Compositions containing amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoates and uses thereof

Abstract

The present disclosure relates to a polymeric composition having an amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and a polymer, and uses thereof.

Description

[Technical Field]

[0001] The present disclosure relates to compositions comprising amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoates and uses thereof. [Background technology]

[0002] In recent years, amid growing concern about environmental issues, active research has been conducted into the treatment and recycling of various household wastes. Specifically, polymeric materials, which are inexpensive and easy to process, are widely used in the manufacture of various products such as paper, film, textiles, packaging materials, bottles, and containers. However, when these products reach the end of their lifespan, incineration can release harmful substances, and natural decomposition can take hundreds of years, depending on the type.

[0003] Therefore, research is ongoing into biodegradable polymers that can decompose in a short period of time, making them environmentally friendly, while also improving mechanical properties such as flexibility and strength, productivity, and processability, thereby extending the life of the product itself, reducing waste, and increasing recyclability.

[0004] Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) are biodegradable polymers produced in nature by microorganisms, such as bacteria, algae, and fungi, through bacterial fermentation of sugars and lipids. They are accumulated as intracellular energy reserves. PHAs are composed of several hydroxyl carboxylic acids, which are produced by many microorganisms and used as intracellular reserves. Polyhydroxyalkanoates have similar physical properties to conventional petroleum-derived synthetic polymers, such as polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polybutylene succinate terephthalate (PBST), and polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA), but are fully biodegradable and highly biocompatible. Due to their biocompatibility and biodegradability, PHAs are widely used in various industries, including tissue engineering, drug delivery, surgery, and wound care, as a sustainable and environmentally friendly alternative to synthetic plastics.

[0005] Acetal homo- and copolymers are often used in demanding industrial applications such as automotive and electronics due to their high modulus, strength, and crystallinity. Acetal polymers are also known as polyoxymethylene (POM), polyacetal, and polyformaldehyde. Acetal polymers are engineering thermoplastics used in precision components due to their high stiffness, low friction, and dimensional stability. With the growing call for sustainability, bio-based carbon feedstocks are being introduced for engineering polymers such as acetal polymers. One such example is DuPont's "Delrin (R) These polymers are made using biowaste-derived methanol as a feedstock. The biobased carbon content of such products is determined according to the ISCC (International Sustainability and Carbon Certification) mass balance approach or ISCC mass balance principles. The present disclosure provides, for example, novel compositions comprising acetal polymers and amorphous PHAs that exhibit increased biobased carbon content.

[0006] Nylon 11 or polyamide 11 (PA11) is a polyamide, bioplastic, and member of the nylon family of polymers produced by the polymerization of 11-aminoundecanoic acid. It is sold under the trade name Rilsan by Arkema. (R) It is produced from castor beans and may be bio-based. Nylon 11 is frequently used in tubing, wire coating, and metal plating in industries such as oil and gas, aerospace, automotive, textiles, electronics, and sporting goods. Due to its low water absorption, moisture, heat, and chemical stability, flexibility, and burst resistance, Nylon 11 is used in a variety of applications, including tubing (fuel lines, hydraulic hoses, and air lines), wire and cable coating, paints, textiles, and shoes.

[0007] Some applications of nylon 11 require greater flexibility and processability. Therefore, plasticizers may be added to improve compounding, processing, and product performance. In other words, incorporating plasticizers into polyamides may be necessary in some applications to reduce their hardness. (R) The most common plasticizer for polyamides is N-butylbenzenesulfonamide (BBSA), which exhibits good plasticizing properties due to the strong hydrogen bond formed between the sulfonamide proton and the carbonyl lone pair of the amide. BBSA (trade name Uniplex (R) 214) is a liquid sulfonamide plasticizer for many resins, including polyacetal, polycarbonate, polysulfone, and polyamide, especially PA11 and PA12.

[0008] However, plasticizing nylon 11 with BBSA presents a number of drawbacks. These include (i) the volatility and sweating of nylon 11 at high service temperatures, (ii) the extraction of BBSA by some high-temperature fluids, (iii) the reduction in the biobased carbon content of nylon 11, and (iv) poor impact denaturation at temperatures near and below -20°C due to freezing of BBSA. The present disclosure provides a solution that potentially overcomes all of the above limitations associated with BBSA-plasticized nylon 11. Summary of the Invention [Problem to be solved by the invention]

[0009] The present disclosure provides a solution that can overcome all of the limitations of the prior art. [Means for solving the problem]

[0010] In one aspect, the present disclosure relates to a composition comprising an amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and its use. The embodiments of the present disclosure are not limited to the above-mentioned composition, and may be variously expanded within the technical concepts included in the present disclosure. [Effects of the Invention]

[0011] PHAs can be environmentally friendly with excellent biodegradability and biocompatibility, and can provide increased or no change in biobased carbon content, high impact strength, and improved flexibility.

[0012] The polymeric composition according to the present disclosure, which includes a polymer and an amorphous PHA, has an increased bio-based carbon content as measured using ASTM D6866 compared to the polymer alone, and also exhibits higher impact toughness, elongation at break, and tensile toughness, and can have improved flexibility. The polymeric composition according to the present disclosure, which includes a polymer and an amorphous PHA, can exhibit higher impact strength, high product flexibility, and improved flexibility.

[0013] Embodiments of the present disclosure are described in further detail below with reference to the detailed description and drawings. [Brief explanation of the drawings]

[0014] The drawings accompanying this disclosure are included to aid in the understanding of the disclosure, are included to illustrate exemplary embodiments, and together with the description are included to aid in the understanding of the disclosure. [Figure 1] 1 is a graph showing the experimental results of measuring tensile elongation (%) when the amount (wt %) of amorphous PHA in a polymer composition containing an acetal polymer and an amorphous PHA is increased. [Figure 2] 1 is a graph showing the experimental results of measuring Izod impact (J / m) when the amount (wt %) of amorphous PHA in a polymer composition containing an acetal polymer and an amorphous PHA is increased. [Figure 3] 1 is a graph showing the results of measuring the tensile modulus (MPa) when the amount (wt %) of amorphous PHA in a polymer composition containing an acetal polymer and an amorphous PHA is increased. [Figure 4]1 is a graph showing the experimental results of measuring tensile stress (MPa) when the amount (wt %) of amorphous PHA in a polymer composition containing an acetal polymer and an amorphous PHA is increased. [Figure 5] 1 is a graph showing the experimental results of measuring Izod impact (J / m) when the amount (wt %) of amorphous PHA in a polymer composition containing nylon 11 and amorphous PHA is increased. [Figure 6] 1 is a graph showing the results of measuring the tensile modulus (MPa) when the amount (wt %) of amorphous PHA in a polymer composition containing nylon 11 and amorphous PHA is increased. [Figure 7] 1 is a graph showing the experimental results of measuring Shore D hardness when the amount (wt %) of amorphous PHA in a polymer composition containing nylon 11 and amorphous PHA is increased. [Figure 8] 1 is a graph showing the experimental results of measuring the tensile strength (MPa) when the amount (wt %) of amorphous PHA in a polymer composition containing nylon 11 and amorphous PHA is increased. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0015] In the following, the present disclosure will be described in detail for a more specific understanding of the present disclosure.

[0016] In this specification, unless otherwise specified, wt% means weight percent based on the total weight of the reference.

[0017] When the word "about" is used, it means that a certain effect or result is obtained within a certain acceptable range, and how to obtain the acceptable range is well known to those skilled in the art. When the word "about" is used to describe a value or an endpoint of a range, it is used in a sense that includes that specific value or endpoint. In one embodiment, when "about" is used with a number, it means plus or minus 20% of that number.

[0018] As used herein, "comprise," "comprising," "includes," "including," "has," "having," or variations thereof, are all intended to denote an open inclusion. For example, a process, method, article, or apparatus having a list of elements is not strictly limited to only the explicitly listed elements, but may include other elements not included in the explicitly listed elements or elements inherent in such process, method, article, or apparatus.

[0019] The transitional expression "consisting of" excludes any element, step, or ingredient not specified in the claim and prohibits the inclusion of materials other than those claimed, except for impurities normally associated with them. When the word "consist of" immediately follows a phrase in the body of a claim, it limits only the clause in which it appears and does not exclude other elements from the claim as a whole. When the word "consist of" appears in a clause in the body of a claim rather than immediately following a preamble, it limits only the elements specified in that clause and does not exclude other elements from the claim as a whole.

[0020] The transitional phrase "consisting essentially of" limits the scope of a claim to certain materials or steps and those that do not materially affect the basic and novel characteristics of the claimed embodiment. A "consisting essentially of" claim is intermediate between a closed claim written in the "consisting of" format and a full open claim written in the "comprising" format. Optional additives (contained in amounts appropriate for such additives) and trace impurities, as defined herein, are not excluded from the composition by the term "consisting essentially of."

[0021] Also, unless otherwise specified, "or" and "and / or" are to be interpreted in an inclusive rather than an exclusive sense. For example, condition A or B, or A and / or B, may satisfy any of the following: A is true (or present) and B is false (or absent), A is false (or absent) and B is true (or present), and both A and B are true (or present).

