High relative tracking index polycarbonate compositions with improved flame retardancy and water stability

Abstract

A polycarbonate composition includes: (a) from about 45 wt% to about 90 wt% of a polycarbonate homopolymer; (b) from about 1 wt% to about 25 wt% of a polycarbonate copolymer; (c) from about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt% of a first flame retardant component comprising a brominated flame retardant; (d) from about 0.01 wt% to about 1 wt% of a second flame retardant component comprising an alkyl sulfonate, an aromatic sulfone sulfonate, an aromatic sulfonate, or a combination thereof; and (e) from about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt% of a siloxane-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier. The combined weight percentage value of all the components does not exceed 100 wt%, and all the weight percentage values are based on the total weight of the composition.

Description

Technical Field

[0001] The present disclosure relates to polycarbonate compositions, and in particular, to polycarbonate compositions comprising a combination of a flame retardant component and a siloxane-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier. The compositions have good comparative tracking index and flame retardant properties. Background Art

[0002] Polycarbonates are used to make articles and components for a wide variety of applications, from automotive parts to electronic appliances. Because of these uses, particularly in electronic applications, it is desirable to provide polycarbonates with improved hydrolytic stability and tracking resistance (as measured by the Comparative Tracking Index, CTI).

[0003] Current solutions based on CTI 600V (IEC60112) and CTIPLC0 (ASTM D3638) polycarbonate (PC) have UL94 V0 flame retardant (FR) performance at 1.2 millimeters (mm), but developing PC compositions that meet V0 performance in thinner designs has been a challenge. In addition, the water stability of current PC compositions is not sufficient to enable widespread adoption in new component designs.

[0004] Therefore, there is still a need in the art for thermoplastic compositions with improved water stability and good CTI performance. It would be a greater advantage if the thermoplastic composition had good low temperature impact resistance and good flame retardancy.

[0005] These and other shortcomings are addressed by aspects of the present disclosure. Summary of the invention

[0006] Aspects of the present disclosure relate to polycarbonate compositions comprising: (a) about 45 wt% to about 90 wt% of a polycarbonate homopolymer; (b) about 1 wt% to about 25 wt% of a polycarbonate copolymer; (c) about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt% of a first flame retardant component comprising a brominated flame retardant; (d) about 0.01 wt% to about 1 wt% of a second flame retardant component comprising an alkyl sulfonate, an aromatic sulfone sulfonate, an aromatic sulfonate, or a combination thereof; and (e) about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt% of a silicone-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier. The combined weight percentage values ​​of all components do not exceed 100 wt%, and all weight percentage values ​​are based on the total weight of the composition. DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0007] Before disclosing and describing the compounds, compositions, articles, systems, devices and / or methods of the present invention, it should be understood that the compounds, compositions, articles, systems, devices and / or methods are not limited to specific synthetic methods unless otherwise specified, or they are not limited to specific reagents unless otherwise specified, and thus can certainly vary. It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing specific aspects only and is not intended to be limiting.

[0008] The present disclosure encompasses various combinations of elements of the present disclosure, such as combinations of elements from dependent claims that depend on the same independent claim.

[0009] Furthermore, it should be understood that, unless otherwise expressly stated, it is not intended that any method described herein be construed as requiring that its steps be performed in a particular order. Therefore, in the event that a method claim does not actually list the order in which its steps are to be followed, or in the absence of other specific statements in the claims or specification limiting the steps to a particular order, no order is intended to be inferred in any way. This applies to any possible non-express basis for interpretation, including: logical issues regarding the arrangement of steps or operational flow; plain meaning derived from grammatical organization or punctuation; and the number or type of aspects described in the specification.

[0010] All publications mentioned herein are incorporated herein by reference to disclose and describe the methods and / or materials in connection with which the publications are cited.

[0011] definition

[0012] It should also be understood that the terminology used herein is for the purpose of describing particular aspects only and is not intended to be limiting. As used in the specification and claims, the term "comprising" may include aspects of "consisting of" and "consisting essentially of". Unless otherwise defined, all technical and scientific terms used herein have the same meaning as commonly understood by one of ordinary skill in the art to which the present disclosure belongs. In this specification and the appended claims, reference will be made to a number of terms, which shall be defined as herein.

[0013] As used in the specification and the appended claims, the singular forms "a", "an", and "the" include plural referents unless the context clearly dictates otherwise. Thus, for example, reference to "a polycarbonate homopolymer" includes a mixture of two or more polycarbonate homopolymers.

[0014] As used herein, the term "combination" is inclusive of blends, mixtures, alloys, reaction products, and the like.

[0015] Range can be expressed as from one value (first value) to another value (second value) in this article. When expressing such a range, in some aspects, the range includes one or both of the first value and the second value. Similarly, when the antecedent "about" is used to express a value as an approximation, it should be understood that a specific value forms another aspect. It is also understood that the endpoints of each range in the range are relevant to the other endpoint and are independent of the other endpoint. It should also be understood that many values ​​are disclosed herein, and each value is also disclosed as "about" the specific value in addition to the value itself. For example, if the value "10" is disclosed, "about 10" is also disclosed. It should also be understood that each unit between two specific units is also disclosed. For example, if 10 and 15 are disclosed, 11, 12, 13 and 14 are also disclosed.

