Electrically conductive polyester compositions for thin-walled applications, thin-walled articles, and methods of making the same

Abstract

Electrically conductive polyester compositions for thin-walled applications, thin-walled articles, and methods of making the same. The composition comprises 50% to 94% by weight of a polyester polymer, 1% to 30% by weight of a dispersing agent, and 5% to 20% by weight of a conductive additive, all based on the total weight of the composition. The composition, when cured, exhibits a surface resistivity in a range of 0 to 1 X 108 ohms.

Description

TITLEELECTRICALLY CONDUCTIVE POLYESTER COMPOSITIONS FOR THIN-WALLED APPLICATIONS, THIN-WALLED ARTICLES, AND METHODS OF MAKING THE SAMECROSS-REFERENCE

[0001] This application claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 777,914, filed March 26, 2025 and U.S. Provisional Application No. 63 / 887,849, filed September 25, 2025. The entire disclosures of each are hereby incorporated by reference into this specification.FIELD

[0002] The present disclosure is directed to, among other things, electrically conductive polyester compositions for thin-walled applications, thin-walled articles, and methods of making the same.BACKGROUND

[0003] There are challenges with formulating compositions for electronic packaging that also meet desired mechanical properties. Styrene polymers have been found to exhibit properties suitable for electronic packaging. However, the use of styrene-based polymers in electronic packaging may be undesirable for various other processing reasons.SUMMARY

[0004] In one aspect according to the present disclosure, an electrically conductive plastic composition for thin-walled applications is provided. The composition comprises 50% to 94% by weight of a polyester polymer, 1% to 30% by weight of a dispersing agent, and 5% to 20% by weight of a conductive additive, all based on the total weight of the composition. The composition, when cured, exhibits a surface resistivity in a range of 0 to 1 X 108ohms.

[0005] The present disclosure also provides a thin-walled article comprising an electrically conductive plastic composition. The composition comprises 50% to 94% by weight of a polyester polymer, 1% to 30% by weight of a dispersing agent, and 5% to 20% by weight of a conductive additive, all based on the total weight of the composition. The composition exhibits a surface resistivity in a range of 0 to 1 X 108ohms.

[0006] The present disclosure also provides a method of making an electrically conductive plastic composition for thin-walled applications. The method comprises combining a polyester polymer, an impact modifier, and a conductive additive to form a first mixture. At least a portion of the polyester polymer is sourced from post-consumer scrap. The method comprises melting and blending the first mixture to form the electrically conductive plastic composition.

[0007] It is understood that the invention described in this specification is not necessarily limited to the examples summarized in this Summary.BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0008] The features and advantages of the examples, and the manner of attaining them, will become more apparent, and the examples will be better understood, by reference to the following description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

[0009] FIG. l is a side view of an example thin-walled article according to the present disclosure;

[0010] FIG. 2 is a side view of an example thin-walled article comprising at least two layers according to the present disclosure; and

[0011] FIG. 3 is a side view of an example thin-walled article comprising at least three layers according to the present disclosure.

[0012] Corresponding reference characters indicate corresponding parts throughout the several views. The exemplifications set out herein illustrate certain non-limiting embodiments, in one form, and such exemplifications are not to be construed as limiting the scope of the appended claims in any manner.DETAILED DESCRIPTION

[0009] Various embodiments are described and illustrated in this specification to provide an overall understanding of the structure, function, properties, and use of the disclosed inventions. It is understood that the various embodiments described and illustrated in this specification are non-limiting and non-exhaustive. Thus, the invention is not limited by the description of the various non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments disclosed in this specification. The features and characteristics described in connection with variousembodiments may be combined with the features and characteristics of other embodiments. Such modifications and variations are intended to be included within the scope of this specification. As such, the claims may be amended to recite any features or characteristics expressly or inherently described in, or otherwise expressly or inherently supported by, this specification. Furthermore, Applicant(s) reserves the right to amend the claims to affirmatively disclaim features or characteristics that may be present in the prior art. The various embodiments disclosed and described in this specification can comprise, consist of, or consist essentially of the features and characteristics as variously described herein.