[0022] The use of the indefinite article "a" or "an" herein when describing various elements or portions as "comprising" is done for convenience and to impart a general meaning to the content of the disclosure. The expressions "one" or "at least one" in this description refer to expressions that include one or more than one, unless clearly indicated otherwise. Similarly, the expression "one" in this description includes expressions that refer to one or more than one.

[0023] In the present disclosure, the glass transition temperature (Tg) and melting temperature (Tm) are measured using a differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Specifically, the glass transition temperature (Tg) and melting temperature (Tm) are measured by performing the first or second scan in DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) mode, and can be confirmed from the heat flow curve obtained by these scans. More specifically, the glass transition temperature (Tg) and melting temperature (Tm) can be confirmed from the heat flow curve obtained by heating from 40°C to 180°C at 10°C / min and then cooling to -50°C at 10°C / min.

[0024] As used herein, "bioattribute" refers to a material produced from biomass-derived organic compounds (e.g., hydrocarbons, fatty acids, alcohols) mixed with fossil-based materials during the manufacturing process and attributed to biomass-derived materials based on a mass balance approach. Biomass is a term used in ecology to describe the amount of living organisms. The mass balance approach is a method of mixing raw materials with certain properties (e.g., bio-based raw materials) with raw materials (e.g., fossil-based raw materials) during the process of converting raw materials into products and during distribution.

[0025] As used herein, "bio-based carbon" refers to carbon present in carbon-containing materials derived from biologically derived materials (naturally derived materials), as opposed to materials derived from ancient carbon sources such as petroleum, petroleum coke, and coal.

[0026] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the term "injection molding" refers to any technique in which one or more materials (injection materials) are injected into a mold to produce an article of a desired shape or configuration.

[0027] As used herein, "thermoforming" refers to a molding process in which a thermoplastic polymeric material is heated to form a shape.

[0028] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the term "blown film" refers to a film forming process in which thermoplastic polymers are blown coextruded to produce a film.

[0029] As used herein, unless otherwise specified, the term "cast film" refers to a film-forming process by casting a thermoplastic polymer into a film or sheet structure that is not substantially oriented by stretching in either the machine or transverse direction after crystallization.

[0030] As used herein, the term "oriented film" refers to a film-forming process in which a film is produced from a thermoplastic polymer and the polymer chains are oriented so that they extend in one or more common directions.

[0031] Although, for convenience, many elements of the present embodiments are discussed separately, listed as options, or ranges of values, for purposes of this disclosure, no combination of any such separate elements, list items, or ranges is intended to limit the scope of this disclosure. Unless otherwise indicated, the various combinations possible with this disclosure are to be considered expressly disclosed by this disclosure for all purposes to which the combinations are applicable.

[0032] The present disclosure relates to a polymeric composition comprising an amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and a polymer. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition is a homogeneous mixture of the amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and the polymer.

[0033] Polyhydroxyalkanoates (PHAs) may be natural thermoplastic polyester polymers that accumulate within microbial cells. They can be biodegradable, compostable, and ultimately decompose into carbon dioxide, water, and organic waste without producing harmful waste. In particular, PHAs are biodegradable in soil and the ocean, so biodegradable resin compositions and biodegradable fibers or nonwoven fabrics prepared therefrom have environmentally friendly properties when they contain PHA resins. Therefore, the biodegradable resin compositions and biodegradable nonwoven fabrics made therefrom have the significant advantage of being biodegradable and environmentally friendly, making them applicable in a variety of fields.

[0034] Furthermore, PHA has similar physical properties to conventional petroleum-derived synthetic polymers such as polybutylene adipate terephthalate (PBAT), polybutylene succinate (PBS), polybutylene succinate terephthalate (PBST), and polybutylene succinate adipate (PBSA), and is completely biodegradable and has excellent biocompatibility.

[0035] Unlike other environmentally friendly plastics such as polybutylene succinate (PBS), polylactic acid (PLA), and polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), PHA can be synthesized from over 150 types of monomers, and depending on the type of monomer, hundreds of different types of PHA can be prepared. There are hundreds of different types of PHA depending on the type of monomer, and their structures and properties are completely different.

[0036] In some embodiments, the present disclosure may exclude amorphous PHAs having a single monomer repeat unit. In some embodiments, the amorphous PHAs disclosed in the present disclosure may be formed by polymerizing two or more types of monomer repeat units. In some embodiments, the amorphous PHAs may exclude homopolyhydroxyalkanoate resins. In some embodiments, the amorphous PHAs may include copolymerized polyhydroxyalkanoate resins. In some embodiments, the amorphous PHAs may include copolymers containing different repeat units randomly.

[0037] In some embodiments, the polymer composition of the present disclosure may have a PHA content of about 10 to about 45 wt %, about 10 to about 35 wt %, about 20 to about 40 wt %, about 20 to about 35 wt %, about 20 to about 30 wt %, about 15 to about 30 wt %, about 18 to about 32 wt %, or about 20 to about 30 wt %, relative to the total amount of the polymer composition. In some embodiments, the PHA content can be about 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30% or more by weight and / or about 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25, 24, 23, 22, 21, 20% or less by weight of the total polymeric composition.

[0038] Examples of repeating units that may be contained in amorphous PHA include 2-hydroxybutyrate, lactic acid, glycolic acid, 3-hydroxybutyric acid (hereinafter referred to as 3-HB), 3-hydroxypropionic acid (hereinafter referred to as 3-HP), 3-hydroxyvaleric acid (hereinafter referred to as 3-HV), 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid (hereinafter referred to as 3-HH), 3-hydroxyheptanoate (hereinafter referred to as 3-HHep), 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid (hereinafter referred to as 3-HO), 3-hydroxynonanoate (hereinafter referred to as 3-HN), 3-hydroxydecanoate (hereinafter referred to as 3-HD), 3-hydroxydodecanoate (hereinafter referred to as 3-HDd), 4-hydroxybutyric acid (hereinafter referred to as 4-HB), 4-hydroxyvaleric acid (hereinafter referred to as 4-HV), 5-hydroxyvaleric acid (hereinafter referred to as 5-HV), and 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid (hereinafter referred to as 6-HH). The amorphous PHA may contain two, three, four or more repeating units selected from the above.

[0039] The amorphous PHA may contain two, three, four, or more repeating units selected from the group consisting of 3-HB, 4-HB, 3-HP, 3-HH, 3-HV, 4-HV, 5-HV, and 6-HH.

[0040] Furthermore, the amorphous PHA may contain isomers. The amorphous PHA may have structural isomers, enantiomers, or geometric isomers. Specifically, the amorphous PHA may contain structural isomers.

[0041] The amorphous PHA may comprise a copolymerized amorphous PHA resin containing at least one repeating unit selected from the group consisting of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB), 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB), 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid (3-HH), 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid (3-HO), 3-hydroxyvaleric acid (3-HV), 4-hydroxyvaleric acid (4-HV), 5-hydroxyvaleric acid (5-HV), and 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid (6-HH).

[0042] Specifically, the copolymerized amorphous PHA contains 4-HB repeating units and may further contain one or more repeating units selected from the group consisting of 3-HB repeating units, 3-HP repeating units, 3-HH repeating units, 3-HV repeating units, 4-HV repeating units, 5-HV repeating units, and 6-HH repeating units. The amorphous PHA resin may contain 4-HB repeating units and 3-HB repeating units.

[0043] In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA can comprise a copolymer containing or consisting of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB), 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid (6-HH), 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid (3-HO), or 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyvaleric acid (3-HV).

[0044] In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA can contain 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB). In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA may include a copolymer containing 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB). In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA may include 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB). In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA may include a copolymer containing 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB).

[0045] In one embodiment, the 3-HB content of the amorphous PHA can be in the range of about 55 to about 75 wt%, about 55 to about 73 wt%, about 55 to about 70 wt%, about 55 to about 65 wt%, about 58 to about 79 wt%, about 58 to about 70 wt%, about 60 to about 75 wt%, about 60 to about 71 wt%, about 65 to about 75 wt%, about 65 to about 70 wt%, about 68 to about 75 wt%, about 68 to about 70 wt%, about 69 to about 75 wt%, or about 70 to about 75 wt%, based on the total amount of the amorphous PHA. In some embodiments, the 3-HB content can be about 50, 51, 52, 53, 54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64, 65, 66, 67, 68, 69% or more by weight, and / or about 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58% or less by weight, based on the total amount of amorphous PHA.