[0016] As used herein, the terms "about" and "at or about" mean that the amount or value in question can be a specified value, an approximate specified value, or about the same as a specified value. It is generally understood that, unless otherwise indicated or inferred, as used herein, nominal values ​​indicate ±10% variation. The terms are intended to convey that similar values ​​promote equivalent results or effects as described in the claims. That is, it is understood that amounts, sizes, formulas, parameters, and other quantities and features are not and need not be exact, but can be approximate and / or larger or smaller as needed, reflecting tolerances, conversion factors, rounding, measurement errors, etc., as well as other factors known to those skilled in the art. In general, an amount, size, formula, parameter, or other quantity or feature is "about" or "approximately", whether or not explicitly stated as such. It should be understood that where "about" is used before a quantitative value, unless otherwise specifically stated, the parameter also includes the specific quantitative value itself.

[0017] The present invention discloses components for preparing the compositions of the present disclosure and the compositions themselves used in the methods disclosed herein. These materials and other materials are disclosed herein, and it should be understood that when the combinations, subsets, interactions, groups, etc. of these materials are disclosed, although specific references to each different individual and collective combination and arrangement of these compounds cannot be explicitly disclosed, each of them is specifically considered and described herein. For example, if a specific compound is disclosed and discussed, and many modifications that can be made to many molecules including the compound are discussed, then unless specifically indicated to the contrary, each combination and arrangement of the compound and possible modifications are specifically covered. Therefore, if A, B and C class molecules and D, E and F class molecules are disclosed, and an example of a combination molecule AD is disclosed, even if each molecule is not described individually, each molecule is also covered individually and collectively, which means that it is considered that the combination AE, AF, BD, BE, BF, CD, CE and CF are disclosed. Similarly, any subset or combination of these is also disclosed. Therefore, for example, it is considered that the subgroups of AE, BF and CE are disclosed. This concept applies to all aspects of the application, including but not limited to the steps in the method for preparing and using the composition of the present disclosure. Thus, if there are a variety of additional steps that can be performed it should be understood that each of these additional steps can be performed with any specific aspect or combination of aspects of the methods of the present disclosure.

[0018] Reference in the specification and in the concluding claims to parts by weight of a particular ingredient or component in a composition or article refers to the weight relationship of that ingredient or component to any other ingredients or components in that composition or article expressed as parts by weight. Thus, in a compound containing 2 parts by weight of component X and 5 parts by weight of component Y, X and Y are present in a weight ratio of 2:5, and this ratio is present regardless of whether the compound contains additional components.

[0019] Unless expressly stated to the contrary, the weight percentage of a component is based on the total weight of the formulation or composition including the component.

[0020] As used herein, the term "number average molecular weight" or "M n ” are used interchangeably and refer to the statistical average molecular weight of all polymer chains in a sample and are defined by the formula:

[0021]

[0022] Among them, M i is the molecular weight of the chain, and N i is the number of chains with the stated molecular weight. For a polymer, such as a polycarbonate polymer, M nIt can be determined by methods well known to those of ordinary skill in the art using molecular weight standards, such as polycarbonate standards or polystyrene standards, preferably certified or traceable molecular weight standards.

[0023] As used herein, the term "weight average molecular weight" or "M w " can be used interchangeably and are defined by the following formula:

[0024]

[0025] Among them, M i is the molecular weight of the chain, and N i is the number of chains with the stated molecular weight. n In comparison, M w The molecular weight of a given chain is taken into account to determine the contribution to the molecular weight average. Therefore, the greater the molecular weight of a given chain, the greater the contribution of the chain to M. w For polymers, such as polycarbonate polymers, M w It can be determined by methods well known to those of ordinary skill in the art using molecular weight standards, such as polycarbonate standards or polystyrene standards, preferably certified or traceable molecular weight standards.

[0026] As used herein, the terms "BisA," "BPA," or "bisphenol A" are used interchangeably to refer to a compound having a structure represented by the following formula:

[0027]

[0028] BisA may also be referred to by the name 4,4'-(propane-2,2-diyl)diphenol; p,p'-isopropylidene bisphenol; or 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane. BisA has CAS# 80-05-7.

[0029] As used herein, "polycarbonate" refers to an oligomer or polymer comprising the residues of one or more dihydroxy compounds (eg, dihydroxy aromatic compounds) joined by carbonate bonds; it also encompasses homopolycarbonates, copolycarbonates, and (co)polyester carbonates.

[0030] Throughout this specification, the terms "residue" and "structural unit" are used synonymously with respect to components of a polymer.

[0031] Unless otherwise indicated, as used herein, the terms "weight percent," "wt%," and "wt.%" are used interchangeably to indicate the weight percentage of a given component based on the total weight of the composition. That is, unless otherwise indicated, all wt% values ​​are based on the total weight of the composition. It should be understood that the sum of the wt% values ​​of all components in a disclosed composition or formulation equals 100.

