Non-Dust Blend

Abstract

The present invention concerns a non-dust blend comprising tris(2-t-butylphenyl) phosphite.

Claims

1. A non-dust blend comprising tris(2-t-butylphenyl) phosphite.

2. The non-dust blend according to claim 1, wherein the amount of dust in the non-dust blend is less than about 1% by weight of the non-dust blend.

3. The non-dust blend according to claim 1, wherein the tris(2-t-butylphenyl) phosphite is obtainable or obtained by adding 2-t-butyl phenol to a phosphorus trihalide.

4. The non-dust blend according to claim 3, wherein the 2-t-butyl phenol is added to the phosphorus trihalide by subsurface addition.

5. The non-dust blend according to claim 3, wherein the addition of 2-t-butyl phenol to the phosphorus trihalide is conducted in the presence of a catalyst.

6. The non-dust blend according to claim 5, wherein the catalyst has the formula NR.sub.1R.sub.2R.sub.3 wherein R.sub.1 is H or an optionally substituted hydrocarbyl group and R.sub.2 and R.sub.3, which may be the same or different, are both optionally substituted hydrocarbyl groups of carbon chain length >1; and/or wherein the catalyst has a cation and an anion, the cation having the formula N.sup.+R.sub.1R.sub.2R.sub.3R.sub.4 wherein R.sub.1 to R.sub.4, which may be the same or different, are optionally substituted hydrocarbyl groups having >1 carbon atoms.

7. The non-dust blend according to claim 1, wherein the tris(2-t-butylphenyl) phosphite has a purity of at least about 98%.

8. The non-dust blend according to claim 1, wherein the non-dust blend additionally comprises one of more of: i. a phenolic antioxidant; ii. a sulphur-containing antioxidant; iii. an aminic antioxidant; iv. a UV stabiliser; v. a metal carboxylate; vi. a clarifying agent and/or a nucleating agent; vii. a secondary inorganic antioxidant or reducing agent; and/or viii. an inorganic acid scavenger.

9. The non-dust blend according to claim 8, comprising a phenolic antioxidant and one or more of components ii. to viii.

10. The non-dust blend according to claim 8, wherein the phenolic antioxidant comprises a fully hindered phenolic antioxidant.

11. The non-dust blend according to claim 10, wherein the fully hindered phenolic antioxidant comprises tetrakismethylene(3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxyhydrocinnamate) methane; 2,2′thiodiethylene bis[3(3,5-di-t-butyl hydroxyphenyl)propionate]; octadecyl 3-(3′,5′-di-t-butyl-4′-hydroxyphenyl) propionate; 1,3,5-tris(3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl) isocyanurate; 1,3,5-trimethyl-2,4,6-tris(3,5-di-t-butyl-4-hydroxybenzyl)benzene; N,N′-hexamethylenebis[3-(3,5-di-t-butyl hydroxyphenyl)propionamide]; 1,2-bis(3,5-di-t-butyl hydroxyhydrocinnamoyl)hydrazine; 2,2′-ethylidenebis[4,6-di-t-butylphenol]; butylated hydroxytoluene; and/or compatible mixtures of two or more thereof.

12. The non-dust blend according to claim 8, wherein: the metal carboxylate comprises one or more of a metal stearate and/or a metal lactate; the clarifying agent and/or a nucleating agent comprises a metal benzoate and/or a sorbitol derivative; the secondary inorganic antioxidant comprises one or more of a metal hypophosphite, a metal thiosulphate, a metal bisulphite, a metal metabisulphite and/or a metal hydrosulphite; and/or the inorganic acid scavenger comprises one or more of a metal oxide, a metal hydroxide, a metal carbonate, a metal carboxylate, a metal salt and/or a hydrotalcite-like compound.

13. A process for forming the non-dust blend according to claim 1, comprising the steps of: a. extruding or otherwise processing tris(2-t-butylphenyl) phosphite, optionally as part of a blend with one or more other additives, to provide a substrate; b. cooling the substrate; and c. optionally fragmenting the cooled substrate.

14. The process according to claim 13, wherein step a. is carried out using an extruder.

15. The process according to claim 14, wherein the extruder comprises a plurality of heating zones.

16. The process according to claim 14, wherein the extruder comprises a die maintained at a temperature which deviates by no more than ±5° C. from the melt temperature of tris(2-t-butylphenyl) phosphite.

17. The process according to claim 13, wherein the process additionally comprises the step of removing dust by sieving.

18. The process according to claim 13, wherein the extruding step comprises a cold extrusion and wherein the process additionally comprises compaction.

19. (canceled)

20. A stabilised polymeric composition comprising a polymer and the non-dust blend according to claim 12.

21. The stabilised polymeric composition according to claim 20, wherein the non-dust blend is present in an amount of from about 0.01 wt. % to about 5 wt. % based on the total weight of the stabilised polymeric composition.

22. An article manufactured from the stabilised polymeric composition according to claim 21.

Description

EXAMPLES

Preparation of Non-Dust Blends Containing TOTBP

Example 1

[0199] A powder blend having the components identified in Table 1 was prepared.

