Polycarbonate and Blends

The use of amine stabilizers in blends should generally not be considered (ami-nolysis of the PC phase) because of their basicity and their tendency to discolor under light exposure. Frequently used stabilizers are 2,6 di-tert-butyl-p-cresol, dilauryl thiodipropionate, and tris(nonylphenyl)phosphite. The load level ranges between 0.1 and 1.0 wt.% this amount can be reduced by utilizing synergetic interaction [551]. 

Organic silicon compounds are also used alone. In contrast to phosphites, they do not reduce hydrolysis resistance in polycarbonates. 

Phosphites and phosphonites are not suitable for long-term stabilization at service temperatures of max. 130 to 140 °C. Yellowing can be effectively prevented by adding sterically hindered phenols. Long-term stabilizers are added during substrate 

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ASA materials with butadiene rubber content and ABS materials are notably less resistant to stress-cracking than ASA modified with pure acrylate rubber. Polycarbonate and blends with polycarbonate exhibit lower resistance than ASA modified with pure acrylate rubber. 

Usage of phosphoms-based flame retardants for 1994 in the United States has been projected to be 150 million (168). The largest volume use maybe in plasticized vinyl. Other use areas for phosphoms flame retardants are flexible urethane foams, polyester resins and other thermoset resins, adhesives, textiles, polycarbonate—ABS blends, and some other thermoplastics. Development efforts are well advanced to find appHcations for phosphoms flame retardants, especially ammonium polyphosphate combinations, in polyolefins, and red phosphoms in nylons. Interest is strong in finding phosphoms-based alternatives to those halogen-containing systems which have encountered environmental opposition, especially in Europe. 

Examples of photothermoplasts include polyacrylates, polyacrylamides, polystyrenes, polycarbonates, and their copolymers (169). An especially well-re searched photothermoplast is poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA), which is blended with methyl methacrylate (MMA) or styrene as a monomer, and titanium-bis(cyclopentadienyl) as a photoinitiator (170). 

Polycarbonates are prepared commercially by two processes Schotten-Baumaim reaction of phosgene (qv) and an aromatic diol in an amine-cataly2ed interfacial condensation reaction or via base-cataly2ed transesterification of a bisphenol with a monomeric carbonate. Important products are also based on polycarbonate in blends with other materials, copolymers, branched resins, flame-retardant compositions, foams (qv), and other materials (see Flame retardants). Polycarbonate is produced globally by several companies. Total manufacture is over 1 million tons aimuaHy. Polycarbonate is also the object of academic research studies, owing to its widespread utiUty and unusual properties. Interest in polycarbonates has steadily increased since 1984. Over 4500 pubflcations and over 9000 patents have appeared on polycarbonate. Japan has issued 5654 polycarbonate patents since 1984 Europe, 1348 United States, 777 Germany, 623 France, 30 and other countries, 231. 

During the eady development of polycarbonates, many bisphenols were investigated for potential useftil products. Some of these monomers and polymers are hsted in Table 3. Despite this intensive search, however, no homopolycarbonates other than that of BPA have been produced. Copolymers and blends, on the other hand, have been quite successhil. Blends of polycarbonate with ABS and with poly(butylene terephthalate) (PBT in particular have shown significant growth since the mid-1980s. 

Polycarbonate—polyester blends were introduced in 1980, and have steadily increased sales to a volume of about 70,000 t. This blend, which is used on exterior parts for the automotive industry, accounting for 85% of the volume, combines the toughness and impact strength of polycarbonate with the crystallinity and inherent solvent resistance of PBT, PET, and other polyesters. Although not quite miscible, polycarbonate and PBT form a fine-grained blend, which upon analysis shows the glass-transition temperature of the polycarbonate and the melting point of the polyester. 

Alloys and blends are of great commercial significance. The archetype of "alloys" is the poly(phenylene oxide)—polystyrene resin discussed eadier. Important examples of blends based on immiscible resins are afforded by the polycarbonate—poly(butylene terephthalate) resins and polycarbonate—ABS blends. 

The process of blending with another glassy polymer to raise the heat distortion temperature is not restricted to polycarbonate, and the polysulphones are obvious candidates because of their higher Tg. One blend has been offered (Arylon T by USS Chemicals) which has a higher softening point than the ABS-polycarbonates. 