[0046] In one embodiment, the amorphous PHA has a 4-HB content of about 25 to about 45 wt%, about 26 to about 44 wt%, about 27 to about 43 wt%, about 28 to about 42 wt%, about 29 to about 41 wt%, about 30 to about 40 wt%, about 30 to about 41 wt%, about 30 to about 42 wt%, about 30 to about 43 wt%, about 30 to about 44 wt%, about 30 to about 45 wt%, about 31 to about 39 wt%, about 31 to about 40 wt%, about 31 to about 41 wt%, about 31 to about 42 wt%, about 31 to about 43 wt%, about 31 to about 44 wt%, about 31 to about 45 wt%, about 32 to about 38 wt%, about 32 to about 39 wt%, or about 32 to about 40 wt%, based on the total amount of the amorphous PHA. It can be about 32 to about 41% by weight, about 32 to about 42% by weight, about 32 to about 43% by weight, about 32 to about 44% by weight, about 32 to about 45% by weight, about 33 to about 37% by weight, about 33 to about 38% by weight, about 33 to about 39% by weight, about 33 to about 40% by weight, about 33 to about 41% by weight, about 33 to about 42% by weight, about 33 to about 43% by weight, about 33 to about 44% by weight, about 33 to about 45% by weight, about 34 to about 36% by weight, about 34 to about 37% by weight, about 34 to about 38% by weight, about 34 to about 39% by weight, about 34 to about 40% by weight, about 34 to about 41% by weight, about 34 to about 42% by weight, about 34 to about 43% by weight, about 34 to about 44% by weight, or about 34 to about 45% by weight. In some embodiments, the 4-HB content can be about 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or more by weight, and / or can be about 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or less by weight, based on the total amount of amorphous PHA.

[0047] In one embodiment, the amorphous PHA has a 3-HP content of about 25 to about 45 wt%, about 26 to about 44 wt%, about 27 to about 43 wt%, about 28 to about 42 wt%, about 29 to about 41 wt%, about 30 to about 40 wt%, about 30 to about 41 wt%, about 30 to about 42 wt%, about 30 to about 43 wt%, about 30 to about 44 wt%, about 30 to about 45 wt%, about 31 to about 39 wt%, about 31 to about 40 wt%, about 31 to about 41 wt%, about 31 to about 42 wt%, about 31 to about 43 wt%, about 31 to about 44 wt%, about 31 to about 45 wt%, about 32 to about 38 wt%, about 32 to about 39 wt%, about 32 to about 40 wt%, or about The range may be 32 to about 41% by weight, about 32 to about 42% by weight, about 32 to about 43% by weight, about 32 to about 44% by weight, about 32 to about 45% by weight, about 33 to about 37% by weight, about 33 to about 38% by weight, about 33 to about 39% by weight, about 33 to about 40% by weight, about 33 to about 41% by weight, about 33 to about 42% by weight, about 33 to about 43% by weight, about 33 to about 44% by weight, about 33 to about 45% by weight, about 34 to about 36% by weight, about 34 to about 37% by weight, about 34 to about 38% by weight, about 34 to about 39% by weight, about 34 to about 40% by weight, about 34 to about 41% by weight, about 34 to about 42% by weight, about 34 to about 43% by weight, about 34 to about 44% by weight, or about 34 to about 45% by weight. In some embodiments, the 3-HP content can be about 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or more by weight, and / or about 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or less by weight, based on the total amount of amorphous PHA.

[0048] In one embodiment, the amorphous PHA has a 6-HH content of about 25 to about 45 wt%, about 26 to about 44 wt%, about 27 to about 43 wt%, about 28 to about 42 wt%, about 29 to about 41 wt%, about 30 to about 40 wt%, about 30 to about 41 wt%, about 30 to about 42 wt%, about 30 to about 43 wt%, about 30 to about 44 wt%, about 30 to about 45 wt%, about 31 to about 39 wt%, about 31 to about 40 wt%, about 31 to about 41 wt%, about 31 to about 42 wt%, about 31 to about 43 wt%, about 31 to about 44 wt%, about 31 to about 45 wt%, about 32 to about 38 wt%, about 32 to about 39 wt%, or about 32 to about 40 wt%, It can be about 32 to about 41% by weight, about 32 to about 42% by weight, about 32 to about 43% by weight, about 32 to about 44% by weight, about 32 to about 45% by weight, about 33 to about 37% by weight, about 33 to about 38% by weight, about 33 to about 39% by weight, about 33 to about 40% by weight, about 33 to about 41% by weight, about 33 to about 42% by weight, about 33 to about 43% by weight, about 33 to about 44% by weight, about 33 to about 45% by weight, about 34 to about 36% by weight, about 34 to about 37% by weight, about 34 to about 38% by weight, about 34 to about 39% by weight, about 34 to about 40% by weight, about 34 to about 41% by weight, about 34 to about 42% by weight, about 34 to about 43% by weight, about 34 to about 44% by weight, or about 34 to about 45% by weight. In some embodiments, the 6-HH content can be about 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or more by weight, and / or about 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or less by weight, based on the total amount of amorphous PHA.

[0049] In one embodiment, the amorphous PHA has a 3-HO content of about 25 to about 45 wt%, about 26 to about 44 wt%, about 27 to about 43 wt%, about 28 to about 42 wt%, about 29 to about 41 wt%, about 30 to about 40 wt%, about 30 to about 41 wt%, about 30 to about 42 wt%, about 30 to about 43 wt%, about 30 to about 44 wt%, about 30 to about 45 wt%, about 31 to about 39 wt%, about 31 to about 40 wt%, about 31 to about 41 wt%, about 31 to about 42 wt%, about 31 to about 43 wt%, about 31 to about 44 wt%, about 31 to about 45 wt%, about 32 to about 38 wt%, about 32 to about 39 wt%, about 32 to about 40 wt%, or about The range may be 32 to about 41% by weight, about 32 to about 42% by weight, about 32 to about 43% by weight, about 32 to about 44% by weight, about 32 to about 45% by weight, about 33 to about 37% by weight, about 33 to about 38% by weight, about 33 to about 39% by weight, about 33 to about 40% by weight, about 33 to about 41% by weight, about 33 to about 42% by weight, about 33 to about 43% by weight, about 33 to about 44% by weight, about 33 to about 45% by weight, about 34 to about 36% by weight, about 34 to about 37% by weight, about 34 to about 38% by weight, about 34 to about 39% by weight, about 34 to about 40% by weight, about 34 to about 41% by weight, about 34 to about 42% by weight, about 34 to about 43% by weight, about 34 to about 44% by weight, or about 34 to about 45% by weight. In some embodiments, the 3-HO content can be about 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or more by weight, and / or about 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or less by weight, based on the total amount of amorphous PHA.

[0050] In one embodiment, the amorphous PHA has a 3-HV content of about 25 to about 45 wt%, about 26 to about 44 wt%, about 27 to about 43 wt%, about 28 to about 42 wt%, about 29 to about 41 wt%, about 30 to about 40 wt%, about 30 to about 41 wt%, about 30 to about 42 wt%, about 30 to about 43 wt%, about 30 to about 44 wt%, about 30 to about 45 wt%, about 31 to about 39 wt%, about 31 to about 40 wt%, about 31 to about 41 wt%, about 31 to about 42 wt%, about 31 to about 43 wt%, about 31 to about 44 wt%, about 31 to about 45 wt%, about 32 to about 38 wt%, about 32 to about 39 wt%, about 32 to about 40 wt%, or about The range may be 32 to about 41% by weight, about 32 to about 42% by weight, about 32 to about 43% by weight, about 32 to about 44% by weight, about 32 to about 45% by weight, about 33 to about 37% by weight, about 33 to about 38% by weight, about 33 to about 39% by weight, about 33 to about 40% by weight, about 33 to about 41% by weight, about 33 to about 42% by weight, about 33 to about 43% by weight, about 33 to about 44% by weight, about 33 to about 45% by weight, about 34 to about 36% by weight, about 34 to about 37% by weight, about 34 to about 38% by weight, about 34 to about 39% by weight, about 34 to about 40% by weight, about 34 to about 41% by weight, about 34 to about 42% by weight, about 34 to about 43% by weight, about 34 to about 44% by weight, or about 34 to about 45% by weight. In some embodiments, the 3-HV content can be about 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or more by weight, and / or about 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or less by weight, based on the total amount of amorphous PHA.

[0051] In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA may comprise a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB). In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA may comprise a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP). In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA may comprise a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid (6-HH). In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA may comprise a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid (3-HO). In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA may comprise a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyvaleric acid (3-HV).

[0052] In some embodiments, the total crystallinity of the amorphous PHA of the present disclosure can be less than about 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.5, or 0.1%. In certain embodiments, the total crystallinity of the amorphous PHA of the present disclosure can be 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1, 2, 3, or 4% or more. Unless otherwise specified, crystallinity herein refers to a polymer having a first-order transition point or crystalline melting point (Tm) determined by DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimetry) or the like.

