Shaped articles from orientable polymers and polymer microbeads

Claim 1

A shaped article selected from the group .[.comprising.]. .Iadd.consisting of .Iaddend.films, sheets, bottles, tubes, fibers and rods wherein said article comprises a continuous oriented polymer phase selected from the group .[.comprising.]. .Iadd.consisting of ep polyesters and polypropylene having dispersed therein microbeads of a cross-linked polymer coated with a slop agent and which are at least partially bordered by void space .Iadd.formed from substantially closed cells so that substantially no open fluid transport path extends across opposed sides of said article.Iaddend., said microbeads being present in an amount of about 5-50% by weight based on the weight of said oriented polymer, said void space occupying about 2-60% by volume of said shaped article wherein said cross-linked polymer comprises polymerizable organic material which is a member selected from the group consisting of an alkenyl aromatic compound having the general formula ##STR4## wherein Ar represents an aromatic hydrocarbon radical, or an aromatic .[.halohydracarbon.]. .Iadd.halohydrocarbon .Iaddend.radical of the benzene series and R is hydrogen or the methyl radical; acrylate-type monomers include monomers of the formula ##STR5## wherein R is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and an alkyl radical containing from about 1 to 12 carbon atoms and R' is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and methyl; copolymers of vinyl chloride and vinylidene chloride, acrylonitrile and vinyl chloride, vinyl bromide, vinyl esters having the formula ##STR6## wherein R is an alkyl radical containing from 2 to 18 carbon atoms; acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, citraconic acid, maleic acid, fumaric acid, oleic acid, vinylbenzoic acid; the synthetic polyester resins which are prepared by reacting terephthalic acid and dialkyl terephthalics or ester-forming derivatives thereof, with a glycol of the series HO(CH 2 ) n OH, wherein n is a whole number within the range of 2-10 and having reactive olefinic linkages within the polymer molecule, the hereinabove described polyesters which include copolymerized therein up to 20 percent by weight of a second acid or ester thereof having reactive olefinic unsaturation and mixtures thereof, and a cross-linking agent selected from the group consisting of divinylbenzene, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, oiallyl fumarate, diallyl phthalate and mixtures thereof.