[0032] Unless otherwise stated herein to the contrary, all test standards are the most recent standards in effect at the time this application was filed.

[0033] Each raw material used in the examples and / or comparative compositions described herein is commercially available and / or its manufacturing method is known to those skilled in the art.

[0034] It is understood that the compositions disclosed herein have certain functions. Certain structural requirements are disclosed herein for performing the disclosed functions, and it is understood that various structures related to the disclosed structures can perform the same function and that these structures will generally achieve the same results.

[0035] Thermoplastic composition

[0036] Aspects of the present disclosure include a polycarbonate composition comprising: (a) about 45 wt% to about 90 wt% of a polycarbonate homopolymer; (b) about 1 wt% to about 25 wt% of a polycarbonate copolymer; (c) about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt% of a first flame retardant component comprising a brominated flame retardant; (d) about 0.01 wt% to about 1 wt% of a second flame retardant component comprising an alkyl sulfonate, an aromatic sulfone sulfonate, an aromatic sulfonate, or a combination thereof; and (e) about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt% of a silicone-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier. The combined weight percentage values ​​of all components do not exceed 100 wt%, and all weight percentage values ​​are based on the total weight of the composition.

[0037] In some aspects, the composition includes at least 45 wt%, or at least 50 wt%, or at least 55 wt%, or at least 60 wt%, or at least 65 wt%, or at least 70 wt%, or at least 75 wt%, or up to 90 wt%, or up to 85 wt%, or up to 80 wt%, or up to 75 wt%, or up to 70 wt%, or up to 65 wt% of the polycarbonate homopolymer.

[0038] In some aspects, the polycarbonate homopolymer component can include bisphenol A (BPA) homopolymer. Suitable polycarbonate homopolymers are obtained from SABIC. In some aspects, the polycarbonate homopolymer component includes at least two polycarbonate homopolymers, such as a combination of a low-flow polycarbonate homopolymer and a high-flow polycarbonate homopolymer. Exemplary low-flow polycarbonate homopolymers are obtained from SABIC, and are bisphenol A polycarbonate (linear) terminated with isopropylphenyl phenol, having an Mw of about 15-35k and a melt flow rate (MFR) of about 15-30g / 10min at 300°C and 1.2kg as determined according to ASTM D1238. Exemplary high-flow polycarbonate homopolymers are obtained from SABIC, and are bisphenol A polycarbonate (linear) terminated with isopropylphenyl phenol, having an Mw of about 40-55k and an MFR of about 4-12g / 10min at 300°C and 1.2kg. MFR is determined according to ASTM D1238.

[0039] In particular aspects, the composition includes from about 30 wt % to about 75 wt %, or at least 30 wt %, or at least 35 wt %, or at least 40 wt %, or at least 45 wt %, or at least 50 wt %, or at least 55 wt %, or up to 60 wt %, or up to 70 wt %, or up to 65 wt %, or up to 60 wt %, or up to 55 wt %, or up to 50 wt % of the low flow polycarbonate homopolymer.

[0040] In certain aspects, the composition includes from about 5 wt % to about 30 wt %, or at least 5 wt %, or at least 10 wt %, or at least 15 wt %, or up to 30 wt %, or up to 25 wt %, or up to 20 wt %, or up to 15 wt % of a high flow polycarbonate homopolymer.

[0041] In some aspects, the polycarbonate copolymer may include a poly(aliphatic ester-carbonate) copolymer, such as a sebacic acid / BPA PC copolymer, which includes sebacic acid monomer units and bisphenol A monomer units. Sebacic acid has the following structure:

[0042]

[0043] Bisphenol A has the following structure:

[0044]

[0045] As a copolymer, the sebacic acid monomers give the copolymer good fluidity and ductility at lower processing temperatures, while the BPA monomers provide improved heat and modulus properties. Exemplary sebacic acid / BPA copolymers include high molecular weight (Mw) high fluidity / ductility (HFD) polycarbonates, low Mw HFD polycarbonates, or combinations thereof. In certain aspects, the composition includes a polycarbonate copolymer component, the copolymer component including about 0.1 mol % to about 10 mol % of sebacic acid monomer units and about 90 mol % to about 99.9 mol % of bisphenol A monomer units.

[0046] In some aspects, the composition includes about 1wt% to about 25wt% of a polycarbonate copolymer. In other aspects, the composition includes at least 1wt%, or at least 2wt%, or at least 3wt%, or at least 4wt%, or at least 5wt%, or at least 6wt%, or at least 7wt%, or at least 8wt%, or at least 9wt%, or at least 10wt%, or at most 25wt%, or at most 24wt%, or at most 23wt%, or at most 22wt%, or at most 21wt%, or at most 20wt%, or at most 19wt%, or at most 18wt%, or at most 17wt%, or at most 16wt%, or at most 15wt%, or at most 14wt%, or at most 13wt%, or at most 12wt%, or at most 11wt%, or at most 10wt% of a polycarbonate copolymer.