[0053] The glass transition temperature (Tg) of the amorphous PHA is about -45°C to about -10°C, about -44°C to about -11°C, about -43°C to about -12°C, about -42°C to about -13°C, about -41°C to about -14°C, about -40°C to about -15°C, about -39°C to about -16°C, about -38°C to about -17°C, about -37°C to about -18°C, about -36°C to about -19°C, about - The temperature may be in the range of 35°C to about -20°C, about -35°C to about -19°C, about -35°C to about -18°C, about -35°C to about -17°C, about -35°C to about -16°C, about -35°C to about -15°C, about -34°C to about -16°C, about -33°C to about -17°C, about -32°C to about -18°C, about -31°C to about -19°C, or about -30°C to about -20°C. In some embodiments, the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the amorphous PHA is about -45, -44, -43, -42, -41, -40, -39, -38, -37, -36, -35, -34, -33, -32, -31, -30, -29, -28, -27, -26, -25, -24, -23, -22, -21, -20, -19, -18, -17, -16, -15, -14, -13, -12, -11, - It can be 10°C or higher and / or can be about -10, -11, -12, -13, -14, -15, -16, -17, -18, -19, -20, -21, -22, -23, -24, -25, -26, -27, -28, -29, -30, -31, -32, -33, -34, -35, -36, -37, -38, -39, -40, -41, -42, -43, -44, -45°C or lower.

[0054] The melting temperature (Tm) of the amorphous PHA may be in the range of about 40° C. to about 100° C., about 45° C. to about 95° C., about 50° C. to about 90° C., about 55° C. to about 85° C., about 60° C. to about 80° C., or about 65° C. to about 75° C. In some embodiments, the melting temperature (Tm) of the amorphous PHA may be about 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, or 100° C. or higher, and / or may be 100, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, or 40° C. or lower.

[0055] The amorphous PHA may have a melt flow index (MFI) of 0.1 to 100 g / 10 min at 165° C. and 5 kg, measured in accordance with ASTM D1238. The melt flow index (MFI) of the first PHA resin at 165°C and 5 kg, measured in accordance with ASTM D1238, may be in the range of about 0.1 to 15 g / 10 minutes, about 0.1 to 12 g / 10 minutes, about 0.1 to 10 g / 10 minutes, about 0.1 to 8 g / 10 minutes, about 0.1 to 6 g / 10 minutes, about 0.1 to 5.5 g / 10 minutes, about 0.5 to 10 g / 10 minutes, about 1 to 10 g / 10 minutes, about 2 to 8 g / 10 minutes, about 3 to 6 g / 10 minutes, or about 3 to 5.5 g / 10 minutes. In some embodiments, the amorphous PHA can have a melt flow index (MFI) of about 0.1, 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20 g / 10 min or more, and / or about 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5.5, 5, 4.5, 4, 3.5, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.5, 1, 0.5, or 0.1 g / 10 min or less, as measured at 165° C. and 5 kg according to ASTM D1238.

[0056] The weight average molecular weight of the amorphous PHA can be in the range of 10,000 to 1,200,000 g / mol, 10,000 to 1,000,000 g / mol, 50,000 to 1,000,000 g / mol, 200,000 to 1,200,000 g / mol, 250,000 to 1,000,000 g / mol, 100,000 to 900,000 g / mol, 500,000 to 900,000 g / mol, 200,000 to 800,000 g / mol, or 200,000 to 500,000 g / mol. In some embodiments, the weight average molecular weight of the amorphous PHA can be about 10,000, 50,000, 100,000, 150,000, 200,000, 250,000, 500,000, 800,000, 900,000, 1,000,000, 1,100,000, 1,200,000 g / mol or more, and / or about 1,200,000, 1,100,000, 1,000,000, 900,000, 800,000, 500,000, 250,000, 200,000, 150,000, 100,000, 50,000, 10,000 g / mol or more.

[0057] The present disclosure relates to a polymer composition comprising an amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and a polymer. The polymer may exclude PHA. In some embodiments, the polymer composition of the present disclosure may have a polymer content of about 50 to about 95 wt %, about 50 to about 90 wt %, about 55 to about 85 wt %, about 55 to about 80 wt %, about 55 to about 70 wt %, about 60 to about 70 wt %, about 70 to about 80 wt %, or about 70 to about 85 wt %, based on the total weight of the polymer composition. In some embodiments, the polymer content can be about 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, 40, 41, 42, 43, 44, 45% or more by weight based on the total weight of the polymeric composition, and / or about 90, 89, 88, 87, 86, 85, 84, 85% or more by weight based on the total weight of the polymeric composition. It can also be 3, 82, 81, 80, 79, 78, 77, 76, 75, 74, 73, 72, 71, 70, 69, 68, 67, 66, 65, 64, 63, 62, 61, 60, 59, 58, 57, 56, 55, 54, 53, 52, 51, 50, 49, 48, 47, 46, 45, 44, 43, 42, 41, 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, 30, 29, 28, 27, 26, 25% by weight or less.

[0058] In some embodiments, the polymer comprises a rigid thermoplastic polymer. As used herein, the term "rigid thermoplastic polymer(s)" generally refers to a polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) value greater than room temperature (25°C) and having a Tg value greater than about 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 105, 110, 115, 120, 125, 130, 140, 145, 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, 200, 210, 220, 230, 240, 250, 260, 270, 280, 290, 305, 310, 320, 330, 340, 350, 360, 370, 380, 390, 410, 420, 430, 440, 450, 460, 470, 480, 490, 510, 520, 530, 540, 550, 560, 570, 580, 590, 610, 620, 630, 640, 650, 660, 670, 680, 690, 705, 710, 720, 730, 740, 750, 760, 770, 780, It refers to polymers having glass transition temperature (Tg) values ​​greater than 0, 220, 230, or 240° C. and / or having glass transition temperature (Tg) values ​​less than about 250, 200, 195, 190, 185, 180, 175, 170, 165, 160, 155, 150, 145, 140, 135, 130, 125, 120, 115, 110, 105, 100, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, or 30° C. Rigid thermoplastic polymers may have a high modulus suitable for applications requiring stiffness and strength. In some embodiments, the rigid thermoplastic polymer has a glass transition temperature (Tg) greater than about 25°C and less than about 220°C, greater than about 50°C and less than about 200°C, greater than about 50°C and less than about 150°C, greater than about 100°C and less than about 200°C, greater than about 100°C and less than about 150°C, or greater than about 150°C and less than about 220°C.

[0059] In some embodiments, the polymer composition according to the present disclosure contains a polyolefin. As used herein, "polyolefin" refers to a homopolymer or copolymer obtained by polymerization of an olefin monomer. Examples of polyolefins include polyethylene, polypropylene, polybutene, polyisobutylene, polypentene, polymethylpentene, and copolymers thereof. In some embodiments, the amount of polyolefin in the polymer composition according to the present disclosure can be less than 0.0001 wt %, based on the total amount of the polymer composition. The amount of polyolefin in the polymer composition according to the present disclosure can be less than 0.001 wt %, 0.01 wt %, or 0.1 wt %, based on the total amount of the polymer composition. In other embodiments, the polymer composition according to the present disclosure does not contain a polyolefin.

[0060] In some embodiments, the polymers described herein can include at least one, two, or three polymers selected from the group consisting of cellulose ester-containing polymers, acetal polymers, and polyamides. In some embodiments, the polymers described herein include one, two, three, four, or five different polymers.

[0061] In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes poly(trimethylene ether) glycol. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes polycaprolactone. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes polypropylene. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes poly(lactic acid) (PLA). In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes maleic anhydride (MA). In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes thermoplastic urethane. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes oligomeric esters. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes polyesteramides. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes polyamides. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes nucleating agents. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition excludes binders.

[0062] In one embodiment, the polymer composition according to the present disclosure includes a polymer and an amorphous PHA, and the polymer may include a cellulose ester. In one embodiment, the polymer may include at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of a cellulose acetate polymer, a cellulose acetate butyrate polymer, a cellulose acetate phthalate polymer, and a cellulose acetate propionate polymer.

[0063] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate may have an acetyl content of about 30 to about 40% by weight, about 31 to about 39% by weight, about 32 to about 38% by weight, about 33 to about 37% by weight, about 34 to about 36% by weight, or about 35 to about 40% by weight. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate may have an acetyl content of about 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, 38, 39, or 40% by weight or more and / or about 40, 39, 38, 37, 36, 35, 34, 33, 32, 31, or 30% by weight or less.

[0064] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate may have a hydroxyl group content in the range of about 3 to about 20% by weight, about 3.5 to about 18% by weight, about 4 to about 15% by weight, or about 5 to about 10% by weight. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate may have a hydroxyl group content of 3, 3.5, 4, 5, 10, 15, 18, or 20% by weight or more and / or about 20, 18, 15, 10, 5, 4, 3.5, or 3% by weight or less.

[0065] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate may have a glass transition temperature (TG) in the range of about 160 to about 190° C., may have a glass transition temperature (TG) in the range of about 165 to about 185° C., or may have a glass transition temperature (TG) in the range of about 170 to 180° C. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate may have a glass transition temperature (TG) of about 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, or 190° C. or higher and / or about 190, 185, 180, 175, 170, 165, or 160° C. or lower.

[0066] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate butyrate polymer can have an acetyl content ranging from about 1 to about 35% by weight, from about 3 to about 30% by weight, from about 5 to about 25% by weight, from about 10 to 20% by weight, or from about 10 to 15% by weight. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate butyrate polymer can have an acetyl content of about 1, 3, 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, or 35% by weight or more, and / or about 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, 10, 5, 3, or 1% by weight or less.