[0010] The present inventor determined that it would be desirable to replace styrene-based materials typical for thermoforming with a different plastic composition, as styrene-based material are not easily recycled, may contain high levels of styrenics, and can have poor aesthetic qualities, such as rubbing resistance. Prior to the present application, polyester polymers were not considered suitable for this purpose as they were considered undesirable for thermoforming and / or exhibited insufficient forming properties, such as elasticity.Surprisingly, the present inventor has found a polyester polymer-based conductive plastic composition for thin-walled applications that is a suitable replacement for styrene-based materials and exhibits suitable aesthetic properties, such as rubbing resistance, can include recycled materials, and / or can be thermoformed. The electrically conductive plastic compositions according to the present disclosure may comprise 50% to 94% by weight of a polyester polymer, 1% to 30% by weight of a dispersing agent, and 5% to 20% by weight of a conductive additive, all based on the total weight of the composition. The electrically conductive plastic compositions can be used for thin-walled articles.

[0011] The polyester polymer can comprise suitable rubbing resistance as desirable for certain applications and may be sourced from post-consumer scrap. The polyester polymer can comprise any of the known polyester polymers. Examples of suitable polyester polymers comprise substituted or unsubstituted aromatic, aliphatic, and cycloaliphatic polyester polymers. For example, the polyester polymer can comprise polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyhexamethylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate, a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, or a combination thereof. The polyester polymer can be polyethylene terephthalate.

[0012] At least a portion of the polyester polymer can be sourced from post-consumer scrap, such as, for example, plastic bottle flakes. For example, 10% by weight or greater of thepolyester polymer can be from post-consumer scrap, such as, for example, 20% by weight or greater, 30% by weight or greater, 40% by weight or greater, 50% by weight or greater, 60% by weight or greater, 70% by weight or greater, 80% by weight or greater, 90% by weight or greater, 99% by weight or greater, or 100% by weight.

[0013] The electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 50% by weight or greater of the polyester polymer, such as, for example, 55% by weight or greater, 60% by weight or greater, 65% by weight or greater, 70% by weight or greater, 75% by weight or greater, or 80% by weight or greater, all of polyester polymer based on the total weight of the composition. The electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 94% by weight or less of the polyester polymer, such as, for example, 92% by weight or less, 90% by weight or less, 89% by weight or less, 88% by weight or less, 85% by weight or less, or 80% by weight or less, all of polyester polymer based on the total weight of the composition. For example, the electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 50% to 94% by weight of the polyester polymer based on the total weight of the composition, such as, for example, 50% to 92% by weight, 50% to 90% by weight, 60% to 90% by weight, 70% to 90% by weight, 70% to 88% by weight, 80% to 92% by weight, or 75% to 85% by weight, all of polyester polymer based on the total weight of the composition.

[0014] The dispersing agent can comprise a wax, a modified siloxane, a fatty ester, or a combination thereof. The dispersing agent can comprise ethylene bis stearamide wax. The dispersing agent can inhibit agglomeration of the conductive additive.

[0015] The amount of dispersing agent used can affect the mechanical properties of the electrically conductive plastic composition. The electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 1% by weight or greater of the dispersing agent, such as, for example, 2% by weight or greater, 3% by weight or greater, 4% by weight or greater, 5% by weight or greater, 6% by weight or greater, 7% by weight or greater, 8% by weight or greater, 9% by weight or greater, 10% by weight or greater, 15% by weight or greater, 20% by weight or greater, all of the dispersing agent based on the total weight of the composition. The electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 30% by weight or less of the dispersing agent, such as, for example, 25% by weight or less, 20% by weight or less, 12% by weight or less, 11% by weight or less, 10% by weight or less, 9% by weight or less, 8% by weight or less, or 5% by weight or less, of the dispersing agent all based on the total weight of the composition. For example, the electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 1% to 30% byweight of the dispersing agent based on the total weight of the composition, such as, for example, 2 % to 20% by weight, 2% to 15% by weight, 3% to 8% by weight, 2% to 10% by weight, or 4% to 6% by weight, all of the dispersing agent based on the total weight of the composition.

[0016] In various examples, increasing a concentration of the dispersing agent can enhance the resistance of the conductive additive to agglomerate. In certain examples, decreasing a concentration of the dispersing agent to below a desirable level can reduce the resistance of the conductive additive to agglomerate.

