Vinyl halide polymer blends of enhanced impact resistance

Claim 2

In a vinyl halide polymer composition which is capable of being molded to an impact resistant, substantially transparent to translucent article and which comprises a blend of a vinyl halide polymer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are vinyl halide monomer residues and a polymeric impact modifier for polyvinyl halide wherein the monomer units consist essentially of methyl methacrylate, 1,3-butadiene and styrene residues and which has about the same refractive index as said vinyl halide polymer, the improvement wherein the blend also comprises a block thermoplastic elastomer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are residues of a mono-alkenyl-substituted aromatic compound of a benzene or naphthalene series of 8 to 20 atoms and a conjugated alkadiene hydrocarbon of 4 to 10 carbon atoms, said block elastomer being normally incompatible with said vinyl halide polymer, said vinyl halide polymer being present in a proportion of about 50 to about 99 weight percent in said blend, and said polymeric impact modifier and said block elastomer together being present in a proportion of about one to about 50 weight percent in said blend with the weight ratio of said block elastomer to said polymeric impact modifier being about 5:1 to about 1:5.

Claim 3

The composition of claim 1 wherein the alkenyl aromatic compound is a hydrocarbon of the benzene series and the weight ratio of the block elastomer to the polymeric impact modifier is about 4:1 to about 1:4.

Claim 4

The composition of claim 2 wherein the units of the block elastomer are styrene and 1,3-butadiene or isoprene and the proportion of the polymeric impact modifier and the block elastomer in the composition is in the range of about 5 to 20 weight percent based on the weight of the blend.

Claim 5

The composition of claim 3 wherein the vinyl halide polymer is a homopolymer of vinyl chloride and the proportion of the polymeric impact modifier and styrene block elastomer in the composition is about 8 to about 15 weight percent based on the weight of the blend.

Claim 6

The composition of claim 4 wherein the vinyl chloride polymer is a bulk-polymerized polymer of vinyl chloride.

Claim 7

The composition of claim 5 wherein the block elastomer is a styrene-1,3-butadiene block polymer.

Claim 8

The composition of claim 6 wherein the weight ratio of the styrene to the 1,3-butadiene in the block elastomer is in the range of from about 1:1.5 to about 1:3.

Claim 9

The composition of claim 7 wherein the block elastomer is a diblock polymer containing styrene and 1,3-butadiene monomer residues in the weight ratio of about 1:3 and the weight ratio of the block polymer to the polymeric impact modifier is about 1:1.

Claim 10

The composition of claim 7 wherein the block elastomer is a triblock polymer containing styrene and 1,3-butadiene monomer residues in a weight ratio of about 1:3 and the weight ratio of the block polymer to the polymeric impact modifier is about 1:1.

Claim 11

The composition of claim 7 wherein the block elastomer is a radial block elastomer containing styrene and 1,3-butadiene monomer residues in the weight ratio of about 1:2.3 and the weight ratio of the block elastomer to the polymeric impact modifier is in the range of about 1:1 to about 4:1.

Claim 12

The composition of claim 7 wherein the block elastomer is a radial block elastomer containing styrene and 1,3-butadiene monomer residues in a ratio of about 2:3 and the weight ratio of block polymer to the polymeric impact modifier is about 1:1 to about 4:1.

Claim 13

The composition of claim 5 wherein the block elastomer is a styrene-isoprene block elastomer.

Claim 14

The composition of claim 12 wherein the block elastomer is a triblock elastomer containing styrene and isoprene monomer residues in a weight ratio of about 1:6 and the weight ratio of the block elastomer to the polymeric impact modifier is about 1:1.

Claim 15

An impact resistant, substantially transparent or translucent molded article formed from the composition of claim 1.