[0067] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate butyrate polymer can have a butyryl content of about 10 to about 55 weight percent, about 15 to about 50 weight percent, about 20 to about 45 weight percent, about 25 to about 40 weight percent, or about 30 to about 35 weight percent. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate butyrate polymer can have a butyryl content of about 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, or 55 weight percent or more, and / or about 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, or 10 weight percent or less.

[0068] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate butyrate polymer can have a hydroxyl content ranging from about 0.5 to about 5 weight percent, from about 1 to about 4.5 weight percent, from about 1.5 to about 4 weight percent, from about 2 to about 3.5 weight percent, or from about 2.5 to about 3 weight percent. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate butyrate polymer can have a hydroxyl content of about 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, or 5 weight percent, and / or up to about 5, 4.5, 4, 3.5, 3, 2.5, 2, 1.5, 1, or 0.5 weight percent.

[0069] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate butyrate polymer may have a glass transition temperature (TG) in the range of about 80 to about 155° C., about 85 to about 150° C., about 90 to about 145° C., about 95 to about 140° C., about 100 to about 135° C., about 110 to about 130° C., or about 120 to about 125° C. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate butyrate polymer may have a glass transition temperature (TG) of about 80, 85, 90, 95, 100, 110, 120, 130, 140, 150, or 155° C. or higher, and / or about 155, 150, 140, 130, 120, 110, 100, 95, 90, 85, or 80° C. or lower.

[0070] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate phthalate can have an acetyl content in the range of about 20 to about 40% by weight, about 25 to about 35% by weight, or about 20 to about 30% by weight. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate phthalate can have an acetyl content of about 20, 25, 30, 35, 40% by weight or more, and / or about 40, 35, 30, 25, 20% by weight or less.

[0071] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate phthalate can have a phthalyl content in the range of about 25 to about 40% by weight, about 25 to 35% by weight, about 30 to about 35% by weight, or about 30 to about 40% by weight. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate phthalate can have a phthalyl content of about 25, 30, 35, or 40% by weight or more, and / or about 40, 35, 30, or 25% by weight or less.

[0072] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate phthalate can have a viscosity of about 45 to about 90 cP, about 50 to about 85 cP, about 55 to about 80 cP, about 60 to about 75 cP, or about 65 to about 70 cP for 15% cellulose acetate phthalate in acetone at 25° C. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate phthalate can have a viscosity of about 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, or 90 cP or more for 15% cellulose acetate phthalate in acetone at 25° C., and / or a viscosity of about 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, or 45 cP or less.

[0073] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate propionate polymer can have an acetyl content in the range of about 1 to about 3 weight percent, about 1.5 to about 2.5 weight percent, about 1 to about 2.5 weight percent, or about 2 to about 3 weight percent. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate propionate polymer can have an acetyl content of about 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, or 3 weight percent or more, and / or 3, 2.5, 2, 1.5, or 1 weight percent or less.

[0074] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate propionate polymer can have a propionyl content in the range of about 30 to about 60 weight percent, about 35 to about 55 weight percent, or about 40 to about 50 weight percent. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate propionate polymer can have a propionyl content of about 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60 weight percent or more, and / or about 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30 weight percent or less.

[0075] In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate propionate has a glass transition temperature in the range of about 130 to 170° C., about 140 to 160° C., or about 145 to 155° C. In some embodiments, the cellulose acetate propionate has a glass transition temperature of about 130, 135, 140, 145, 150, 155, or 160° C. or higher and / or about 160, 155, 150, 145, 140, 135, or 130° C. or lower.

[0076] In one embodiment, the polymeric composition according to the present disclosure comprises a polymer and an amorphous PHA, wherein the polymer has a Sharpie notch impact strength, measured in accordance with ISO 179, of about 3 to about 10 kJ / m 2 , about 4 to about 9 kJ / m 2 , about 5 to about 8 kJ / m 2 , or about 6 to about 7 kJ / m 2 The thermoplastic polymer may have a viscosity in the range of 1000 MPa to 1000 MPa.

[0077] In one embodiment, the polymer composition according to the present disclosure comprises a polymer and an amorphous PHA, and the polymer can comprise a thermoplastic polymer having a notch Izod impact value measured in accordance with ASTM D256A in the range of about 40 to about 100 J / m.

[0078] In some embodiments, the polymeric composition according to the present disclosure includes a polymer and an amorphous PHA, wherein the polymer can include an acetal polymer. Acetal polymers may also be known as polyacetals or polyoxymethylenes. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition can include or exclude polyoxymethylenes.

[0079] In some embodiments, the polymer composition according to the present disclosure includes a polymer and an amorphous PHA, and the amount of amorphous PHA in the polymer composition can be in the range of about 5 to 50% by weight, about 10 to 45% by weight, about 15 to 40% by weight, about 20 to 35% by weight, about 10 to 25% by weight, or about 25 to 30% by weight. In some embodiments, a polymeric composition according to the present disclosure includes a polymer and an amorphous PHA, and the content of the amorphous PHA in the polymeric composition can be about 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 18, 19, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, or 50% by weight or more, and / or can be about 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, or 10% by weight or less.

[0080] In some embodiments, the acetal polymer may comprise an acetal homopolymer, which comprises an oxymethylene group, —(OCH) x and can be produced from the monomer formaldehyde.

[0081] In some embodiments, the acetal polymer can be an acetal copolymer. The polyacetal copolymer contains oxymethylene groups -(OCH2) x The polyacetal copolymer may have oxymethylene repeating units and polyvinyl polymer repeating units having the structure of the following formula (I):

[0082] [ka] In the formula (I), R1 and R2 are each independently hydrogen, an alkyl group, an aryl group, cyano, chloro, acetyl, or an alkyl ester, and n is an integer of 10 to 10000. In some embodiments, the polymer composition according to the present disclosure can contain or exclude a polyvinyl polymer.

[0083] Acetal copolymers may be produced by copolymerizing formaldehyde or a cyclic oligomer of formaldehyde as the main monomer with a compound selected from cyclic ethers and cyclic formalins. Examples of copolymers of cyclic ethers and cyclic formalins include ethylene oxide, propylene oxide, butylene oxide, cyclohexene oxide, oxetane, tetrahydrofuran, trioxepane, 1,3-dioxane, 1,3-dioxolane, propylene glycol formal, diethylene glycol formal, triethylene glycol formal, 1,4-butanediol formal, and 1,6-hexanediol formal. Compounds capable of forming a branched or crosslinked structure may also be used as the copolymer. Examples include alkyl or aryl glycidyl ethers such as methyl glycidyl ether, ethyl glycidyl ether, butyl glycidyl ether, 2-ethyl-hexyl glycidyl ether, and phenyl glycidyl ether; diglycidyl ethers of alkylene glycols or polyalkylene glycols such as ethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, triethylene glycol diglycidyl ether, and butanediol diglycidyl ether; and the like.

[0084] Acetal copolymers have a Sharpie notch impact strength measured according to ISO 179 of approximately 3 to 10 kJ / m 2 , about 4~9kJ / m 2 , about 5~8kJ / m 2 , or about 6 to 7 kJ / m 2 The acetal copolymer may have a Sharpie notch impact strength, measured according to ISO 179, in the range of about 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, or 10 kJ / m 2 or more than and / or about 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4 or 3 kJ / m 2 It can be less than that.

[0085] The acetal copolymer may have a notch Izod impact value, measured according to ASTM D256A, in the range of 40 to 100 J / m, 50 to 90 J / m, 60 to 80 J / m, or 50 to 70 J / m. The notch Izod impact value, measured according to ASTM D256A, of the acetal copolymer can be about 40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90, or 100 kJ / m or more and / or about 100, 90, 80, 70, 60, 50, or 40 kJ / m or less.

[0086] The acetal copolymer may have a melt mass rate, as measured by ISO 1133, in the range of about 1 to about 50 g / 10 min, about 5 to about 40 g / 10 min, about 10 to about 30 g / 10 min, or about 15 to about 20 g / 10 min. The melt mass rate, as measured by ISO 1133, of the acetal copolymer may be 1, 5, 10, 15, 20, 30, 40, or 50 g / 10 min or more, and 50, 40, 30, 20, 15, 10, 5, or 1 g / 10 min or less.

[0087] The acetal copolymer may have a melting temperature according to ISO 3146 in the range of 150 to 180° C., 155 to 175° C., or 160 to 170° C. The acetal copolymer may have a melting temperature according to ISO 3146 of about 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, or 180° C. or higher, and / or about 180, 175, 170, 165, 160, 155, or 150° C. or lower.

[0088] The weight average molecular weight of the polyacetal homopolymer or copolymer can be in the range of about 10,000 to about 500,000, about 20,000 to about 400,000, about 30,000 to about 300,000, about 40,000 to about 200,000, about 50,000 to about 100,000, about 60,000 to about 90,000, or about 70,000 to about 80,000. The weight average molecular weight of the polyacetal homopolymer or copolymer may be about 10,000, 20,000, 30,000, 40,000, 50,000, 60,000, 70,000, 80,000, 90,000, 100,000, 200,000, 300,000, 400,000, 500,000 or more, and / or 500,000, 400,000, 300,000, 200,000, 100,000, 90,000, 80,000, 70,000, 60,000, 50,000, 40,000, 30,000, 20,000, 10,000 or less.