[0047] The compositions according to aspects of the present disclosure include about 0.1 wt% to about 20 wt% of a first flame retardant component including a brominated flame retardant. In certain aspects, the first flame retardant component includes a brominated polycarbonate, a brominated polyacrylate, a brominated cyanurate, or a combination thereof. In some aspects, the composition includes at least 0.1 wt%, or at least 0.5 wt%, or at least 1.0 wt%, or at least 2 wt%, or at least 3 wt%, or at least 4 wt%, or at least 5 wt%, or at least 6 wt%, or at least 7 wt%, or at least 8 wt%, or at least 9 wt%, or at least 10 wt%, or at least 11 wt%, or at least 12 wt%, or at least 13 wt%, or at least 14 wt%, or at least 15 wt%, or up to 20 wt%, or up to 19 wt%, or up to 18 wt%, or up to 17 wt%, or up to 16 wt%, or up to 15 wt%, or up to 14 wt%, or up to 13 wt%, or up to 12 wt%, or up to 11 wt%, or up to 10 wt%, or up to 9 wt%, or up to 8 wt%, or up to 7 wt%, or up to 6 wt% of the first flame retardant component.

[0048] The composition according to various aspects of the present disclosure includes about 0.01 wt% to about 1 wt% of a second flame retardant component, which includes an alkyl sulfonate, an aromatic sulfone sulfonate, an aromatic sulfonate, or a combination thereof. In certain aspects, the composition includes at least 0.05 wt%, or at least 0.1 wt%, or at least 0.15 wt%, or at least 0.2 wt%, or at least 0.25 wt%, or at least 0.3 wt%, or at least 0.35 wt%, or at least 0.4 wt%, or at least 0.45 wt%, or at least 0.5 wt%, or at least 0.55 wt%, or at least 0.6 wt%, or at least 0.65 wt%, or at least 0.7 wt%, or at least 0.75 wt%, or at least 0.8 wt%, or at least 0.9 wt%, or at least 10 wt%. At least 0.8wt%, or at most 1wt%, or at most 0.95wt%, or at most 0.9wt%, or at most 0.85wt%, or at most 0.8wt%, or at most 0.75wt%, or at most 0.7wt%, or at most 0.65wt%, or at most 0.6wt%, or at most 0.55wt%, or at most 0.5wt%, or at most 0.45wt%, or at most 0.4wt%, or at most 0.35wt%, or at most 0.3wt% of the second flame retardant component.

[0049] In some aspects, the thermoplastic composition has a total bromine content of about 0.5wt% to about 8wt%. In some aspects, the total bromine content of the composition is about 1wt% to about 8wt%, or about 1.5wt% to about 8wt%, or about 2wt% to about 8wt%, or about 2.5wt% to about 8wt%, or about 3wt% to about 8wt%, or about 3.5wt% to about 8wt%, or about 4wt% to about 8wt%, or about 0.5wt% to about 7.5wt%, or about 0.5wt% to about 7wt%, or about 0.5wt% to about 6.5wt%, or about 0.5wt% to about 6wt%, or about 0.5wt% to about 5.5wt%, or about 0.5wt% to about 5wt%, or about 0.5wt% to about 4.5wt%, or about 0.5wt% to about 4wt%, or about 0.5wt% to about 3.5wt% or about 0.5wt% to about 3wt%. In a particular aspect, the total bromine content of the composition is about 1.5wt% to about 4wt%.

[0050] In some aspects, the silicone-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier includes an acrylate rubber as the core. An exemplary silicone-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier is EXL-2390 available from Dow. In certain aspects, the composition comprises at least 0.1 wt%, or at least 0.5 wt%, or at least 1 wt%, or at least 1.5 wt%, or at least 2 wt%, or at least 2.5 wt%, or at least 3 wt%, or at least 3.5 wt%, or at least 4 wt%, or at least 4.5 wt%, or at least 5 wt%, or at least 5.5 wt%, or at least 6 wt%, or at least 6.5 wt%, or at least 7 wt%, or at least 7.5 wt%, or at least 8 wt%, or at least 8.5 wt%, or at least 9 wt%, or at least 9.5 wt%, or at least 10 wt%, or up to 20 wt%, or up to 19 wt%, or up to 18 wt%, or up to 17 wt%, or up to 16 wt%, or up to 15 wt%, or up to 14 wt%, or up to 13 wt%, or up to 12 wt%, or up to 11 wt%, or up to 10 wt%, or up to 9 wt%, or up to 8 wt% of the silicone-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier.

[0051] The composition according to certain aspects of the present disclosure includes greater than 0 wt% to about 2 wt% of an anti-drip agent. In certain aspects, the anti-drip agent includes styrene acrylonitrile encapsulated polytetrafluoroethylene (SAN-PTFE). In other aspects, the composition comprises at least 0.05 wt%, or at least 0.1 wt%, or at least 0.15 wt%, or at least 0.2 wt%, or at least 0.25 wt%, or at least 0.3 wt%, or at least 0.35 wt%, or at least 0.4 wt%, or at least 0.45 wt%, or at least 0.5 wt%, or at most 2 wt%, or at most 1.9 wt%, or at most 1.8 wt%, or at most 1.7 wt%, or at most 1.6 wt%, or at most 1.5 wt%, or at most 1.4 wt%, or at most 1.3 wt%, or at most 1.2 wt%, or at most 1.1 wt%, or at most 1 wt%, or at most 0.9 wt%, or at most 0.8 wt%, or at most 0.7 wt%, or at most 0.6 wt%, or at most 0.5 wt% SAN-PTFE.