Claim 16

A vinyl halide polymer composition which is capable of being molded to an impact resistant, substantially transparent or transluscent article which comprises a blend of a vinyl halide polymer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are vinyl halide monomer residues; a polymeric impact modifier for polyvinyl halide wherein the monomer units consist essentially of methyl methacrylate, 1,3-butadiene and styrene residues and which has about the same refractive index as said vinyl halide polymer; and a block thermoplastic elastomer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are residues of a monovinyl-aromatic hydrocarbon compound of the benzene or naphthalene series of 8 to 20 carbon atoms and a conjugated alkadiene hydrocarbon of 4 to 10 carbon atoms, the proportion of said vinyl-aromatic hydrocarbon residues to said alkadiene residues being in the range of from about 1:1 to about 1:10, said block elastomer being normally incompatible with said vinyl halide polymer, said vinyl halide polymer being present in a proportion of about 50 to about 99 weight percent in said blend, and said polymeric impact modifier and said block elastomer together being present in a proportion of about one to about 50 weight percent in said blend with the weight ratio of said block elastomer to said polymeric impact modifier being about 5:1 to about 1:5.

Claim 17

A vinyl halide polymer composition which is capable of being molded to an impact resistant, substantially transparent or transluscent article which comprises a blend of a vinyl halide polymer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are vinyl halide monomer residues; a polymeric impact modifier for polyvinyl halide wherein the monomer units consist essentially of methyl methacrylate, 1,3-butadiene and styrene residues and which has about the same refractive index as said vinyl halide polymer; and a block thermoplastic elastomer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are residues of a monovinyl-aromatic hydrocarbon compound of the benzene or naphthalene series of 8 to 20 carbon atoms and a conjugated alkadiene hydrocarbon of 4 to 10 carbon atoms, the proportion of said vinyl-aromatic hydrocarbon residues to said alkadiene residues being in the range of from about 1:1 to about 1:10, said block elastomer being normally incompatible with said vinyl halide polymer, said vinyl halide polymer being present in a proportion of about 50 to about 99 weight percent in said blend, and said polymeric impact modifier and said block elastomer together being present in a proportion of about one to about 50 weight percent in said blend with the weight ratio of said block elastomer to said polymeric impact modifier being about 5:1 to about 1:5.

Claim 18

In a vinyl halide polymer composition which is capable of being molded to an impact resistant, substantially transparent or translucent article and which comprises a blend of a vinyl halide polymer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are vinyl halide monomer residues and a polymeric impact modifier of polyvinyl halide wherein the monomer units consist essentially of methyl methacrylate, 1,3-butadiene and styrene residues and which has about the same refractive index as said vinyl halide polymer, the improvement wherein the blend also comprises a block thermoplastic elastomer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are residues of a mono-alkenyl-substituted aromatic compound of a benzene or naphthalene series of 8 to 20 atoms and a conjugated alkadiene hydrocarbon of 4 to 10 carbon atoms, said block elastomer being normally incompatible with said vinyl halide polymer, said vinyl halide polymer being present in a proportion of about 50 weight percent in said blend, and said polymeric impact modifier and said block elastomer together being present in a proportion of about 50 weight percent in said blend with the weight ratio of said block elastomer to said polymeric impact modifier being about 5:1 to about 1:5.

Claim 19

In a vinyl halide polymer composition which is capable of being molded to an impact resistant, substantially transparent or translucent article and which comprises a blend of a vinyl halide polymer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are vinyl halide monomer residues and a polymeric impact modifier of polyvinyl halide wherein the monomer units consist essentially of methyl methacrylate, 1,3-butadiene and styrene residues and which has about the same refractive index as said vinyl halide polymer, the improvement wherein the blend also comprises a block thermoplastic elastomer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are residues of a mono-alkenyl-substituted aromatic compound of a benzene or naphthalene series of 8 to 20 atoms and a conjugated alkadiene hydrocarbon of 4 to 10 carbon atoms, said block elastomer being normally incompatible with said vinyl halide polymer, said vinyl halide polymer being present in a proportion of about 50 weight percent in said blend, and said polymeric impact modifier and said block elastomer together being present in a proportion of about 50 weight percent in said blend with the weight ratio of said block elastomer to said polymeric impact modifier being about 5:1 to about 1:5.

Claim 20

The composition of claim 16 wherein the alkenyl aromatic compound is a hydrocarbon of the benzene series and the weight ratio of the block elastomer to the polymeric impact modifier is about 4:1 to about 1:4.

Claim 21

A composition of claim 17 wherein the units of the block elastomer are styrene and 1,3-butadiene or isoprene.

Claim 22

The composition of claim 18 wherein the vinyl halide polymer is a homopolymer of vinyl chloride.

