Block copolymers of conjugated dienes and lactones as modifiers of unsaturated polyesters

Claim 2

A composition comprising: (a) a block copolymer of the form A-D) y wherein A is a polymer segment which comprises one or more polymer blocks formed at least in part from one or more conjugated diene monomers, D is a polymer segment which comprises one or more polymer blocks formed from one or more lactone monomers, and y is 1, 2, 3 or 4; (b) an unsaturated polyester; and (c) a vinyl monomer.

Claim 3

The composition of claim 1 wherein A is formed in part from one or more monovinylarene monomers.

Claim 4

The composition of claim 2 wherein the conjugated diene monomers are selected from the group of conjugated dienes having 4 to about 12, inclusive, carbon atoms per molecule, the monovinylarene monomers are selected from the group of monovinylarenes having 8 to about 12, inclusive, carbon atoms per molecule, and the lactone monomers are selected from the group of lactones represented by the formula ##STR3## wherein each R is selected independently from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl; R' is selected from the group consisting of R, hydrogen and a radical of the formula ##STR4## and, when R' is the radical ##STR5## no R is attached to the carbon atom to which the radical is attached; x is 1, 3 or 4; and the total number of carbon atoms in all the R and R' substituents does not exceed 12.

Claim 5

The composition of claim 3 wherein the conjugated diene is 1,3-butadiene, the monovinylarene is styrene, and the lactone is epsilon-caprolactone.

Claim 6

The composition of claim 4 wherein D constitutes about 2 to about 40 weight percent of A plus D.

Claim 7

The composition of claim 3 wherein y is 1.

Claim 8

The composition of claim 3 wherein y is 2.

Claim 9

The composition of claim 1 further comprising a catalyst.

Claim 10

The composition of claim 8 wherein the catalyst is t-butyl perbenzoate.

Claim 11

The composition of claim 8 further comprising a reinforcing agent.

Claim 12

The composition of claim 10 wherein the reinforcing agent comprises fibers of glass.

Claim 13

The composition of claim 10 further comprising at least one ingredient selected from the group consisting of stabilizers, lubricants, pigments, fillers and thickening agents.

Claim 14

The composition of claim 1 wherein A further comprises the residue of a capping agent.

Claim 15

The composition of claim 13 wherein the capping agent is propylene oxide.

Claim 16

The composition of claim 3 wherein y is 1, the conjugated diene is 1,3-butadiene, the monovinylarene is styrene, the lactone is epsilon-caprolactone, D constitutes about 2 to about 4 weight percent of A plus D, and the molecular weight of the block copolymer is within the range of about 35,000 to about 150,000.

Claim 17

A stable composition formed from a process comprising the steps of: (a) providing a lithium-terminated polymer of the form A(DLi) y wherein A is a polymer segment comprising one or more polymer blocks formed at least in part from one or more conjugated diene monomers, D is a polymer segment comprising one or more polymer blocks formed from one or more lactone monomers, and y is1, 2, 3, or 4; (b) contacting the lithium-terminated polymer A(D-Li) y with a terminating agent selected from the group consisting of water, a mineral acid and a carboxylic acid, thus producing a block copolymer of the form A(D) y ; and (c) mixing, in a vinyl monomer, the block copolymer of the form A(D) y and an unsaturated polyester.

Claim 18

A stable composition formed from a process comprising the steps of: (a) providing a lithium-terminated polymer of the form A(DLi) y wherein A is a polymer segment comprising one or more polymer blocks formed at least in part from one or more conjugated diene monomers, D is a polymer segment comprising one or more polymer blocks formed from one or more lactone monomers, and y is1, 2, 3, or 4; (b) contacting the lithium-terminated polymer A(D-Li) y with a terminating agent selected from the group consisting of water, a mineral acid and a carboxylic acid, thus producing a block copolymer of the form A(D) y ; and (c) mixing, in a vinyl monomer, the block copolymer of the form A(D) y and an unsaturated polyester.

Claim 19

The composition of claim 16 wherein A is formed in part from one or more monovinylarene monomers.

Claim 20

The composition of claim 17 wherein the conjugated diene monomers are selected from the group of conjugated dienes having 4 to about 12, inclusive, carbon atoms per molecule, the monovinylarene monomers are selected from the group of monovinylarenes having 8 to about 12, inclusive, carbon atoms per molecule, and the lactone monomers are selected from the group of lactones represented by the formula ##STR6## wherein each R is selected independently from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, aryl, alkaryl and aralkyl; R' is selected from the group consisting of R, hydrogen and a radical of the formula ##STR7## and, when R' is the radical ##STR8## no R is attached to the carbon atom to which the radical is attached; x is 1, 3 or 4; and the total number of carbon atoms in all the R and R' substituents does not exceed 12.