[0017] The conductive additive can enhance the conductivity of the electrically conductive plastic composition. The conductive additive may be encased with the electrically conductive polymer composition and due to the rubbing resistance of the polyester polymer, the conductive additive may be resistant to leaching out of the electrically conductive plastic composition. The conductive additive can comprise various types of electrically conductive components, such as, for example, conductive carbon, a metal powder, or a combination thereof. For example, the conductive additive can comprise graphene, graphite, carbon nanotubes, conductive carbon black, or a combination thereof. The conductive additive can be a powder, such as, for example, conductive carbon black powder.

[0018] It has been found that adding too little conductive additive may not achieve a suitable conductivity, while adding too much conductive additive may degrade the mechanical properties of the electrically conductive plastic composition. The electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 5% by weight or greater of the conductive additive based on the total weight of the composition, such as, for example, 6% by weight or greater, 7% by weight or greater, 8% by weight or greater, 9% by weight or greater, 10% by weight or greater, or 15% by weight or greater, all of conductive additive based on the total weight of the composition. The electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 20% by weight or less of the conductive additive based on the total weight of the composition, such as, for example, 19% by weight or less, 18% by weight or less, 15% by weight or less, 12% by weight or less, 10% by weight or less, or 9% by weight or less, of the conductive additive all based on the total weight of the composition. For example, the electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 5% to 30% by weight of the conductive additive based on the total weight of the composition, such as, for example, 5% to 20% by weight, 5% to 15% by weight, 6% to 15% by weight, 8% to 15% by weight, or 7% to 12% by weight, all of theconductive additive based on the total weight of the electrically conductive plastic composition.

[0019] The electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise various other components, such as, for example, a chain extender, an impact modifier, and / or other additive. For example, the electrically conductive plastic composition may comprise 10% or less by weight of other components, such as, for example, 5% or less, 2% or less, or 1% or less by weight of other components, all based on the total weight of the electrically conductive plastic composition.

[0020] In certain examples, an impact modifier was previously believed unsuitable for use with a polyester polymer. The present inventor determined that the use of an impact modifier surprisingly increased the mechanical properties of the electrically conductive plastic composition such that, for example, the electrically conductive plastic composition could be thermoformed and / or comprise a suitable elasticity. The impact modifier can comprise an acrylic impact modifier. The impact modifier can comprise a phenolic acid methyl ester polymer, a synthetic rubber, or a combination thereof.

[0021] The amount of impact modifier used can affect the mechanical properties of the electrically conductive plastic composition. The electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 5% by weight or greater of the impact modifier, such as, for example, 6% by weight or greater, 7% by weight or greater, 8% by weight or greater, or 9% by weight or greater, all of impact modifier based on the total weight of the composition. The electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 15% by weight or less of the impact modifier, such as, for example, 14% by weight or less, 13% by weight or less, 12% by weight or less, 11% by weight or less, 10% by weight or less, or 9% by weight or less, of impact modifier all based on the total weight of the composition. For example, the electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise 5% to 15% by weight of the impact modifier based on the total weight of the composition, such as, for example, 5 % to 12% by weight, 6% to 12% by weight, 5% to 10% by weight, 6% to 10% by weight, or 6% to 9% by weight, all of impact modifier based on the total weight of the composition.

[0022] The amount of the impact modifier and the conductive additive may be balanced to achieve suitable mechanical and electrical properties of the electrically conductive plastic composition. For example, the electrically conductive plastic composition can comprise aweight ratio of impact modifier to conductive additive in a range of 1 :2 to 2: 1, such as, for example, 1:1.5 to 1.5:1.

[0023] The article and / or electrically conductive plastic composition can exhibit suitable mechanical and / or electrical properties. For example, the article and / or electrically conductive plastic composition can exhibit a surface resistivity in a range of 0 to 1 X108ohms as measured with a four point probe, such as, for example, 0 to 1 X 107ohms, 0 to 1 X 106ohms, 10 ohms to 1 X 108ohms, 1 X 102ohms to 1 X 108ohms, 1 X 102ohms to 1 X 107ohms, 1 X 103ohms to 1 X 106ohms, or 1 X 104ohms to 1 X 106ohms, all as measured with a four point probe.

