C₂₋₆ alkylene oxide has a molecular weight from 8,000 to 60,000.

Claim 27

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 23, characterised by said C₂₋₆ alkylene ether of a C₂₋₁₀ alkanol is vinyl alcohol.

Claim 28

The blow, injection compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 23, characterised by said polymer of vinyl aromatic monomer and conjugated diolefin monomer comprises: from 60 to 40 weight % of one or more C₈₋₁₂ vinyl aromatic monomers which are unsubstituted or substitute by a C₁₋₄ alkyl radical and from 40 to 60 weight % of one or more C₄₋₆ conjugated diolefins and from 0 to 3 weight % of one or more functional monomers selected from : (a) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; (b) C₄₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides of such acids; (c) amides of C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; and (d) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated aldehydes.

Claim 29

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 28, characterised by said vinyl aromatic monomer is selected from : styrene, alpha methyl styrene and tertiary butyl styrene.

Claim 30

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 29, characterised by said conjugated diolefin is selected from : 1,4 butadiene and isoprene.

Claim 31

The blow, injection or compression molded, extrudes or thermoformed article according to claim 30, characterised by said polymer of vinyl aromatic monomer and conjugated diolefin polymer comprises only vinyl aromatic monomer and conjugated diolefin.

Claim 32

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article to claim 30, characterised by said polymer of vinyl aromatic monomer and conjugated diolefin is a linear or radial block polymer comprising from 40 to 60 weight % of vinyl aromatic monomer, from 60 to 40 weight % of conjugated diolefin and from 0.5 to 3 weight % of an anhydride of a C₄₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid which polymer has been hydrogenated to at least 90 weight %.

Claim 33

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article to claim 23, characterised by said polymer comprising at least two C₂₋₃ alpha olefins is a copolymer of ethylene and propylene in a weight ratio from 50:50 to 75:25.

Claim 34

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 23, characterised by said terpolymers comprise from 97 to 99.5 weight % of ethylene and propylene in a weight ratio from 50:50 to 75:25 and from 3 to 0.5 weight % of a non-conjugated diolefin monomer.

Claim 35

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 34, characterised by said non-conjugated diolefin monomer is selected from : of 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, 1,4-hexadiene and dicyclopentadiene.

Claim 36

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 23, characterised by said co- and homo-polymers of C₄₋₆ conjugated diolefins are co- and homo-polymers of one or more monomers selected from : butadiene, isoprene and chloroprene.

Claim 37

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 23, characterised by said copolymer of a conjugated diolefin and an alkenyl nitrile comprises: (a) from 60 to 95 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : butadiene, isoprene and chloroprene; (b) from 40 to 5 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile.

Claim 38

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 23, characterised by said copolymer of a conjugated diolefin and an alkenyl nitrile comprises: (a) from 57 to 94.5 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : butadiene, isoprene and chloroprene; (b) from 40 to 5 weight % of one or more monomers selected from : acrylonitrile and methacrylonitrile; and (c) from 0.5 to 3 weight % of one or more functional monomers selected from: (i) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids, (ii) C₄₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated dicarboxylic acids and anhydrides of such acids; (iii) amides of C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acids; and (iv) C₃₋₆ ethylenically unsaturated aldehydes.

Claim 39

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 23, characterised by said copolymer comprising isoprene and isobutylene is unhalogenated.

Claim 40

The blow, injection or compression molded, extruded or thermoformed article according to claim 23, characterised by said urethane thermoplastic elastomer is a polyester urethane having a molecular weight from 10,000 to 150,000 based on adipic acid or caprolactone.

Claim 41

The article of any one of claims 21 to 40, characterised by being a sheet, film, bag, or blister packaging.

Claim 42

The article of any one of claims 21 to 41, characterised by being translucent or transparent.

Claim 43

The alloy of any one of claims 1 to 20, characterised by being flexible.

Claim 44

The alloy of any one of claims 1 to 20, and 43, characterised by being translucent or transparent.