Zeolite-based additive suitable for polymer processing

Abstract

In a first aspect, the present invention relates to a process improvement additive suitable for polymer processing, wherein this process improvement additive comprises a carrier polymer, a binding component and one or more fluoropolymers and wherein this process improvement additive further comprises one or more zeolites. In a second aspect, the present invention relates to a method for processing a polymer, wherein a process improvement additive is added to the polymer prior to processing and wherein this process improvement additive comprises a carrier polymer, a binding component, one or more fluoropolymers and one or more zeolites.

Claims

1. A process improvement additive suitable for polymer processing, wherein the process improvement additive comprises a carrier polymer, a binding component and one or more fluoropolymers, characterised in that this process improvement additive further comprises one or more zeolites at a concentration between 0.25 to 1.25 m % and the zeolite is gottardite.

2. The process improvement additive according to claim 1, characterised in that the fluoropolymers have a concentration in the process improvement additive comprised between 1.00 and 4.00 m %.

3. The process improvement additive according to claim 2, characterised in that the concentration of the fluoropolymers in the process improvement additive is comprised between 1.00 and 3.50 m %.

4. The process improvement additive according to claim 1, characterised in that the process improvement additive comprises one or more antioxidants, which have a total concentration in the process improvement additive comprised between 0.50 and 3.00 m %.

5. The process improvement additive according to claim 4, characterised in that the total concentration of the antioxidants in the process improvement additive is comprised between 0.50 and 2.00 m%.

6. The process improvement additive according to claim 1, characterised in that the zeolites relate to the fluoropolymers according to a mass ratio comprised between 1:4 and 1:2.

7. The process improvement additive according to claim 1, characterised in that the process improvement additive comprises one or more fluoropolymers chosen from polyvinyl fluoride (PVF), polyethylene tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) and tetrafluoroethylene propylene (FEPM).

8. The process improvement additive according to claim 7, characterised in that the process improvement additive comprises one or more fluoropolymers chosen from PVF and ETFE.

9. The process improvement additive according to claim 1, characterised in that the process improvement additive comprises antioxidants octadecyl-3-(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionate and tris-(2,4-di-tert-butylphenyl)-phosphite according to a mass ratio of 1:4.

10. The process improvement additive according to claim 1, characterised in that the binding component comprises ethylene oxide and the carrier polymer is chosen from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonates, polyesters, polyurethanes (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), styrenes, and other elastomers.

11. The process improvement additive according to claim 1, characterised in that the process improvement additive further comprises sodium carbonate in a concentration comprised between 0.50 and 5.00 m % in the process improvement additive.

12. A method for the processing of polymers, wherein a process improvement additive is added to the polymer prior to processing, characterised in that the process improvement additive is an additive according to claim 1.

13. The method according to claim 12, characterised in that the process improvement additive is diluted in the polymer according to a dilution factor comprised between 1:10 and 1:150.

14. The method according to claim 13, characterised in that the dilution factor is comprised between 1:75 and 1:150.

15. The method according to claim 12, wherein the polymer is chosen from polyethylene (PE), polypropylene (PP), polycarbonates, polyesters, polyurethanes (PU), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), styrenes, and other elastomers.

16. The method according to claim 12, wherein the processing of the polymer comprises one or more techniques chosen from extrusion, extrusion blow moulding, blown film extrusion, injection moulding, compression moulding and thermoforming.

Description

EXAMPLES

(1) The invention will now be further explained on the basis of the following examples, without however being limited to this.

Example 1: Composition of a Clinoptilotic Process Improvement Additive

(2) Example 1 refers to a clinoptilotic process improvement additive that is suitable for processing polyethylene.

(3) TABLE-US-00001 component concentration (m %) clinoptilotite 0.50 polyvinyl fluoride 0.80 polyethylene tetrafluoroethylene 0.80 Irganox B900 0.80 ethylene oxide 0.10 polyethylene 97.00

(4) Adding this process improvement additive for processing polyethylene has a variety of advantages. By applying this process improvement additive, an increased production speed is achieved as a result of an increased screw speed of the extruder. Specifically, the screw speed can be increased by 5 RPM without having a detrimental effect on the quality of the formed polymer. In addition, processing can take place at lower temperatures and lower melting pressure. Specifically, the temperature can be reduced by about 20° C. compared to processing without applying this process improvement additive. As a result, a product can be formed in which black holes and black spots are absent. The overall quality of the polymer is also improved as a result of reduced gel production.

(5) The use of this process improvement additive has the additional advantage that production can be continued continuously for longer, i. e. less maintenance is needed, and less general problems arise, which means that the production line only rarely needs to be stopped and restarted. This reduces waste generation. In addition, the waste material created during production can be efficiently reused as new source material.

(6) The above benefits together generate energy savings of around 4% and entail significant annual cost reductions.

Example 2: Composition of an Analcime- and Natrolite-Containing Process Improvement Additive

(7) Example 2 refers to an analcime- and natrolite-containing process improvement additive that is suitable for processing polypropylene.

(8) TABLE-US-00002 component concentration (m %) analcime 0.30 natrolite 0.30 polyvinyl fluoride 0.80 polyethylene tetrafluoroethylene 0.50 tetrafluoroethylene propylene 0.30 Irganox B900 0.70 ethylene oxide 0.10 polypropylene 97.00

(9) This analcime- and natrolite-containing process improvement additive optimises the processing of polypropylene significantly. For example, the melting pressure and operating temperature during extrusion is reduced and a production rate is obtained that is up to 50% higher than if this process improvement additive is not applied. The quality of the extruded product is also higher due to improved gel formation. The gel quality decreases by up to 30% by using this process improvement additive.