[0024] The present disclosure also provides a method of making an electrically conductive plastic composition. The method comprises combining a polyester polymer, an impact modifier, and a conductive additive to form a first mixture. The method comprises melting and blending the first mixture to form the electrically conductive plastic composition. The melting and blending can be performed in various mixing apparatus, such as in a twin-screw extruder. The method can optionally comprise extruding the electrically conductive plastic composition into pellets. The method can comprise forming an article from the electrically conductive plastic composition.

[0025] The electrically conductive plastic composition may be a ready-to-use composition or a master batch composition. For example, when the electrically conductive composition is a master batch composition, the electrically conductive plastic composition can be blended with additional post-consumer scrap comprising a polyester polymer to form a second mixture. For example, pellets of the master batch composition can be blended with flakes of plastic bottles. The second mixture can be melted and blended to form a blended composition. The master batch composition can be blended with the additional postconsumer scrap in a weight ratio in a range of 10: 1 to 1 :2, such as, for example, 4:1 to 1:1. The master batch composition may then be processed into various forms, such as pellets, flakes, or powers.

[0026] The article can be formed from the blended composition and / or a ready-to-use composition. For example, the article can be extruded using the blended composition and / or the ready-to-use composition.

[0027] Referring to FIG. 1, an article 100 according to the present disclosure is provided. The article 100 can comprise the electrically conductive composition according to the present disclosure.

[0028] The article 100 can comprise a wall thickness, ti, extending from a first side 102 to a second side 104. As used herein “thin-wall application” and the like are meant to mean an article with a wall thickness, ti, that can be 3 mm or less, such as, for example, 2.75 mm or less, 2 mm or less, 1.9 mm or less, 1.8 mm or less, 1.75 mm or less, 1.7 mm or less, 1.6 mm or less, 1.5 mm or less, 1.4 mm or less, 1.3 mm or less, 1.2 mm or less, 1.1 mm or less, or 1 mm or less. The wall thickness, ti, can be 0.1 mm or greater, such as, for example, 0.2 mm or greater, 0.3 mm or greater, 0.5 mm or greater, or 1 mm or greater. In various examples, the wall thickness, ti, can be in a range of 0.1 mm to 3 mm, such as, for example, 0.1 mm to 2 mm, 0.5 mm to 2 mm, 0.1 mm to 1.5 mm, or 1 mm to 1.5 mm.

[0029] Depending on the wall thickness, ti, the properties of the article 100 can significantly change. For example, during thermoforming of a thin-wall article, certain mechanic properties may have to be balanced such that the thin-wall article does not contain deformities, such as, for example, holes. Having a wall thickness, ti, significantly greater than 3 mm can lead to undesirable changes in mechanical properties of the article 100, such as, for example, brittleness and / or electrical conductivity.

[0030] The article 100 can comprise packaging, a bottle, a can, a film (e.g., electrostatic discharge film), or a combination thereof. The article 100 can be a thermoformed object, such as, for example, a thermoformed film. The packaging can be blister packs suitable for electronics and / or for explosive environments where sparks may have to be reduced.

[0031] Referring to FIG. 2, an article 200 according to the present disclosure is provided. The article 200 can be a film, such as, for example, a multi-layer film having at least two layers 206, 208. At least one of the layers 206, 208 in the multi-layer film can comprise the electrically conductive plastic composition according to the present disclosure. For example, the layers 206, 208 can be exterior layers that substantially comprise the electrically conductive plastic composition according to the present disclosure. The article 200 may have one or more interior layers intermediate the layers 206, 208 that do not substantially comprise the electrically conductive plastic composition according to the present disclosure.

[0032] For example, referring to FIG. 3, the article 300 can be a multi-layer film comprising a three-layer film, with two A layers 306, 308 and a B layer 310 positioned intermediate and optionally in contact with the two A layers 306, 308. The A layers 306, 308 can be exterior layers and the B layer 310 can be an interior layer.