[0089] In some embodiments, a polymeric composition comprising a polyacetal polymer and an amorphous PHA can have a tensile elongation at break that is about 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, or 5 times that of the pure acetal polymer. As used herein, "pure acetal polymer" refers to an acetal polymer that contains up to 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, or 0.01 weight percent of a polymer other than the acetal polymer. In some embodiments, a pure acetal polymer may be 100% acetal polymer and contain no other polymers.

[0090] In some embodiments, a polymeric composition comprising a polyacetal polymer and an amorphous PHA can have a notch Izod impact strength that is about 2 times, or about 2.5 times, 3 times, 3.5 times, 4 times, 4.5 times, or 5 times the notch Izod impact strength of pure acetal polymer.

[0091] In some embodiments, the acetal polymer may have a "bio-attributed" carbon content certified by the International Sustainability & Carbon Certification (ISCC).

[0092] In some embodiments, the polymeric compositions described herein can have a biobased carbon content, as measured using ASTM D6866, in the range of about 10 to about 100%, about 15 to about 95%, about 20 to about 90%, about 25 to about 85%, about 30 to about 80%, about 35 to 75%, about 40 to 70%, about 45 to about 65%, or about 50 to about 60%. In some embodiments, the polymeric composition can have a biobased carbon content of about 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, or 95% or more, and / or about 100, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, or 10% or less, as measured using ASTM D6866.

[0093] In an embodiment, the polymer composition comprising a polyacetal polymer and an amorphous PHA has a bio-based carbon content, as measured using ASTM D6866, in the range of 10 to 100%, 15 to 95%, 20 to 90%, 25 to 85%, 30 to 80%, 35 to 75%, 40 to 70%, 45 to 65%, or 50 to 60%. In certain embodiments, a polymeric composition comprising a polyacetal polymer and an amorphous PHA can have a biobased carbon content of about 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, or 95% or more, and / or about 100, 95, 90, 85, 80, 75, 70, 65, 60, 55, 50, 45, 40, 35, 30, 25, 20, 15, or 10% or less, as measured using ASTM D6866.

[0094] In some embodiments, the polymer composition containing the polyacetal polymer and the amorphous PHA can be injection molded, extruded, or thermoformed to obtain a molded article. In some embodiments, the polymer composition containing the polyacetal polymer and the amorphous PHA can be formed into a film or an oriented film by blown film extrusion, cast film extrusion, or a combination thereof.

[0095] In some embodiments, the polymer composition may include a polyamide polymer and an amorphous PHA. The polyamide polymer may include a low-melting-temperature polyamide. Here, the low-melting-temperature polyamide polymer refers to a polyamide polymer having a melting point in the range of about 150 to about 200°C. In some embodiments, the low-melting-temperature polyamide may include nylon 11 and / or nylon 12. In some embodiments, the low-melting-temperature polyamide may include pure nylon 11. In some embodiments, the low-melting-temperature polyamide may be plasticized. As used herein, "pure nylon 11" refers to a polyamide polymer containing up to 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.9, 0.8, 0.7, 0.6, 0.5, 0.4, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1, or 0.01% by weight of a polymer other than nylon 11. In some embodiments, pure nylon 11 may be 100% nylon 11 polymer and contain no other polymers.

[0096] The polyamide may include an aliphatic polyamide, an aromatic polyamide, or a semi-aromatic polyamide. The polyamide may include an aliphatic polyamide such as nylon. In this specification, nylon includes nylon 6, nylon 6,6, nylon 6,6-6,10, nylon 11, nylon 12, copolymers thereof, derivative compounds, blends thereof, and combinations thereof.

[0097] In certain embodiments, the polyamide can have a biobased carbon content in the range of 80-100%, 83-98%, 85-95%, or 88-93% as measured using ASTM D6866. The polyamide can have a biobased carbon content of greater than or equal to about 80, 83, 85, 88, 90, 93, 95, 98, 99, or 100% as measured using ASTM D6866, and / or less than or equal to about 100, 99, 98, 95, 93, 90, 88, 85, 83, or 80%.

[0098] In some embodiments, the polymeric compositions described herein can have a biobased carbon content in the range of 80-100%, 83-98%, 85-95%, or 88-93% as measured using ASTM D6866. Polymeric compositions comprising a polyamide polymer and an amorphous PHA can have a biobased carbon content of about 80, 83, 85, 88, 90, 93, 95, 98, 99, or 100% or more, and / or about 100, 99, 98, 95, 93, 90, 88, 85, 83, or 80% or less as measured using ASTM D6866.

[0099] The low melting temperature polyamide polymer may have a melting point in the range of about 150 to about 200° C., about 155 to about 195° C., about 160 to 190° C., about 165 to about 185° C., about 170 to about 180° C., about 175 to about 185° C., or about 180 to about 190° C. In some embodiments, the low melting temperature polyamide polymer may have a melting point of about 150, 155, 160, 165, 170, 175, 180, 185, 190, 195, or 200° C. or higher and / or about 200, 195, 190, 185, 180, 175, 170, 165, 160, 155, or 150° C. or lower.

[0100] In one embodiment, the polymer composition includes a polymer and an amorphous PHA, and the polymer can include a block copolymer including a polyether segment.

[0101] The polymeric compositions described herein may have improved notch Izod impact strength relative to the individual polymeric components. In some embodiments, the notch Izod impact strength of a polymeric composition comprising a low-temperature polyamide polymer and an amorphous PHA at room temperature and / or −20° C. may be at least about 30% greater than that of pure nylon 11. In some embodiments, the notch Izod impact strength of a polymeric composition comprising a low-temperature polyamide polymer and an amorphous PHA at room temperature and / or −20° C. may be about 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, or 90% greater than that of pure nylon 11. In some embodiments, the Izod impact strength of the disclosed polymers at room temperature and / or −20° C. may be about 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, or 90% greater than that of the disclosed polymers. The impact properties of the polymeric composition may be measured in accordance with the notched Izod impact test method of ASTM standard D256.

[0102] In some embodiments, the polymers described herein can be injection molded, extruded, or thermoformed into molded bodies. In some embodiments, the polymeric compositions described herein can be formed into films or oriented films by blown film extrusion, cast film extrusion, or a combination thereof.

[0103] Polymer compositions comprising the polymers and amorphous PHAs of the present disclosure can exhibit higher impact strength, high product flexibility, and improved flexibility. The present disclosure relates to a method for improving the impact toughness and / or tensile toughness of the polymers described herein, which comprises adding an amorphous PHA of the present disclosure to the polymers. The present disclosure also relates to a method for improving the flexibility of the polymers described herein, which comprises adding an amorphous PHA of the present disclosure to the polymers.

[0104] The methods described herein may also increase the biobased carbon content in a polymeric composition compared to the polymer alone. The change in biobased carbon content may be calculated according to the following formula: (Change in bio-based carbon content (%) = (Bio-based carbon content (%) in polymer composition containing amorphous PHA) -(Bio-based carbon content (%) in the polymer composition before adding amorphous PHA) If the change is positive, it can be said that the biobased carbon content has been increased and / or maintained by adding the amorphous PHA; if the change is negative, it can be said that the biobased carbon content has been decreased and / or maintained by adding the amorphous PHA.

[0105] In some embodiments, the change in biobased carbon is an increase in the biobased carbon content in the polymeric composition, and the increase can be at least 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 35, 40, 45, 50, 55, 60, 65, 70, 75, 80, 85, 90, 95, or 99%. In some embodiments, the increase can be 10-99%, 10-60%, 10-50%, 20-60%, 30-70%, 40-70%, or 50-90%.

[0106] The methods described herein can also maintain the biobased carbon content in the polymeric composition compared to the polymer alone. In some embodiments, the present disclosure provides for maintaining the biobased carbon content in the polymeric composition by an absolute change in biobased carbon content of 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1, 0.8, 0.5, 0.3, 0.2, 0.1%, or 0%, including a decrease in biobased carbon content of 20, 19, 18, 17, 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 11, 10, 9, 8, 7, 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1%, or ±9, ±8, ±7, ±6, ±5, ±4, ±3, ±2, ±1, ±0.5, or ±0.1%. In some embodiments, the absolute change in biobased carbon content is about 5% or less. In some embodiments, the decrease in biobased carbon content is about 20% or less.

[0107] The present disclosure will be described in more detail below with reference to examples. However, the following examples are provided merely to illustrate the present embodiment, and the scope of the examples is not limited thereto.