[0052] In other aspects, the composition includes at least one additional additive. The at least one additional additive may include but is not limited to acid scavengers, anti-drip agents, antioxidants, antistatic agents, chain extenders, colorants, mold release agents, flow promoters, lubricants, plasticizers, quenchers, additional flame retardants, UV stabilizers, UV reflective additives, additional impact modifiers, foaming agents, reinforcing agents or combinations thereof. In some aspects, the composition may include at least one additional additive greater than 0wt% to about 10wt%. In other aspects, the composition includes at least 0.1wt%, or at least 0.5wt%, or at least 1wt%, or at least 1.5wt%, or at least 2wt%, or at least 2.5wt%, or at least 3wt%, or at most 10wt%, or at most 9wt%, or at most 8wt%, or at most 7wt%, or at most 6wt%, or at most 5wt%, or at most 4wt% of at least one additional additive.

[0053] In a particular aspect, the composition does not include a polyester component. Compositions including a polyester component may have difficulty achieving desired FR properties.

[0054] In certain aspects, the composition is free of silicone. As used herein, "free of silicone" means that the composition includes less than 1.0 wt%, or less than 0.9 wt%, or less than 0.8 wt%, or less than 0.7 wt%, or less than 0.6 wt%, or less than 0.5 wt%, or less than 0.4 wt%, or less than 0.3 wt%, or less than 0.2 wt%, or less than 0.1 wt%, or less than 0.01 wt%, or less than 0.001 wt%, or 0.0001 wt%, or 0 wt% of silicone.

[0055] Compared to conventional compositions, compositions according to aspects of the present disclosure may have improved comparative tracking index (CTI) properties. In some aspects, the compositions have a CTI rating of PLC0 as determined by ASTM D3638.

[0056] In other aspects, the composition has a notched Izod impact strength (NII) retention of at least 10% after DH85 aging for 3000 hours at a temperature of 85° C. and a relative humidity of 85%. NII is evaluated before and after DH85 aging and is tested at a temperature of 23° C. according to ASTM D256. In other aspects, the composition has a NII retention of at least 12%, or at least 14%, or at least 16%, or at least 18%, or at least 20%, or at least 25%, or at least 30%, or at least 35%, or at least 40%, or at least 45%, or at least 50%, or at least 55%, or at least 60% after DH85 aging for 3000 hours at a temperature of 85° C. and a relative humidity of 85%.

[0057] In certain aspects, the composition has a UL94 flame retardancy rating of VO at a thickness of 1.0 mm.

[0058] Manufacturing method

[0059] One or any of the foregoing components described herein may first be dry blended with each other, or with any combination of the foregoing components, and then fed into an extruder from one or more feeders, or fed into an extruder separately from one or more feeders. The fillers used in the present disclosure may also be first processed into a masterbatch and then fed into an extruder. The components may be fed into an extruder from a throat hopper or any side feeder.

[0060] The extruder used in the present disclosure can have a single screw, multiple screws, intermeshing co-rotating or counter-rotating screws, non-intermeshing co-rotating or counter-rotating screws, reciprocating screws, pinned screws, screened screws, pinned barrels, rollers, rams, helical rotors, co-kneaders, disc-pack processors, various other types of extrusion equipment, or a combination including at least one of the foregoing components.

[0061] The components may also be mixed together and then melt blended to form the thermoplastic composition. Melt blending of the components involves the use of shear forces, extensional forces, compression forces, ultrasonic energy, electromagnetic energy, thermal energy, or a combination comprising at least one of the foregoing forces or energy forms.

[0062] If the resin is a semi-crystalline organic polymer, the barrel temperature on the extruder during compounding can be set to a temperature that causes at least a portion of the polymer to reach a temperature greater than or equal to about the melt temperature, or if the resin is an amorphous resin, the barrel temperature can be set at the flow point (e.g., glass transition temperature).

[0063] If desired, the mixture including the above-mentioned components can undergo multiple blending and forming steps. For example, the thermoplastic composition can be first extruded and formed into pellets. The pellets can then be fed into a molding machine where the pellets can be formed into any desired shape or product. Alternatively, the thermoplastic composition obtained from a single melt blender can be formed into a sheet or strand form and subjected to post-extrusion processing, such as annealing, uniaxial or biaxial orientation.

[0064] In some aspects, the temperature of the melt in the inventive method can be maintained as low as possible to avoid excessive thermal degradation of the components. In some aspects, the melt temperature is maintained between about 230°C and about 350°C, although higher temperatures can be used as long as the resin is maintained for a relatively short residence time in the processing equipment. In some aspects, the melt-processed composition leaves the processing equipment, such as an extruder, through a small exit hole in the die. The resulting strands of molten resin can be cooled by passing them through a water bath. The cooled strands can be cut into pellets for packaging and further processing.