Claim 21

The composition of claim 18 wherein the conjugated diene is 1,3-butadiene, the monovinylarene is styrene, the lactone is epsilon-caprolactone, D constitutes about 2 to about 40 weight percent of A plus D, and the molecular weight of the block copolymer is within the range of about 35,000 to about 150,000.

Claim 22

The composition of claim 19 wherein y is 1.

Claim 23

The composition of claim 20 wherein the polymer of the form A(D-Li) y is formed by a process comprising (1) polymerizing styrene in a hydrocarbon diluent at a temperature within the range of about 40° to about 125° C.; (2) adding 1,3-butadiene monomer to the polystyrene-containing hydrocarbon diluent and allowing the 1,3-butadiene monomer to polymerize so as to form a lithium-terminated styrene-butadiene block copolymer; (3) adding a capping agent to the hydrocarbon diluent containing the lithium-terminated styrene-butadiene block copolymer and allowing the capping agent to react therewith; and (4) adding to the hydrocarbon diluent containing the capped copolymer an amount of epsilon-caprolactone monomer within the range of about 8 to about 50 weight percent based on the weight of the total monomers, and allowing the epsilon-caprolactone monomer to polymerize at a temperature within the range of about 0° to about 70° C.

Claim 24

The composition of claim 21 wherein the hydrocarbon diluent is cyclohexane, the initiator is n-butyllithium, and the capping agent is propylene oxide.

Claim 25

The composition of claim 22 wherein the lithium-terminated polymer of the form A(D-Li) y is contacted with the terminating agent at or before substantially quantative conversion of the epsilon-caprolactone monomer to polymer.

Claim 26

The composition of claim 23 wherein the terminating agent is water.

Claim 27

A process for preparing a composition comprising the steps of (1) polymerizing styrene in a hydrocarbon diluent at a temperature of about 40° to about 125° C. using an initiator represented by the formula R"(Li) y wherein R" is a hydrocarbon radical selected from aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and aromatic radicals and combinations thereof and y is an integer from 1 to 4; (2) adding 1,3-butadiene monomer to the polystyrene-containing hydrocarbon diluent and allowing the 1,3-butadiene monomer to polymerize so as to form a lithium-terminated styrene-butadiene block copolymer; (3) adding a capping agent to the hydrocarbon diluent containing the lithium terminated styrene-butadiene block copolymer and allowing the capping agent to react therewith; (4) adding to the hydrocarbon diluent containing the capped copolymer an amount of epsilon-caprolactone monomer within the range of about 8 to about 50 weight percent based on the weight of the total monomers, and allowing the epsilon-caprolactone monomer to polymerize at a temperature within the range of about 0° to about 70° C.; (5) contacting the thus-formed lithium-terminated styrene-butadiene-caprolactone block copolymer with a terminating agent selected from the group consisting of water, a mineral acid and a carboxylic acid; (6) recovering the thus-formed block copolymer from the hydrocarbon diluent; and (7) blending, in styrene solution, the block copolymer and an unsaturated polyester at a temperature less than 30° C. and in a weight ratio of unsaturated polyester to block copolymer of about 15:1 to about 0.5 to 1.

Claim 28

A process for preparing a composition comprising the steps of (1) polymerizing styrene in a hydrocarbon diluent at a temperature of about 40° to about 125° C. using an initiator represented by the formula R"(Li) y wherein R" is a hydrocarbon radical selected from aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and aromatic radicals and combinations thereof and y is an integer from 1 to 4; (2) adding 1,3-butadiene monomer to the polystyrene-containing hydrocarbon diluent and allowing the 1,3-butadiene monomer to polymerize so as to form a lithium-terminated styrene-butadiene block copolymer; (3) adding a capping agent to the hydrocarbon diluent containing the lithium terminated styrene-butadiene block copolymer and allowing the capping agent to react therewith; (4) adding to the hydrocarbon diluent containing the capped copolymer an amount of epsilon-caprolactone monomer within the range of about 8 to about 50 weight percent based on the weight of the total monomers, and allowing the epsilon-caprolactone monomer to polymerize at a temperature within the range of about 0° to about 70° C.; (5) contacting the thus-formed lithium-terminated styrene-butadiene-caprolactone block copolymer with a terminating agent selected from the group consisting of water, a mineral acid and a carboxylic acid; (6) recovering the thus-formed block copolymer from the hydrocarbon diluent; and (7) blending, in styrene solution, the block copolymer and an unsaturated polyester at a temperature less than 30° C. and in a weight ratio of unsaturated polyester to block copolymer of about 15:1 to about 0.5 to 1.

Claim 29

The method of claim 25 wherein the hydrocarbon diluent is cyclohexane, the initiator is n-butyllithium and the capping agent is propylene oxide.

Claim 30

The method of claim 26 wherein the terminating agent is water.

Claim 31

The method of claim 27 wherein the weight ratio of unsaturated polyester to block copolymer is about 5:1 to 1:1.

Claim 32

The method of claim 28 wherein the molecular weight of the block copolymer is about 35,000 to about 150,000.