[0108] Mode of Invention Example 1: Preparation of polymer composition containing acetal polymer and amorphous PHA Acetal polymer (DuPont Delrin) was extruded using a Leistritz 18mm co-rotating twin screw extruder. (R)Polymer compositions were prepared from acetal polymer (511CPE) and amorphous PHA (PHACT A1000P, manufactured by CJ Biomaterials). Blend ratios of acetal polymer to amorphous PHA were 100:0, 90:10, 80:20, 70:30, and 60:40 (weight ratio) using an extruder. The extruder was operated at 300 rpm and 2 kg / hr output, with a temperature profile set from the inlet to the die of 210°C, 210°C, 200°C, 200°C, 190°C, 190°C, 180°C, and 180°C. The amorphous PHA was fed downstream into barrel 5 using a side stuffer. The extrusion torque was about 30% for all blends, but 500 psi for the nate acetal polymer, whereas the extrusion pressure systematically increased to about 700 psi for the polymer composition containing acetal polymer and amorphous PHA in a 60:40 blend ratio.

[0109] Then, using an Arburg Allrounder 320C Golden Edition injection molding machine, the polymer composition containing the acetal polymer and amorphous PHA prepared above was injection molded at a die temperature of 95°C with a temperature profile of 205°C, 210°C, 215°C, and 220°C to prepare ASTM test specimens.

[0110] The tensile properties of the molded specimens were measured according to ASTM D638, and the Izod impact (notch) properties were measured according to ASTM D256.

[0111] Measurement was carried out using a TA DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimeter) with the following temperature profile. Step 1: 40℃ to 210℃ at 20℃ / min Step 2: 210°C for 1 minute (isothermal) Step 3: 210℃ to -40℃ at 10℃ / min Step 4: -40°C for 1 minute (isothermal) Step 5: -40°C to 210°C at 20°C / min The heat of precipitation in step 3 and the heat of fusion in step 5 were analyzed, and the results of precipitation and fusion were reported.

[0112] Figures 1 to 4 show the effect of blending amorphous PHA with acetal polymer. The results show that as the amount of amorphous PHA in the polymer composition increases, the tensile elongation (at break) and tensile toughness systematically increase. Notched Izod impact also systematically increases with increasing amorphous PHA content. Test specimens of polymer compositions with blend ratios of acetal polymer to amorphous PHA of 70:30 and 60:40 did not completely break in the Izod impact test, and hinge fractures were observed. Impact results were consistent at room temperature and -20°C.

[0113] The results also show that polymer compositions with higher PHA content tend to have lower tensile modulus. This systematic increase in flexibility can be utilized in semi-rigid and semi-flexible applications where acetal polymers themselves are not suitable due to their high modulus. Tensile strength systematically decreased with increasing amorphous PHA content.

[0114] The melting enthalpy in step 5 of the DSC test and the melt crystallization enthalpy in step 3 of the DSC test decreased in proportion to the relative amount of acetal polymer in the polymer composition. The peak crystallization temperature (step 3 of the DSC test) of the pure acetal polymer was approximately 152°C, but for the polymer composition with a 60:40 blend ratio of acetal polymer to amorphous PHA, it was approximately 148°C. The peak melting temperature (step 5 of the DSC test) of the pure acetal polymer changed from approximately 177°C to approximately 175°C for the polymer composition with a 60:40 blend ratio of acetal polymer to amorphous PHA. This indicates that the crystallization and melting properties of the acetal polymer are not affected by the addition of amorphous PHA.

[0115] This specialty acetal polymer exhibited modulus / stiffness and tensile strength values ​​close to those of isotactic polypropylene (iPP) at amorphous PHA contents of 20-30 wt%. However, this polymer composition also exhibited impact strength approximately three times that of iPP. Using this blending approach, acetal polymers may be able to compete with commercialized iPP and HDPE (high-density polyethylene) offering a better balance of properties.

[0116] Example 2: Preparation of polymer composition containing nylon 11 and amorphous PHA Nylon 11 (Arkema Rilsan) was extruded using a Leistritz 18mm co-rotating twin screw extruder. (R) Polymer compositions were prepared from Nylon 11 (BMNO TLD) and amorphous PHA (PHACT A1000P, manufactured by CJ Biomaterials). Polymer compositions were prepared using an extruder with blend ratios of 100:0, 80:20, 70:30, and 60:40 nylon 11:PHA. The extruder was operated at 300 rpm and 2 kg / hr output, with a temperature profile set at 210°C, 200°C, 190°C, and 180°C from the inlet to the die. Amorphous PHA (PHACT A1000P) was fed downstream into barrel 5 using a side-stuffer. The extrusion torque was approximately 40% for the blends, while the extrusion pressure was systematically increased to approximately 510 psi for the 60:40 nylon 11 / amorphous PHA polymer composition, compared to 440 psi for the nate nylon 11.

[0117] A polymer composition containing nylon 11 and the amorphous PHA prepared above was injection molded using an Arburg Allrounder 320C Golden Edition injection molding machine with a die set at 95°C and a temperature profile of 205°C, 210°C, 215°C, and 220°C to prepare ASTM test specimens.

[0118] The tensile properties of the molded specimens were measured according to ASTM D638, and the Izod impact (notch) properties were measured according to ASTM D256.

[0119] Measurement was carried out using a TA DSC (Differential Scanning Calorimeter) with the following temperature profile. Step 1: 40℃ to 210℃ at 20℃ / min Step 2: 210°C for 1 minute (isothermal) Step 3: 210℃ to -40℃ at 10℃ / min Step 4: -40°C for 1 minute (isothermal) Step 5: -40°C to 210°C at 20°C / min The heat of precipitation in step 3 and the heat of fusion in step 5 were analyzed, and the results of precipitation and fusion were reported.

[0120] Figures 5-8 show the effect of blending amorphous PHA with nylon 11. Figure 5 shows that notch Izod impact increases systematically with increasing PHA content. At 20% amorphous PHA in the nylon 11-containing polymeric composition, the impact strength of nylon 11 at room temperature and -20°C was improved by 50%. The impact strength numbers for higher levels of amorphous PHA in the nylon 11-containing polymeric composition are not included in the results because the specimens did not break during testing (a mixture of non-break and hinge breaks was observed). The impact results at -20°C are particularly favorable for plasticized nylon 11.

[0121] It was found that the tensile modulus systematically decreased with increasing amorphous PHA content in the polymer composition. This systematic increase in flexibility can be utilized in semi-rigid and semi-flexible applications where nylon 11 alone is not suitable due to its high modulus. The tensile strength systematically decreased with increasing PHA content.

[0122] The addition of amorphous PHA to nylon 11 significantly improved the softness of nylon 11. The Shore D hardness of pure nylon 11 was measured to be approximately 73. Polymer compositions containing nylon 11 and amorphous PHA in a 60:40 blend ratio showed a systematic decrease in hardness to around 51 with increasing amorphous PHA content. This makes nylon 11 particularly attractive for certain applications requiring greater softness than nylon 11-based block copolymers, such as the PEBAX family.

[0123] The melting enthalpy (from step 5 of the DSC test) and melt crystallization enthalpy (from step 3 of the DSC test) decreased in proportion to the relative amount of nylon 11 in the polymeric composition. The peak crystallization temperature (step 3 of the DSC test) for pure nylon 11 was approximately 166°C, whereas the peak crystallization temperature for the polymeric composition containing nylon 11 and amorphous PHA at a 60:40 blend ratio was approximately 165°C. The peak melting temperature (step 5 of the DSC test) for pure nylon 11 changed from 188.2°C to approximately 188.7°C for the 60:40 blend of nylon 11 and amorphous PHA. This indicates that the crystallization and melting characteristics of nylon 11 were not altered by the addition of amorphous PHA. Illustrative Embodiments Embodiment 1 A polymeric composition comprising an amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA) and a polymer.

[0124] Embodiment 2. The polymeric composition of embodiment 1, wherein the polymer comprises a rigid thermoplastic polymer.

[0125] Embodiment 3. The polymeric composition of embodiment 1 or 2, wherein the polymer comprises a rigid thermoplastic polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) above 25°C and below 220°C.

[0126] Embodiment 4. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, which does not comprise a polyolefin.

[0127] Embodiment 5. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the polymeric composition excludes polyoxymethylene.

[0128] Embodiment 6. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the polymeric composition excludes a polyvinyl polymer.

[0129] Embodiment 7. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the polymeric composition excludes poly(trimethylene ether) glycol.

[0130] Embodiment 8. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, which is not in sheet form.

[0131] Embodiment 9. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, which is not a toner composition.

[0132] Embodiment 10. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, excluding polycaprolactone.

[0133] Embodiment 11. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the polymeric composition excludes polypropylene.

[0134] Embodiment 12. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the polymeric composition excludes polylactic acid (PLA).

[0135] Embodiment 13. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, excluding a thermoplastic urethane.

[0136] Embodiment 14. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein said polymeric composition excludes maleic anhydride (MA).

[0137] Embodiment 15. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, excluding an oligoester.

[0138] Embodiment 16. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein said polymeric composition is excluding Nuclent.

[0139] Embodiment 17. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the polymeric composition consists of the amorphous PHA and the polymer.

[0140] Embodiment 18. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the polymeric composition comprises 55-90% by weight of the polymer.

[0141] Embodiment 19. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the polymeric composition comprises 60-75% by weight of the polymer.

[0142] Embodiment 20. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the polymer comprises a polymer comprising a cellulose ester.