[0065] Products

[0066] In some aspects, the present disclosure relates to shaped articles, shaped articles or molded articles including thermoplastic compositions. Thermoplastic compositions can be molded into useful shaped articles by a variety of means, such as injection molding, extrusion, rotational molding, blow molding and thermoforming, to form articles and structural components such as personal or commercial electronic devices, including but not limited to mobile phones, tablet computers, personal computers, notebook computers and portable computers, and other such devices, medical applications, RFID applications, automotive applications, etc. In other aspects, the article is extrusion molded. In other aspects, the article is injection molded. In particular aspects, the article is a component of a consumer electronic device, an electrical connector, an insulating housing, an insulating material for solar photovoltaic or electric vehicles, or another electrical device component.

[0067] The present disclosure encompasses various combinations of elements of the present disclosure, such as combinations of elements from dependent claims that depend on the same independent claim.

[0068] Aspects of the present disclosure

[0069] In various aspects, the present disclosure relates to and includes at least the following aspects.

[0070] Aspect 1. A polycarbonate composition comprising, consisting of, or consisting essentially of:

[0071] a. about 45 wt % to about 90 wt % of a polycarbonate homopolymer;

[0072] b. about 1 wt % to about 25 wt % of a polycarbonate copolymer;

[0073] c. from about 0.1 wt % to about 20 wt % of a first flame retardant component comprising a brominated flame retardant;

[0074] d. about 0.01 wt % to about 1 wt % of a second flame retardant component comprising an alkyl sulfonate, an aromatic sulfone sulfonate, an aromatic sulfonate, or a combination thereof; and

[0075] e. from about 0.1 wt % to about 20 wt % of a silicone-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier,

[0076] The combined weight percentage value of all components does not exceed 100 wt %, and all weight percentage values ​​are based on the total weight of the composition.

[0077] Aspect 2. The polycarbonate composition according to aspect 1, wherein the polycarbonate copolymer comprises a poly(aliphatic ester-carbonate) copolymer comprising 0.1 to 10 mol % of sebacic acid monomer units and 90-99.9 mol % of bisphenol A monomer units.

[0078] Aspect 3. The polycarbonate composition of aspect 2, wherein the composition comprises about 1 wt % to about 20 wt % of the poly(aliphatic ester-carbonate) copolymer.

[0079] Aspect 4. The polycarbonate composition of any one of aspects 1 to 3, wherein the composition has a total bromine content of about 0.5 wt % to about 8 wt %.

[0080] Aspect 5. The polycarbonate composition of aspect 4, wherein the total bromine content is from about 1.5 wt % to about 4 wt %.

[0081] Aspect 6. The polycarbonate composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 5, wherein the first flame retardant component comprises a brominated polycarbonate, a brominated polyacrylate, a brominated cyanurate, or a combination thereof.

[0082] Aspect 7. The polycarbonate composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 6, wherein the siloxane-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier comprises an acrylate rubber as a core.

[0083] Aspect 8. The polycarbonate composition of any one of aspects 1 to 7, wherein the composition further comprises greater than 0 wt % to about 2 wt % of an anti-drip agent.

[0084] Aspect 9. The polycarbonate composition of aspect 8, wherein the anti-drip agent comprises styrene acrylonitrile encapsulated polytetrafluoroethylene (SAN-PTFE).

[0085] Aspect 10. The polycarbonate composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 9, wherein the composition further comprises at least one additional additive.

[0086] Aspect 11. The polycarbonate composition according to aspect 10, wherein the at least one additional additive comprises an acid scavenger, an anti-drip agent, an antioxidant, an antistatic agent, a chain extender, a colorant, a mold release agent, a flow promoter, a lubricant, a plasticizer, a quencher, an additional flame retardant, a UV stabilizer, a UV reflective additive, an additional impact modifier, a foaming agent, a reinforcing agent, or a combination thereof.

[0087] Aspect 12. The polycarbonate composition of any one of aspects 1 to 11, wherein the composition does not include a polyester component.

[0088] Aspect 13. The polycarbonate composition of any one of aspects 1 to 12, wherein the composition is free of siloxane.

[0089] Aspect 14. The polycarbonate composition of any one of aspects 1 to 13, wherein the composition has a comparative tracking index (CTI) rating of PLC0 as determined according to ASTM D3638.

[0090] Aspect 15. The polycarbonate composition of any one of Aspects 1 to 14, wherein the composition has a notched Izod impact strength (NII) retention of at least 10% after DH85 aging at a temperature of 85°C and a relative humidity of 85% for 3000 hours, wherein the NII is evaluated before and after DH85 aging and is tested at a temperature of 23°C according to ASTM D256.

[0091] Aspect 16. The polycarbonate composition of any one of aspects 1 to 15, wherein the composition has a UL94 flame retardancy rating of V0 at a thickness of 1.0 mm.

[0092] Aspect 17. An article comprising the polycarbonate composition according to any one of aspects 1 to 16.

[0093] Aspect 18. The article of aspect 17, wherein the article is a component of a consumer electronic device, an electrical connector, an insulating housing, an insulating material for solar photovoltaic or electric vehicles, or another electrical equipment component.

