Abstract 1. A PROCESS FOR FABRICATING AN ARTICLE FROM A THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSTION, SAID COMPOSITION BEING A THERMOPLASTIC IONOMER; E.E., A POLYMER HAVING A THERMOPLASTIC BACKBONE POSSESSING IONIC GROUPS PENDENT THERETO, SAID GROUPS BEING CAPABLE OF FORMING IONIC DOMAINS, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) ADDING A NONVOLALITE PREFERENTIAL PLASTICIZER TO SAID IONOMER INCORPORATED IN SAID COMPOSITION IN THE AMOUNT 0.1 TO 50 MOLE PER MOLE OF IONIC GROUP; SAID PLASTICIZER DISPERSIBLE BUT NOT COMPLETELY MOLECULAR SOLUBLE HAVING A MELTING POINT SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE SOFTENING POINT OF THE THERMOPLASTIC BACKBONE AND WHICH EXHIBITS A BOND MOMENT WHOSE ABSOLUTE VALUE IS AT LEAST 0.6 DEBYES; (B) HEATING SAID IONOMER TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SAID PLASTICIZER BUT BELOW THE DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE OF SAID IONOMER; (C) FORMING SAID IONOMER IN A FIRST DESIRED SHAPE AT THE TEMPERATURE SPECIFIED IN PART (B); (D) RE-FORMING TO A SECOND DESIRED SHAPE THE FORMER IONOMER OF PART (C) AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN THAT OF THE SOFTENING AND THE MELTING POINT OF THE NONVOLATILE PLASTICIZER; AND (E) COOLING THE RE-FORMED IONOMER TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW SAID SOFTENING POINT.
A PROCESS FOR FABRICATING AN ARTICLE FROM A THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSTION, SAID COMPOSITION BEING A THERMOPLASTIC IONOMER; E.E., A POLYMER HAVING A THERMOPLASTIC BACKBONE POSSESSING IONIC GROUPS PENDENT THERETO, SAID GROUPS BEING CAPABLE OF FORMING IONIC DOMAINS, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) ADDING A NONVOLALITE PREFERENTIAL PLASTICIZER TO SAID IONOMER INCORPORATED IN SAID COMPOSITION IN THE AMOUNT 0.1 TO 50 MOLE PER MOLE OF IONIC GROUP; SAID PLASTICIZER DISPERSIBLE BUT NOT COMPLETELY MOLECULAR SOLUBLE HAVING A MELTING POINT SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE SOFTENING POINT OF THE THERMOPLASTIC BACKBONE AND WHICH EXHIBITS A BOND MOMENT WHOSE ABSOLUTE VALUE IS AT LEAST 0.6 DEBYES; (B) HEATING SAID IONOMER TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SAID PLASTICIZER BUT BELOW THE DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE OF SAID IONOMER; (C) FORMING SAID IONOMER IN A FIRST DESIRED SHAPE AT THE TEMPERATURE SPECIFIED IN PART (B); (D) RE-FORMING TO A SECOND DESIRED SHAPE THE FORMER IONOMER OF PART (C) AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN THAT OF THE SOFTENING AND THE MELTING POINT OF THE NONVOLATILE PLASTICIZER; AND (E) COOLING THE RE-FORMED IONOMER TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW SAID SOFTENING POINT.
Claim 2
Dependent Claim
178 words
A PROCESS FOR FABRICATING AN ARTICLE FROM A THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSTION, SAID COMPOSITION BEING A THERMOPLASTIC IONOMER; E.E., A POLYMER HAVING A THERMOPLASTIC BACKBONE POSSESSING IONIC GROUPS PENDENT THERETO, SAID GROUPS BEING CAPABLE OF FORMING IONIC DOMAINS, WHICH COMPRISES: (A) ADDING A NONVOLALITE PREFERENTIAL PLASTICIZER TO SAID IONOMER INCORPORATED IN SAID COMPOSITION IN THE AMOUNT 0.1 TO 50 MOLE PER MOLE OF IONIC GROUP; SAID PLASTICIZER DISPERSIBLE BUT NOT COMPLETELY MOLECULAR SOLUBLE HAVING A MELTING POINT SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE THE SOFTENING POINT OF THE THERMOPLASTIC BACKBONE AND WHICH EXHIBITS A BOND MOMENT WHOSE ABSOLUTE VALUE IS AT LEAST 0.6 DEBYES; (B) HEATING SAID IONOMER TO A TEMPERATURE ABOVE THE MELTING POINT OF SAID PLASTICIZER BUT BELOW THE DECOMPOSITION TEMPERATURE OF SAID IONOMER; (C) FORMING SAID IONOMER IN A FIRST DESIRED SHAPE AT THE TEMPERATURE SPECIFIED IN PART (B); (D) RE-FORMING TO A SECOND DESIRED SHAPE THE FORMER IONOMER OF PART (C) AT A TEMPERATURE BETWEEN THAT OF THE SOFTENING AND THE MELTING POINT OF THE NONVOLATILE PLASTICIZER; AND (E) COOLING THE RE-FORMED IONOMER TO A TEMPERATURE BELOW SAID SOFTENING POINT.