[0143] Embodiment 21. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the polymer comprises at least one selected from the group consisting of cellulose acetate polymers, cellulose acetate butyrate polymers, cellulose acetate phthalate polymers, and cellulose acetate propionate polymers.

[0144] Embodiment 22 The polymeric composition of any one of embodiments 1-4, wherein the polymer comprises an acetal polymer.

[0145]

[0023] Embodiment 23: The polymer has a Sharpie notch impact strength of 3 kJ / m, as measured according to ISO 179. 2 ~10kJ / m 2 or a thermoplastic polymer having a notched Izod impact strength of 40 J / m to 100 J / m as measured in accordance with ASTM D256A.

[0146] Embodiment 24. The polymer composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising the amorphous PHA in an amount of 10 to 45 wt %.

[0147] Embodiment 25. The polymer composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, comprising the amorphous PHA in a content of 20 to 30 wt %.

[0148] Embodiment 26. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA comprises a copolymer comprising 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB).

[0149] Embodiment 27. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA has a 4-HB content in the range of 25 to 45%.

[0150] Embodiment 28. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA comprises a copolymer comprising 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB).

[0151] Embodiment 29. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA has a 3-HB content in the range of 55 to 75%.

[0152] Embodiment 30. The polymer composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB), the copolymer having a 4-HB content of 25 to 45%.

[0153] Embodiment 31. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight.

[0154] Embodiment 32. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA comprises a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB).

[0155] Embodiment 33. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight and is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB).

[0156] Embodiment 34. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA comprises a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP).

[0157] Embodiment 35. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight and is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP).

[0158] Embodiment 36. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA comprises a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid (3-HH).

[0159] Embodiment 37. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight and is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid (3-HH).

[0160] Embodiment 38. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA comprises a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid (3-HO).

[0161] Embodiment 39. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight and is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid (3-HO).

[0162] Embodiment 40. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA comprises a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyvaleric acid (3-HV).

[0163] Embodiment 41. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight and is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyvaleric acid (3-HV).

[0164] Embodiment 42. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the acetal polymer comprises an acetal homopolymer.

[0165] Embodiment 43. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the acetal polymer is an acetal copolymer.

[0166] Embodiment 44. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the acetal polymer has an ISCC-certified "bio-attributable" carbon content.

[0167] Embodiment 45. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the tensile elongation at break and notched Izod impact strength are at least twice as high as those of pure acetal polymer.

[0168] Embodiment 46. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, having a biobased carbon content of at least 10% as measured using ASTM D6866.

[0169] Embodiment 47. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, having a biobased carbon content of at least 20% as measured using ASTM D6866.

[0170] Embodiment 48. The polymeric composition of any one of the preceding embodiments, wherein the article is made by injection molding, extrusion, thermoforming, blown / cast / oriented film, or a combination thereof.

[0171] Embodiment 49. The polymeric composition of any one of embodiments 1-4, wherein the polymer comprises a low melting temperature polyamide polymer.

[0172] Embodiment 50. The polymeric composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49, wherein the polymer has a melting point of 40° C. or higher.

[0173] Embodiment 51 The polymeric composition of any one of embodiments 1-4 and 49-50, wherein the polymer comprises a block copolymer comprising a polyether segment.

[0174] Embodiment 52. The polymeric composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49 to 51, wherein the polyamide comprises nylon 11.

[0175] Embodiment 53. The polymeric composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49 to 52, wherein the polyamide comprises nylon 12.

[0176] Embodiment 54. The polymeric composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49 to 53, wherein the polyamide is plasticized.

[0177] Embodiment 55: The polymer composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and embodiments 49 to 54, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight.

[0178] Embodiment 56: The polymer composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49 to 55, wherein the amorphous PHA is a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB), and the 4-HB content is in the range of 25 to 45%.

[0179] Embodiment 57. A polymer composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49 to 56, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight and comprises a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB).

[0180] Embodiment 58: A polymer composition described in any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49 to 57, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight and comprises a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP).

[0181] Embodiment 59: A polymer composition described in any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49 to 58, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight and comprises a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid (3-HH).

[0182] Embodiment 60: A polymer composition described in any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49 to 59, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight and comprises a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB) and 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid (3-HO).

[0183] Embodiment 61. A polymer composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49 to 60, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight and comprises a copolymer of 3-hydroxybutyric acid and 3-hydroxyvaleric acid.

[0184] Embodiment 62. The polymeric composition of any one of embodiments 1 to 4 and 49 to 61, wherein the notch Izod impact strength of the polymeric composition relative to pure nylon 11 at room temperature and −20° C. is greater than 30% and at least twice as high.

[0185] Embodiment 63. The polymeric composition of any one of embodiments 1-4 and 49-62, having a biobased carbon content of at least 80% as measured using ASTM D6866.

[0186] Embodiment 64. A method of improving the impact toughness and / or tensile toughness of a polymer by adding an amorphous PHA to said polymer, comprising making a polymeric composition according to any one of the preceding embodiments.

[0187] Embodiment 65. A method of making a polymeric composition according to any one of embodiments 1 to 63 by adding an amorphous PHA to said polymer to improve the flexibility of said polymer.

[0188] Embodiment 66. The method of embodiment 64 or 65, wherein the bio-based carbon content in the polymeric composition is increased compared to the polymer alone.

[0189] Embodiment 67. The method of embodiment 64 or 65, wherein the bio-based carbon content in the polymeric composition is maintained compared to the polymer alone.

[0190] Embodiment 68. The method of embodiment 64 or 65, wherein the increase in bio-based carbon content of the polymeric composition by adding the amorphous PHA to the polymeric composition is about 10% or more.

[0191] Embodiment 69. The method of embodiment 64 or 65, wherein the increase in bio-based carbon content of the polymer composition by adding the amorphous PHA to the polymer composition is about 30% or more.

[0192] Embodiment 70. The method of embodiment 64 or 65, wherein the bio-based carbon content of the polymeric composition is increased by 70% or more by adding the amorphous PHA to the polymeric composition.

[0193] Embodiment 71 The method according to embodiment 64 or 65, wherein the reduction in the bio-based carbon content of the polymer composition by adding the amorphous PHA to the polymer composition is about 20% or less.

[0194] Embodiment 72 The method of embodiment 64 or 65, wherein the reduction in bio-based carbon content of the polymer composition by adding the amorphous PHA to the polymer composition is about 10% or less.

[0195] Embodiment 73 The method of embodiment 64 or 65, wherein the reduction in bio-based carbon content of the polymer composition by adding the amorphous PHA to the polymer composition is about 5% or less.

[0196] Embodiment 74. Use of a polymeric composition according to any one of the preceding embodiments to enhance the impact toughness and / or tensile toughness of said polymer.

[0197] Embodiment 75. Use of a polymeric composition according to any one of the preceding embodiments to improve the flexibility of said polymer.

Claims

1. Amorphous polyhydroxyalkanoate (PHA), at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of a cellulose ester-containing polymer, an acetal polymer, and a polyamide; A polymeric composition comprising:

2. The polymeric composition of claim 1 , wherein the at least one polymer comprises a rigid thermoplastic polymer.

3. 3. The polymeric composition of claim 1 or 2, wherein the at least one polymer comprises a rigid thermoplastic polymer having a glass transition temperature (Tg) above 25°C and below 220°C.

4. The polymer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 3, which does not contain polyolefins.

5. The polymeric composition of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one polymer comprises an acetal polymer.

6. The polymeric composition of any one of claims 1 to 4, wherein the at least one polymer comprises a low melting temperature polyamide polymer.

7. 7. The polymer composition according to claim 1, wherein the amorphous PHA has a crystallinity of less than 5% by weight.

8. The polymer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 7, wherein the amorphous PHA comprises a copolymer containing 3-hydroxybutyric acid (3-HB), and the 3-HB is present at a concentration of 55 to 75 wt% relative to the total amount of the amorphous PHA.

9. The polymer composition according to any one of claims 1 to 8, wherein the amorphous PHA comprises a copolymer containing at least one acid selected from the group consisting of 4-hydroxybutyric acid (4-HB), 3-hydroxypropionic acid (3-HP), 3-hydroxyhexanoic acid (3-HH), 3-hydroxyoctanoic acid (3-HO), 3-hydroxyvaleric acid (3-HV), 4-hydroxyvaleric acid (4-HV), 5-hydroxyvaleric acid (5-HV), and 6-hydroxyhexanoic acid (6-HH), and the at least one acid is present in a concentration of 25 to 45 wt% based on the total amount of the amorphous PHA.

10. 10. A method for increasing the impact toughness and / or tensile toughness of a polymeric composition, comprising adding an amorphous PHA to a polymer, thereby producing the composition of any one of claims 1 to 9.

11. A method for improving the flexibility of a polymeric composition, comprising adding an amorphous PHA to the polymer, thereby producing the composition of any one of claims 1 to 9.

12. 12. The method of claim 10 or 11, wherein the bio-based carbon content in the polymeric composition is increased or maintained relative to the polymer alone.

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