[0033] The A layers 306, 308, individually, can comprise at least 70% by weight of the conductive composition according to the present disclosure, such as, for example, at least 75%, at least 80%, at least 85%, at least 90%, at least 95% or at least 99% by weight, all based on the total weight of the A layer. The A layers 306, 308, individually, can comprise 100% by weight or less of the conductive composition according to the present disclosure, such as, for example, 99% or less, or 95% or less by weight of the conductive composition. The A layers 306, 308, individually, can comprise a range of 70% to 100% by weight of the conductive composition, such as, for example, 75% to 100%, or 90% to 100% by weight of the conductive composition. For example, each A layer 306, 308 can comprise a blend composition as described above.

[0034] The B layer 310 can comprise at least 0.1% by weight or at least 1% by weight of the conductive composition according to the present disclosure. The B layer 310 can comprise 100% or less by weight of the conductive composition according to the present disclosure, such as, for example, 99% or less, 80% or less, 50% or less, 20% or less, 10% or less, 5% or less, or 2% or less, all by weight of the conductive composition. The B layer 310 can comprise a range of 0.1% to 100% by weight of the conductive composition, such as, for example, 0.1% to 50%, 0.1% to 20%, or 0.1% to 5% by weight of the conductive composition. For example, the B layer 310 can comprise a blend composition as described above.

[0035] The article 300 can comprise the wall thickness, ti, extending from a first side 302 to a second side 304. The A layer 306 can comprise a thickness, t2, the A layer 308 can comprise a thickness, t4, and the B layer can comprise a thickness, ts. The wall thickness, ti, can be the total wall thickness for the article 300. For example, as illustrated, the wall thickness, ti, can be a sum of the thickness, t2, the thickness t3, and the thickness, t4.

[0036] Each of the wall thicknesses, t2 and t4, individually, can be 30% or less of the wall thickness, ti, such as, for example, 20% or less, 15% or less, or 12% or less of the wall thickness, ti. Each of the wall thicknesses, t2 and t4, individually, can be 1% or greater of thewall thickness, ti, such as, for example, 2% or greater, 5% or greater, or 8% or greater of the wall thickness, ti. For example, each of the wall thicknesses, t2 and t4, individually, can be in a range of 1% to 30% of the wall thickness, ti, such as, for example, 1% to 20%, 5% to 15%, or 8% to 12%, of the wall thickness, ti.

[0037] The wall thicknesses, t3, can be 90% or less of the wall thickness, ti, such as, for example, 85% or less, 82% or less of the wall thickness, ti. The thickness, t3, can be 1% or greater of the wall thickness, ti, such as, for example, 5% or greater, 20% or greater, 30% or greater, 50% or greater, 70% or greater, or 75% or greater of the wall thickness, ti. For example, the wall thicknesses, t3, can be in a range of 1% to 90% of the wall thickness, ti, such as, for example, 20% to 90%, 50% to 90%, or 75% to 85%, of the wall thickness, ti.

[0038] EXAMPLES

[0039] The present disclosure will be more fully understood by reference to the following examples that provide illustrative, non-limiting aspects of the invention. It is understood that the invention described in this specification is not necessarily limited to the examples described in this section.Production of conductive masterbatch

[0040] To prepare a conductive masterbatch, 85% by weight of a glycol modified polyester polymer, 5% by weight of EBS-wax (e.g., dispersing agent), and 10% by weight of a conductive carbon black were mixed to form a mixture. The mixture was added to a twin-screw extruder and compounded to form the conductive masterbatch.Production of conductive film

[0041] The conductive masterbatch was pelletized and then re-extruded in an extruder to form a film comprising a thickness of 1.2 mm. The film was produced as a co-layer film having three layers. Namely, two A-layer and one B layer intermediate the A layers. The A-layers are each 10% of the overall thickness of the film, the B layer is 80% of the thickness of the overall film. The dosing of the conductive masterbatch in the A layers was 80-100% and 2% in the B-layer. The film was then thermoformed into a part.

[0042] The surface resistivity and the volume resistance of the film was measured throughout the process. The film was tested for conductivity according to method DIN EN62631. The surface resistivity of the film was measured to be 1 X 103after extrusion but before thermoforming. After thermoforming, the part was measured for surface resistivity at different positions and values in between 1 X 103and 1 X 106were found. The volume resistance of the part was measured to be in a range of 1 X 104and 1 X 106Q.