[0094] Examples

[0095] The following examples are presented to provide a person of ordinary skill in the art with a complete disclosure and description of how to prepare and evaluate the compounds, compositions, articles, devices and / or methods claimed herein, and are intended to be exemplary only and are not intended to limit the present disclosure. Efforts have been made to ensure accuracy with respect to numbers (e.g., amounts, temperatures, etc.), but some errors and deviations should be considered. Unless otherwise indicated, parts are parts by weight, temperatures are in ° C or are ambient temperature, and pressures are atmospheric or near atmospheric. Unless otherwise indicated, percentages with respect to compositions are in wt%.

[0096] There are many variations and combinations of reaction conditions, such as component concentrations, desired solvents, solvent mixtures, temperature, pressure, and other reaction ranges and conditions that can be used to optimize the product purity and yield obtained from the process. Only reasonable and routine experimentation is required to optimize these process conditions.

[0097] The comparative compositions and example compositions described herein include one or more of the components listed in Table 1:

[0098] Table 1 - Components

[0099]

[0100]

[0101] Pellets were compounded from these components on a laboratory twin screw extruder (Coperion ZSK-26Mc), where all components were fed from the main inlet. Compounding was carried out at a screw rotation of 200 revolutions per minute (rpm) and a delivery rate of 20 kilograms per hour (kg / h). Other details about compounding are shown in Table 2:

[0102] Table 2 - Temperature characteristics for compounding

[0103] Mixing machine type ZSK-26Mc Barrel size mm 1000 Mould mm 4.4 Zone 1 Temperature ℃ 50 Zone 2 Temperature ℃ 100 Zone 3 Temperature ℃ 200 Temperature in Zones 4-12 ℃ 270 Mold temperature ℃ 270

[0104] Injection molding was performed on a FANUC S-2000i molding machine for tensile, flexural, impact and CTI testing of sample bars, and on a Nestal Synergy 1500k-230 molding machine for UL94 Vx FR testing of test bars. Typical injection molding conditions are shown in Table 3:

[0105] Table 3 - Typical injection molding conditions

[0106] Molding parameters unit value Pre-drying time Hour 4 Pre-drying temperature ℃ 120 Zone 1-3 Temperature ℃ 280 Molding temperature ℃ 80-100

[0107] Specific gravity was evaluated according to ASTM D792; the results are expressed in grams per cubic centimeter (g / cm 3). Melt flow rate (MFR) was evaluated at 300°C with a load of 1.2 kilograms (kg) according to ASTM D1238; results are reported in grams / 10 minutes (g / 10min). Tensile properties were evaluated at a speed of 50 millimeters / minute (mm / min) according to ASTM D638; tensile strength at yield and break was reported in megapascals (MPa), and tensile elongation at break was reported in percentage (%). Flexural properties were evaluated at a speed of 1.27 mm / min according to ASTM D790; flexural modulus and flexural strength at yield were reported in MPa. Notched Izod impact (NII) strength was evaluated at specified temperatures according to ASTM D256; results were reported in joules / meter (J / m). Flame retardant (FR) Vx properties were evaluated using 1.0 mm and 1.2 mm thick bars according to UL94. CTI properties were evaluated according to ASTM D3638; if the sample's resistance to tracking was greater than or equal to 50 drops at 300 V to 600 V, the PLC0 rating was achieved. DH85 aging was performed at 85° C. and 85% relative humidity for various durations (500 h, 1000 h, 2000 h, and 3000 h), followed by NII and molecular weight (Mw) testing. Molecular weight (Mw) was evaluated at 35° C. using an Agilent 1260 Infinity high performance liquid chromatograph using dichloromethane solvent.

[0108] Comparative compositions and example compositions were prepared as shown in Table 4A and Table 4B; the properties of these compositions are shown in Table 5A and Table 5B, respectively:

[0109] Table 4A - Comparative and Example Compositions

[0110]

[0111]

[0112] Table 4B - Comparative and Example Compositions

[0113] Components Ex3 Ex4 Ex5 C6 Ex6 Ex7 Ex8 PC1 60.28 57.28 60.58 55.18 55.18 45.68 56.18 PC2 15 15 15 15 15 15 15 HFD 10 10 10 10 10 10 10 FR-245 (67wt%Br) 3.9 3.9 6 6 6 F002P (26wt%Br) 15.5 FR-1025 (72wt% Br) 3.6 KSS 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 0.3 TSAN 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 0.5 EXL-2390 (0wt% Siloxane) 7 10 7 10 10 10 S-2501 (about 10wt% siloxane) 10 <![CDATA[AO1010 / AO168 / PETS / UV234 / CB / TiO 2 ]]> 3.02 3.02 3.02 3.02 3.02 3.02 2.02 Total (wt%) 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 Br content in the total formulation (wt%) 2.6 2.6 2.6 4.0 4.0 4.0 4.0

[0114] Table 5A - Properties of the Compositions of Table 4A

[0115]

[0116]

[0117] Table 5B - Properties of the Compositions of Table 4B

[0118]

[0119]