There has also been active interest in blends of PBT with other polymers. These include blends with PMMA and polyether-ester rubbers and blends with a silicone/polycarbonate block copolymer. 

The RIM process was originally developed for the car industry for the production of bumpers, front ends, rear ends, fascia panels and instrument housings. At least one mass-produced American car has RIM body panels. For many of these products, however, a number of injection moulding products are competitive, including such diverse materials as polycarbonate/PBT blends and polypropylene/EPDM blends. In the shoe industry the RIM process has been used to make soling materials from semi-flexible polyurethane foams. 

Phosphorus -bromine flame retardant synergy was demonstrated in a 2/1 polycarbonate/polyethylene blend. These data also show phosphorus to be about ten times more effective than bromine in this blend. Brominated phosphates, where both bromine and phosphorus are in the same molecule, were also studied. In at least one case, synergy is further enhanced when both phosphorus and bromine are in the same molecule as compared with a physical blend of a phosphorus and a bromine compound. On a weight basis, phosphorus and bromine in the same molecule are perhaps the most efficient flame retardant combination. The effect of adding an impact modifier was also shown. 

A 2/1 blend of polycarbonate and polyethylene terephthalate (PC/PET) was flame retarded with bromine, phosphorus, a blend of bromine and phosphorus, and compounds containing both phosphorus and bromine in the same molecule. All compositions contained 0.5 % Teflon 6C as a drip inhibitor and where specified 5 % of an impact modifier. 

Table 6 shows the flamability characteristics of an impact modified 2/1 polycarbonate/PET blend containing 6 % of the various flame retardants. The composition containing the brominated phosphate 60/4 is the only one which is V-0 by the UL-94 vertical burn test. At 10 % add-on, the all-bromine containing resin is V-1 and at 13 % add-on the all-phophorus containing resin is V-0. 

Polycarbonate-polystyrene blend along with poly(alkylene-dicarboxylate) such as SMA SEBS copolymer for toughening blends of PPO with nylon and polyolefin (proprietary compatibilizer)... 

Birley, A.W. and Chen, X.Y., A preliminary study of blends of bisphenol A polycarbonate and poly (ethylene terephtalate), Brit. Polym. J., 17, 297, 1985. 

We previously reported that brominated aromatic phosphate esters are highly effective flame retardants for polymers containing oxygen such as polycarbonates and polyesters (9). Data were reported for use of this phosphate ester in polycarbonates, polyesters and blends. In some polymer systems, antimony oxide or sodium antimonate could be deleted. This paper is a continuation of that work and expands into polycarbonate alloys with polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET) and acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene (ABS). 

Various blend ratios of polycarbonate and PBT polyester were flame retarded with the three flame retardants. These data are shown graphically in Figure 3. Brominated phosphate is the most efficient and brominated polycarbonate the least efficient flame retardant. At a 50/50 ratio of polycarbonate/PBT, brominated phosphate is significantly more effective than brominated polystyrene. 

Pellow-Jarman, M. and Hetem, M., The effect of the polybutylene terephthalate constituent on the reactions occurring in PBT-polycarbonate polymer blends below their decomposition temperature, Plast. Rubber Composites Proc. Appl., 23, 31-41 (1995). 

Polycarbonate is blended with a number of polymers including PET, PBT, acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene terpolymer (ABS) rubber, and styrene-maleic anhydride (SMA) copolymer. The blends have lower costs compared to polycarbonate and, in addition, show some property improvement. PET and PBT impart better chemical resistance and processability, ABS imparts improved processability, and SMA imparts better retention of properties on aging at high temperature. Poly(phenylene oxide) blended with high-impact polystyrene (HIPS) (polybutadiene-gra/f-polystyrene) has improved toughness and processability. The impact strength of polyamides is improved by blending with an ethylene copolymer or ABS rubber. 

M. Zobel, T. Eckel, T. Derr, and D. Wittmann, Flame-resistant polycarbonate ABS blends, US Patent 6528561, assigned to Bayer Aktiengesellschaft (Leverkusen, DE), March 4, 2003. 

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