[0043] The film and part were determined to be mechanically acceptable as they did not break upon handling.Conductive Polyester, Rubbing-Test Results

[0044] A multi-layer conductive film sample comprising a PET film with 80% by weight of the conductive masterbatch described above and a comparative electrostatic dischargejilm comprising polystyrene were tested for rubbing resistance. Polystyrene has been used in the industry for ESD-blister packaging.

[0045] Conditioning

[0046] The films have been stored for more than 24 hours under standard climate and tested according DIN EN ISO 291 for rubbing resistance. Table 1 illustrates the testing parameters that were used.Table 1: Testing ParametersTest Parameter Type Type UsedDevice Used Maag APG 1000 (PM 4162)Evaluation Method Grey scale according ISO 105-A03, visual evaluation in D65 light Rubbing Textile ISO Crockmeter Standard Rubbing Cloth, Testfabrics, Lot. 1879 Medium dry / wet (Water)Force 19NDouble Strokes 10 according ISO 105 -XI 2

[0047] The results of the rubbing resistance testing are shown in Tables 2 and 3 below:Table 2: Test Results of Conductive Film comprising PETMedium Force (N) FastnessDry 19 5Wet 19 4-5Table 3: Test Results of Comparative Film comprising PolystyreneMedium Force (N) FastnessDry 19 4-5Wet 19 3-4

[0048] It was observed that the conductive film comprising PET according to the present disclosure performed better than the comparative film comprising polystyrene.

[0049] Various aspects of the subject matter described herein are set out in the following numbered clauses:

[0050] Clause 1. An electrically conductive plastic composition for thin-walled applications, the composition comprising: 50% to 94% by weight of a polyester polymer based on a total weight of the composition; 1% to 30% by weight of a dispersing agent based on the total weight of the composition; and 5% to 20% by weight of a conductive additive based on the total weight of the composition, wherein the composition, when cured, exhibits: a surface resistivity in a range of 0 to 1 X 108ohms.

[0051] Clause 2. The composition of clause 1, wherein the composition comprises 70% to 88% by weight of a polyester polymer based on the total weight of the composition.

[0052] Clause 3. The composition of any of clauses 1-2, wherein the composition comprises 2 % to 10 % by weight of the dispersing agent based on the total weight of the composition.

[0053] Clause 4. The composition of any of clauses 1-3, wherein the composition comprises 5 % to 12 % by weight of the conductive additive based on the total weight of the composition.

[0054] Clause 5. The composition of any of clauses 1-4, wherein the composition comprises: 80% to 92% by weight of a polyester polymer based on the total weight of the composition; 3% to 8% by weight of a dispersing agent based on a total weight of the composition; and 5% to 12% by weight of a conductive additive based on the total weight of the composition, wherein the composition, when cured, exhibits: a surface resistivity in a range of 2 X 102to 1 X 106ohms.

[0055] Clause 6. The composition of any of clauses 1-5, wherein the conductive additive comprises conductive carbon, a metal powder, or a combination thereof.

[0056] Clause 7. The composition of any of clauses 1-6, wherein the conductive additive comprises graphene, graphite, carbon nanotubes, conductive carbon black, or a combination thereof.

[0057] Clause 8. The composition of any of clauses 1-7, wherein the conductive additive comprises conductive carbon black.

[0058] Clause 9. The composition of any of clauses 1-8, further comprising an impact modifier, a chain extender.

[0059] Clause 10. The composition of any of clauses 1-9, wherein a weight ratio of dispersing agent to conductive additive is in a range of 1 :4 to 1:1.

[0060] Clause 11. The composition of any of clauses 1-10, wherein the polyester polymer comprises polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyhexamethylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate, a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, or a combination thereof.

[0061] Clause 12. The composition of any of clauses 1-11, wherein at least a portion of the polyester polymer is sourced from post-consumer scrap.

[0062] Clause 13. The composition of clause 12, wherein the post-consumer scrap comprises plastic bottle flakes.

[0063] Clause 14. An article comprising the composition of any of clauses 1-13.

[0064] Clause 15. The article of clause 14, wherein the article comprises a wall thickness of 1.5mm or less.