[0120] Composition C1 includes a siloxane-containing core-shell acrylic polymer impact modifier, while example composition Ex1 includes a siloxane-free core-shell acrylic polymer impact modifier. Comparing C1 with Ex1, it was observed that the siloxane-free core-shell impact modifier provided an improvement in flame retardancy from 1.2 mm V0 to 1.0 mm V0 and an improvement in impact resistance (NII) retention after 2000h and 3000h aging (from 38.4% to 60.4% and from 7.4% to 13.9%, respectively). Comparing C2-C5 with various flame retardant and impact modifier loadings with Ex2-Ex6, the example compositions including the siloxane-free acrylic impact modifier had significantly improved FR ratings, i.e., 1.0 mm V0, and improved NII retention after 2000h / 3000h DH85 aging. Comparing the comparative composition C6 with the example compositions Ex7 and Ex9, these example compositions have an improved FR rating of 1.0 mm V0 compared to C6 (failure rating). The example compositions with the impact modifiers containing no siloxane maintain good properties under different types and amounts of flame retardant components. The example compositions with the impact modifiers containing no siloxane also have high (PLC0) CTI ratings.

[0121] The above description is intended to be illustrative and not restrictive. For example, the examples described above (or one or more aspects thereof) may be used in combination with each other. A person of ordinary skill in the art may also use other aspects after reviewing the above description. The abstract is provided to comply with 37 CFR § 1.72 (b) to allow the reader to quickly determine the nature of the technical disclosure. It should be understood at the time of submission that the abstract will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims. In addition, in the above detailed description, various features may be grouped together to simplify the present disclosure. This situation should not be interpreted as an expectation that the disclosed unclaimed features are necessary for any claim. In fact, the subject matter of the invention may not lie in all the features of a particular disclosed aspect. Therefore, the above claims are hereby incorporated into the detailed description as examples or aspects, wherein each claim itself is a separate aspect, and after consideration, these aspects can be combined with each other in various combinations or arrangements. The scope of the present disclosure should be determined with reference to the attached claims and the full scope of equivalents given by these claims.

Claims

1. A polycarbonate composition comprising: a. 45 wt % to 90 wt % of a polycarbonate homopolymer; b. 1 wt % to 25 wt % of a polycarbonate copolymer; c. 0.1 wt % to 20 wt % of a first flame retardant component comprising a brominated flame retardant; d. 0.01 wt % to 1 wt % of a second flame retardant component comprising an alkyl sulfonate, an aromatic sulfone sulfonate, an aromatic sulfonate, or a combination thereof; and e. 0.1 wt% to 20 wt% of a silicone-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier, The combined weight percentage value of all components does not exceed 100 wt %, and all weight percentage values ​​are based on the total weight of the composition.

2. The polycarbonate composition of claim 1, wherein the polycarbonate copolymer comprises a poly(aliphatic ester-carbonate) copolymer comprising 0.1 to 10 mol% of sebacic acid monomer units and 90-99.9 mol% of bisphenol A monomer units.

3. The polycarbonate composition of claim 2, wherein the composition comprises 1 wt% to 20 wt% of the poly(aliphatic ester-carbonate) copolymer.

4. The polycarbonate composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has a total bromine content of 0.5 wt% to 8 wt%.

5. The polycarbonate composition of claim 1, wherein the first flame retardant component comprises a brominated polycarbonate, a brominated polyacrylate, a brominated cyanurate, or a combination thereof.

6. The polycarbonate composition of claim 1, wherein the siloxane-free acrylic core-shell impact modifier comprises an acrylate rubber as a core.

7. The polycarbonate composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further comprises greater than 0 wt% to 2 wt% of an anti-drip agent.

8. The polycarbonate composition of claim 7, wherein the anti-drip agent comprises styrene acrylonitrile encapsulated polytetrafluoroethylene (SAN-PTFE).

9. The polycarbonate composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises at least one additional additive comprising an acid scavenger, an anti-drip agent, an antioxidant, an antistatic agent, a chain extender, a colorant, a mold release agent, a flow promoter, a lubricant, a plasticizer, a quencher, an additional flame retardant, a UV stabilizer, a UV reflective additive, an additional impact modifier, a blowing agent, a reinforcing agent, or a combination thereof.

10. The polycarbonate composition of claim 1, wherein the composition does not include a polyester component.

11. The polycarbonate composition of claim 1, wherein the composition is free of siloxane.

12. The polycarbonate composition of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the composition has a Comparative Tracking Index (CTI) rating of PLCO as determined according to ASTM D3638.

13. The polycarbonate composition of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the composition has a notched Izod impact strength (NII) retention of at least 10% after 3000 hours of DH85 aging at a temperature of 85°C and a relative humidity of 85%, wherein the NII is evaluated before and after DH85 aging and tested according to ASTM D256 at a temperature of 23°C.

14. The polycarbonate composition of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the composition has a UL94 flame retardancy rating of V0 at a thickness of 1.0 millimeter (mm).

15. An article comprising the polycarbonate composition of any one of claims 1 to 11, wherein the article is a component of a consumer electronic device, an electrical connector, an insulating housing, an insulation material for solar photovoltaic or electric vehicles, or another electrical equipment component.

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