Reinforced thermoplastic compositions

Claim 2

A REINFORCED THERMOPLASTIC COMPOSITION COMPRISING FROM ABOUT 5 TO ABOUT 45 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF ALPHA-CELLULOSE, FROM ABOUT 0.05 TO ABOUT 35 PERCENT BY WEIGHT OF AN IONIC HYDROCARBON COPOLYMER WITH THE BALANCE BEING A POLYOLEFIN SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF LOW DENSITY POLYETHYLENE, POLYPROPYLENE AND POLYBUTENE, THE SAID IONIC HYDROCARBON COPOLYMER COMPRISING A COPOLYMER OF AN ALPHAOLEFIN HAVING THE FORMULA:

Claim 3

The thermoplastic composition of claim 1 wherein the said polyolefin is polypropylene.

Claim 4

The thermoplastic composition of claim 1 wherein the said polyolefin is low-density polyethylene.

Claim 5

A reinforced thermoplastic composition comprising a polyolefin and uniformly dispersed throughout the said polyolefin polymer selected from the group consisting of low-density polyethylene, polypropylene and polybutene, from 10 to about 40 percent by weight of alpha-cellulose having adsorbed thereon from about 0.05 to about 35 percent by weight of an ionic hydrocarbon copolymer with the weight percent balance being said polyolefin, the said ionic hydrocarbon copolymer comprising a copolymer of an alpha-olefin having the formula: R-CH CH2, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl radicals having from 1 to 8 carboN atoms and an alpha-beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, said copolymer having from 10 to 90 percent of the carboxylic acid groups ionized by neutralization with metal ions uniformly distributed throughout the copolymer, said copolymer being a direct copolymer of the alpha-olefin and the unsaturated carboxylic acid in which the carboxylic acid groups are randomly distributed over all molecules and in which (1) the alpha-olefin content of the copolymer is at least 50 mole percent based on the alpha-olefin-acid copolymer, (2) the unsaturated carboxylic acid content of the copolymer is from 0.2 to 25 mole percent, based on the alpha-olefin-acid copolymer, and (3) any other monomer component optionally copolymerized in said copolymer is monoethylenically unsaturated, and said metal ions being selected from the group consisting of mon, di and trivalent ions of metals in Groups I, II, III, IV-A and VII of the Periodic Table of Elements and having an ionized valence of from 1 to 3 inclusive when the unsaturated acid is a monocarboxylic acid and an ionized valence of 1 when the unsaturated acid is a dicarboxylic acid and said metal ions being selected from the group consisting of uncomplexed and complexed metal ions, said ionic copolymers having solid state properties characteristic of crosslinked polymers and melt-fabricability properties characteristic of uncrosslinked, thermoplastic polymers.

Claim 6

A reinforced thermoplastic composition comprising a polyolefin and uniformly dispersed throughout the said polyolefin polymer selected from the group consisting of low-density polyethylene, polypropylene and polybutene, from 10 to about 40 percent by weight of alpha-cellulose having adsorbed thereon from about 0.05 to about 35 percent by weight of an ionic hydrocarbon copolymer with the weight percent balance being said polyolefin, the said ionic hydrocarbon copolymer comprising a copolymer of an alpha-olefin having the formula: R-CH CH2, wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and alkyl radicals having from 1 to 8 carboN atoms and an alpha-beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, said copolymer having from 10 to 90 percent of the carboxylic acid groups ionized by neutralization with metal ions uniformly distributed throughout the copolymer, said copolymer being a direct copolymer of the alpha-olefin and the unsaturated carboxylic acid in which the carboxylic acid groups are randomly distributed over all molecules and in which (1) the alpha-olefin content of the copolymer is at least 50 mole percent based on the alpha-olefin-acid copolymer, (2) the unsaturated carboxylic acid content of the copolymer is from 0.2 to 25 mole percent, based on the alpha-olefin-acid copolymer, and (3) any other monomer component optionally copolymerized in said copolymer is monoethylenically unsaturated, and said metal ions being selected from the group consisting of mon, di and trivalent ions of metals in Groups I, II, III, IV-A and VII of the Periodic Table of Elements and having an ionized valence of from 1 to 3 inclusive when the unsaturated acid is a monocarboxylic acid and an ionized valence of 1 when the unsaturated acid is a dicarboxylic acid and said metal ions being selected from the group consisting of uncomplexed and complexed metal ions, said ionic copolymers having solid state properties characteristic of crosslinked polymers and melt-fabricability properties characteristic of uncrosslinked, thermoplastic polymers.

Claim 7

The thermoplastic composition of claim 4 wherein the said polyolefin is low density polyethylene.

Claim 8

The thermoplastic composition of claim 4 wherein the said polyolefin is polypropylene.

Claim 9

The thermoplastic composition of claim 4 wherein the alpha-beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid in the said ionic hydrocarbon copolymer is monocarboxylic.

Claim 10

The thermoplastic composition of claim 4 wherein the said ionic hydrocarbon copolymer the alpha-olefin of the formula R-CH CH2 is ethylene.

Claim 11

The thermoplastic composition of claim 4 wherein in the said ionic hydrocarbon copolymer the metal ion is an ion of an alkali metal.

Claim 12

The thermoplastic composition of claim 4 wherein the quantity of the ionic hydrocarbon copolymer adsorbed on the said alpha cellulose is from about 0.05 to about 0.50 weight percent.