[0065] Clause 16. The article of any of clauses 14-15, wherein the article exhibits a surface resistivity in a range of 0 to 1 X 108ohms.

[0066] Clause 17. The article of any of clauses 14-16, wherein the article comprises packaging, a bottle, a can, a film, or a combination thereof.

[0067] Clause 18. A method of making an electrically conductive plastic composition for thin-walled applications, the method comprising: combining a polyester polymer, a dispersing agent, and a conductive additive to form a first mixture, at least a portion of thepolyester polymer being sourced from post-consumer scrap; and melting and blending the first mixture to form the electrically conductive plastic composition.

[0068] Clause 19. The method of clause 18, wherein the melting and blending is performed in a twin-screw extruder.

[0069] Clause 20. The method of any of clauses 18-19, further comprising: extruding the electrically conductive plastic composition into pellets.

[0070] Clause 21. The method of any of clauses 18-20, wherein the post-consumer scrap comprises plastic bottle flakes.

[0071] Clause 22. The method of any of clauses 18-21, further comprising: blending the electrically conductive plastic composition with additional post-consumer scrap comprising a polyester polymer to form a second mixture; melting and blending the second mixture to form a blended composition; and forming an article from the blended composition.

[0072] Clause 23. The method of clause 22, wherein the article comprises packaging, a bottle, a can, a film, or a combination thereof.

[0073] Clause 24. The method of any of clauses 22-23, wherein the article comprises a wall thickness of 3 mm or less.

[0074] Clause 25. The method of any of clauses 22-24, wherein the article exhibits a surface resistivity in a range of 0 to 1 X 108ohms.

[0075] Any patent, publication, or other disclosure material identified herein is incorporated by reference into this specification in its entirety unless otherwise indicated, but only to the extent that the incorporated material does not conflict with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material expressly set forth in this specification. As such, and to the extent necessary, the express disclosure as set forth in this specification supersedes any conflicting material incorporated by reference herein. Any material, or portion thereof, that is said to be incorporated by reference into this specification, but which conflicts with existing definitions, statements, or other disclosure material set forth herein, is only incorporated to the extent that no conflict arises between that incorporated material and the existing disclosure material. Applicant(s) reserves the right to amend this specification to expressly recite any subject matter, or portion thereof, incorporated by reference herein.

[0076] In this specification, other than where otherwise indicated, all numerical parameters are to be understood as being prefaced and modified in all instances by the term “about,” in which the numerical parameters possess the inherent variability characteristic of the underlying measurement techniques used to determine the numerical value of the parameter. At the very least, and not as an attempt to limit the application of the doctrine of equivalents to the scope of the claims, each numerical parameter described in the present description should at least be construed in light of the number of reported significant digits and by applying ordinary rounding techniques.

[0077] Also, any numerical range recited in this specification is intended to include all subranges of the same numerical precision subsumed within the recited range. For example, a range of “1.0 to 10.0” is intended to include all sub-ranges between (and including) the recited minimum value of 1.0 and the recited maximum value of 10.0, that is, having a minimum value equal to or greater than 1.0 and a maximum value equal to or less than 10.0, such as, for example, 2.4 to 7.6. Any maximum numerical limitation recited in this specification is intended to include all lower numerical limitations subsumed therein, and any minimum numerical limitation recited in this specification is intended to include all higher numerical limitations subsumed therein. Accordingly, Applicant(s) reserves the right to amend this specification, including the claims, to expressly recite any sub-range subsumed within the ranges expressly recited herein. All such ranges are intended to be inherently described in this specification.

[0078] The grammatical articles “one,” “a,” “an,” and “the,” as used in this specification, are intended to include “at least one” or “one or more,” unless otherwise indicated. Thus, the articles are used in this specification to refer to one or more than one (i.e., to “at least one”) of the grammatical objects of the article. By way of example, “a component” means one or more components, and thus, possibly, more than one component is contemplated and may be employed or used in an implementation of the described embodiments. Further, the use of a singular noun includes the plural, and the use of a plural noun includes the singular, unless the context of the usage requires otherwise.

