Poly(arylene ether) Resins with Radial Block Copolymers for Impact and Clarity
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Solution Overview
Problem
There is a need for poly(arylene ether) blends that balance optical clarity and impact resistance, as existing compositions with light color, low haze, and flame retardancy often compromise on impact resistance due to the use of optical enhancing agents and flame retardants.
Innovation Solution
The use of a composition comprising a poly(arylene ether), a radial block copolymer, a linear block copolymer, optical enhancing agents, and hydrogenated hydrocarbon or terpene resins, which maintains high impact resistance and low haze even with the presence of additives like benzoin and tridecyl phosphite, achieving improved multiaxial impact scores and high light transmittance.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Illumination intensity
If optical enhancing agents and flame-retardants are added to poly(arylene ether) to improve clarity and reduce haze, then optical properties are improved, but impact resistance is reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent uses a composite material system comprising poly(arylene ether) blended with styrenic block copolymer, non-elastomeric styrenic resin, and impact modifiers. This composite approach allows simultaneous achievement of optical clarity (through careful selection of transparent components), flame retardancy (through inherent properties of the polymer system), and impact resistance (through the elastomeric and impact modifier components) without relying on optical enhancing agents that would compromise impact strength.
2Strength
If styrenic block copolymers and other additives are used to enhance impact resistance, then impact resistance is improved, but optical clarity and haze levels deteriorate
Solution Approach 1:
The patent carefully controls the composition parameters including the specific ratio of styrene to butadiene in the block copolymer (with styrene content at least 50 weight percent), the molecular weight distribution, and the proportions of each component in the blend. By optimizing these parameters, the patent achieves impact resistance enhancement while maintaining optical clarity and low haze, avoiding the need for additional impact modifiers that would compromise optical properties.
3Reliability
If multiple additives including benzoin, tridecyl phosphite, and resorcinol (bis diphenyl phosphate) are used to achieve flame retardancy and optical enhancement, then flame resistance and clarity are improved, but multiaxial impact scores are reduced
Solution Approach 1:
The patent extracts and eliminates the need for impact modifiers from the composition by demonstrating that the combination of poly(arylene ether), styrenic block copolymer, and non-elastomeric styrenic resin inherently provides sufficient impact resistance. This removes the harmful factor of impact modifiers that would otherwise be needed to compensate for the brittleness introduced by flame retardants and optical enhancers, thereby maintaining high multiaxial impact scores while retaining flame resistance and optical clarity.
Data Source
AI summary
The present invention is directed to a composition that includes a poly(arylene ether), a radial block copolymer of an alkenyl aromatic monomer and a conjugated diene, a linear block copolymer of an alkenyl aromatic monomer and a conjugated diene, one or more optical enhancing agents, and a hydrocarbon resin. The composition is characterized by at least one of the following properties: a multiaxial impact of at least 20 joules as measured by ASTM D 3763-08, a percent haze of 15 percent or less as measured by ASTM D 1003-00, and a percent transmittance of 75 percent or more as measured by ASTM D 1003.