TABLE-US-00001 TABLE 1 Amount Shorthand Component Manufacturer (wt. %) ANOX ™ Tetrakismethylene SI Group 40 20 (3,5-di-t-butyl-4- hydroxyhydrocinnamate) methane TOTBP Tris(2-t-butylphenyl) SI Group 40 phosphite DHT-4V Magnesium aluminium Kasumi 20 hydrotalcite Chemicals

[0200] 10 kg of the powder blend was charged to a BRABENDER™ FW40 Plus feeder. The powder blend was introduced at a rate of 11 kg/hr into Zone 1 of a STEER™ MEGA 30 twin screw extruder. The powder blend was processed through the twin screw extruder set with a screw speed of 130 rpm, and the temperature conditions outlined in Table 2.

TABLE-US-00002 TABLE 2 Extruder Zone Temperature (° C.) 1 50 2 80 3 75 4 75 5 70 6 65 7 60 8 70 Die 73 Melt Temperature* 73 *Melt temperature at die

[0201] The extrudate was passed through a die with a single row of four 3 mm diameter holes. The extruded strands were cooled on a stainless-steel belt and the cooled strands fragmented via pneumatic conveyance. The resultant material was passed through a 2-stage sieve tower (5 mm and 0.5 mm apertures) and the pellets falling within 5 mm to 0.5 mm constituted the non-dust blend granules.

Example 2

[0202] A powder blend having the components identified in Table 3 was prepared.

TABLE-US-00003 TABLE 3 Amount Shorthand Component Manufacturer (wt. %) ANOX ™ Tetrakismethylene SI Group 40 20 (3,5-di-t-butyl-4- hydroxyhydrocinnamate) methane TOTBP Tris(2-t-butylphenyl) SI Group 40 phosphite ZnSt Zinc Stearate Baerlocher 20

[0203] 10 kg of the powder blend was charged to a BRABENDER™ FW40 Plus feeder. The powder blend was introduced at a rate of 11 kg/hr into Zone 1 of a STEER™ MEGA 30 twin screw extruder. The powder blend was processed through the twin screw extruder set with a screw speed of 90 rpm, and the temperature conditions outlined in Table 4.

TABLE-US-00004 TABLE 4 Extruder Zone Temperature (° C.) 1 50 2 75 3 75 4 70 5 70 6 55 7 60 8 70 Die 75 Melt Temperature* 72 *Melt temperature at die

[0204] The extrudate was passed through a die with a single row of four 3 mm diameter holes. The extruded strands were cooled on a stainless-steel belt and the cooled strands fragmented via pneumatic conveyance. The resultant material was passed through a 2-stage sieve tower (5 mm and 0.5 mm apertures) and the pellets falling between 5 mm and 0.5 mm constituted the non-dust blend granules.

Example 3

[0205] A powder blend having the components identified in Table 5 was prepared.

TABLE-US-00005 TABLE 5 Amount Shorthand Component Manufacturer (wt. %) ANOX ™ Tetrakismethylene SI Group 40 20 (3,5-di-t-butyl-4- hydroxyhydrocinnamate) methane TOTBP Tris(2-t-butylphenyl) SI Group 40 phosphite Talc Talc (HTPC1) IMI Fabi 20

[0206] 10 kg of the powder blend was charged to a BRABENDER™ FW40 Plus feeder. The powder blend was introduced at a rate of 11 kg/hr into Zone 1 of a STEER™ MEGA 30 twin screw extruder. The powder blend was processed through the twin screw extruder set with a screw speed of 110 rpm, and the temperature conditions outlined in Table 6.

TABLE-US-00006 TABLE 6 Extruder Zone Temperature (° C.) 1 50 2 80 3 75 4 70 5 70 6 55 7 60 8 70 Die 75 Melt Temperature* 72 *Melt temperature at die

[0207] The extrudate was passed through a die with a single row of four 3 mm diameter holes. The extruded strands were cooled on a stainless-steel belt and the cooled strands fragmented via pneumatic conveyance. The resultant material was passed through a 2-stage sieve tower (5 mm and 0.5 mm apertures) and the pellets falling between 5 mm and 0.5 mm constituted the non-dust blend granules.

Example 4

[0208] Example 4 is a prophetic example.

[0209] A powder blend having the components identified in Table 7 is prepared.

TABLE-US-00007 TABLE 7 Amount Shorthand Component Manufacturer (wt. %) ANOX ™ Tetrakismethylene SI Group 40 20 (3,5-di-t-butyl-4- hydroxyhydrocinnamate) methane TOTBP Tris(2-t-butylphenyl) SI Group 40 phosphite CaSt Calcium stearate Faci 20

[0210] 10 kg of the powder blend is charged to a BRABENDER™ FW20 feeder. The powder blend is introduced at a rate of 1-2 kg/hr into a California Pellet Mill (CPM™) CL3 laboratory mill fitted with a die (hole diameter=3.2 mm; wall thickness=25.4 mm; effective path length=25.4 mm) and with the cutting blade positioned 5 mm from the die. The mill is operated at sufficient pressure and roller speed to affect pelletisation while maintaining the temperature of the discharged pellets below the melt point of TOTBP.

[0211] The resultant material is cooled and passed through a 2-stage sieve tower (5 mm and 0.5 mm apertures) and the pellets falling between 5 mm and 0.5 mm constitute the non-dust blend granules.