[0079] This specification has been written with reference to various non-limiting and non-exhaustive embodiments. However, it will be recognized by persons having ordinary skill in the art that various substitutions, modifications, or combinations of any of the disclosed embodiments (or portions thereof) may be made within the scope of this specification. Thus,it is contemplated and understood that this specification supports additional embodiments not expressly set forth herein. Such embodiments may be obtained, for example, by combining, modifying, or reorganizing any of the disclosed steps, components, elements, features, aspects, characteristics, limitations, and the like, of the various non-limiting embodiments described in this specification. In this manner, Applicant(s) reserves the right to amend the claims during prosecution to add features as variously described in this specification, and such amendments comply with the requirements of 35 U.S.C. § 112, first paragraph, and 35 U.S.C. § 132(a).

Claims

CLAIMSWHAT IS CLAIMED IS:

1. An electrically conductive plastic composition for thin-walled applications, the composition comprising:50% to 94% by weight of a polyester polymer based on a total weight of the composition;1% to 30% by weight of a dispersing agent based on the total weight of the composition; and5% to 20% by weight of a conductive additive based on the total weight of the composition,wherein the composition, when cured, exhibits: a surface resistivity in a range of 0 to 1 X 108ohms.

2. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises 70% to 88% by weight of a polyester polymer based on the total weight of the composition.

3. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises 2 % to 10 % by weight of the dispersing agent based on the total weight of the composition.

4. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises 5 % to 12 % by weight of the conductive additive based on the total weight of the composition.

5. The composition of claim 1, wherein the composition comprises:80% to 92% by weight of a polyester polymer based on the total weight of the composition;3% to 8% by weight of a dispersing agent based on a total weight of the composition; and5% to 12% by weight of a conductive additive based on the total weight of the composition,wherein the composition, when cured, exhibits: a surface resistivity in a range of 2 X 102to 1 X 106ohms.

6. The composition of claim 1, wherein the conductive additive comprises conductive carbon, a metal powder, or a combination thereof.

7. The composition of claim 1, wherein the conductive additive comprises graphene, graphite, carbon nanotubes, conductive carbon black, or a combination thereof.

8. The composition of claim 1, wherein the conductive additive comprises conductive carbon black.

9. The composition of claim 1, further comprising an impact modifier, a chain extender.

10. The composition of claim 1, wherein a weight ratio of dispersing agent to conductive additive is in a range of 1 :4 to 1:1.

11. The composition of claim 1, wherein the polyester polymer comprises polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polyhexamethylene terephthalate, polypropylene terephthalate, glycol modified polyethylene terephthalate, a thermoplastic polyester elastomer, or a combination thereof.

12. The composition of claim 1, wherein at least a portion of the polyester polymer is sourced from post-consumer scrap.

13. The composition of claim 12, wherein the post-consumer scrap comprises plastic bottle flakes.

14. A thin-walled article comprising the composition of claim 1.

15. The article of claim 14, wherein the article comprises a wall thickness of 1.5mm or less.

16. The article of claim 14, wherein the article exhibits a surface resistivity in a range of 0 to 1 X 108ohms.

17. The article of claim 14, wherein the article comprises packaging, a bottle, a can, a film, or a combination thereof.

18. A method of making an electrically conductive plastic composition for thin-walled applications, the method comprising:combining a polyester polymer, a dispersing agent, and a conductive additive to form a first mixture, at least a portion of the polyester polymer being sourced from post-consumer scrap; andmelting and blending the first mixture to form the electrically conductive plastic composition.

19. The method of claim 18, wherein the melting and blending is performed in a twin-screw extruder.

20. The method of claim 18, further comprising:extruding the electrically conductive plastic composition into pellets.

21. The method of claim 18, wherein the post-consumer scrap comprises plastic bottle flakes.

22. The method of claim 18, further comprising:blending the electrically conductive plastic composition with additional postconsumer scrap comprising a polyester polymer to form a second mixture;melting and blending the second mixture to form a blended composition; and forming an article from the blended composition.

23. The method of claim 22, wherein the article comprises packaging, a bottle, a can, a film, or a combination thereof.

24. The method of claim 22, wherein the article comprises a wall thickness of 3 mm or less.

25. The method of claim 22, wherein the article exhibits a surface resistivity in a range of 0 to 1 X 108ohms.

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