Claim 23

The composition of claim 19 wherein the vinyl chloride polymer is a bulk-polymerized polymer of vinyl chloride.

Claim 24

The composition of claim 20 wherein the block elastomer is a styrene-1,3-butadiene block polymer.

Claim 25

The composition of claim 21 wherein the weight ratio of the styrene to the 1,3-butadiene in the block elastomer is in the range of from about 1:1.5 to about 1:3.

Claim 26

The composition of claim 22 wherein the block elastomer is a diblock polymer containing styrene and 1,3-butadiene monomer residues in the weight ratio of about 1:3 and the weight ratio of the block polymer to the polymeric impact modifier is about 1:1.

Claim 27

The composition of claim 22 wherein the block elastomer is a triblock polymer containing styrene and 1,3-butadiene monomer residues in a weight ratio of about 1:3 and the weight ratio of the block polymer to the polymeric impact modifier is about 1:1.

Claim 28

The composition of claim 22 wherein the block elastomer is a radial block elastomer containing styrene and 1,3-butadiene monomer residues in the weight ratio of about 1:2.3 and the weight ratio of the block elastomer to the polymeric impact modifier is in the range of about 1:1 to about 4:1.

Claim 29

The composition of claim 22 wherein the block elastomer is a radial block elastomer containing styrene and 1,3-butadiene monomer residues in a ratio of about 2:3 and the weight ratio of block polymer to the polymeric impact modifier is about 1:1 to about 4:1.

Claim 30

The composition of claim 20 wherein the block elastomer is a styrene-isoprene block elastomer.

Claim 31

The composition of claim 27 wherein the block elastomer is a triblock elastomer containing styrene and isoprene monomer residues in a weight ratio of about 1:6 and the weight ratio of the block elastomer to the polymeric impact modifier is about 1:1.

Claim 32

An impact resistant, substantially transparent or translucent molded article formed from the composition of claim 16.

Claim 33

A vinyl halide polymer composition which is capable of being molded to an impact resistant, substantially transparent or translucent article which comprises a blend of a vinyl halide polymer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are vinyl halide monomer residues: a polymeric impact modifier for polyvinyl halide wherein the monomer units consist essentially of methyl methacrylate, 1,3-butadiene and styrene residues and which has about the same refractive index as said vinyl halide polymer; and a block thermoplastic elastomer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are residues of a monovinyl-aromatic hydrocarbon compound of the benzene or naphthalene series of 8 to 20 carbon atoms and a conjugated alkadiene hydrocarbon of 4 to 10 carbon atoms, the proportion of said vinyl-aromatic hydrocarbon residues to said alkadiene residues being in the range of from about 1:1 to about 1:10, said block elastomer being normally incompatible with said vinyl halide polymer, said vinyl halide polymer being present in a proportion of about 50 weight percent in said blend, and said polymeric impact modifier and said block elastomer together being present in a proportion of about 50 weight percent in said blend with the weight ratio of said block elastomer to said polymeric impact modifier being about 5:1 to about 1:5.

Claim 34

A vinyl halide polymer composition which is capable of being molded to an impact resistant, substantially transparent or translucent article which comprises a blend of a vinyl halide polymer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are vinyl halide monomer residues: a polymeric impact modifier for polyvinyl halide wherein the monomer units consist essentially of methyl methacrylate, 1,3-butadiene and styrene residues and which has about the same refractive index as said vinyl halide polymer; and a block thermoplastic elastomer wherein the major proportion of the monomer units are residues of a monovinyl-aromatic hydrocarbon compound of the benzene or naphthalene series of 8 to 20 carbon atoms and a conjugated alkadiene hydrocarbon of 4 to 10 carbon atoms, the proportion of said vinyl-aromatic hydrocarbon residues to said alkadiene residues being in the range of from about 1:1 to about 1:10, said block elastomer being normally incompatible with said vinyl halide polymer, said vinyl halide polymer being present in a proportion of about 50 weight percent in said blend, and said polymeric impact modifier and said block elastomer together being present in a proportion of about 50 weight percent in said blend with the weight ratio of said block elastomer to said polymeric impact modifier being about 5:1 to about 1:5.