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CN-121986136-A - Foamable thermoplastic composition, thermoplastic foam and method of making the same

CN121986136ACN 121986136 ACN121986136 ACN 121986136ACN-121986136-A

Abstract

A method of forming an extruded thermoplastic foam comprising extruding a foamable composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a blowing agent, wherein the thermoplastic polymer consists essentially of ethylene furanoate moieties and optionally ethylene terephthalate moieties, and wherein the extruding step comprises forcing the foamable composition from a relatively high pressure region through a die to a relatively low pressure region.

Inventors

  • H. Abrivaya
  • K. Le Huta
  • S. Martins
  • AZIZ SATTAR
  • Rodrigo Lobo
  • E. Broderick
  • A. Krugrove

Assignees

  • 霍尼韦尔国际公司

Dates

Publication Date
20260505
Application Date
20240820
Priority Date
20240819

Claims (10)

  1. 1. An extruded thermoplastic foam, the extruded thermoplastic foam comprising: (a) A thermoplastic polymer cell comprising cell walls forming closed cells, wherein the thermoplastic polymer consists essentially of ethylene furanate moieties and optionally ethylene terephthalate moieties, wherein the polymer comprises from about 10mol% to about 100mol% ethylene furanate moieties and optionally at least about 1mol% ethylene terephthalate moieties, and (B) Trans 1234ze contained in the closed cells.
  2. 2. The extruded foam of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer (i) comprises from about 10mol% to about 100mol% ethylene furanoate moieties and from 10mol% to about 90mol% ethylene terephthalate moieties, and (ii) has a molecular weight of at least about 25,000.
  3. 3. The extruded foam of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer (i) comprises from about 10mol% to about 100mol% ethylene furanoate moieties and from 10mol% to about 90mol% ethylene terephthalate moieties, and (ii) has a molecular weight of from about 25,000 to about 140,000.
  4. 4. The extruded foam of claim 1, wherein the thermoplastic polymer has been formed by a process comprising treatment with a chain extender.
  5. 5. The extruded foam of claim 1 wherein (a) at least about 75% of the cells are closed cells, (b) the foam has a foam density of less than 0.1g/cc, and (c) the cell walls consist essentially of a thermoplastic having a molecular weight of from about 30,000 to about 130,000.
  6. 6. A wind energy turbine blade and/or nacelle comprising the foam of claim 1.
  7. 7. A wind energy turbine blade and/or nacelle comprising the foam according to claim 2.
  8. 8. A wind energy turbine blade and/or nacelle comprising the foam according to claim 5.
  9. 9. A method of forming an extruded thermoplastic foam, the method comprising extruding a foamable composition comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a blowing agent, wherein the thermoplastic polymer consists essentially of ethylene furanoate moieties and optionally ethylene terephthalate moieties, and wherein the extruding step comprises forcing the foamable composition from a relatively high pressure region through a die to a relatively low pressure region.
  10. 10. The method of claim 9 wherein the thermoplastic polymer (i) comprises from about 10mol% to about 100mol% ethylene furanate moieties and from 10mol% to about 90mol% ethylene terephthalate moieties, and (ii) has a molecular weight of from about 25,000 to about 140,000, and wherein the thermoplastic foam comprises a closed cell thermoplastic foam, wherein at least about 75% of the cells in the extruded foam are closed cells.

Description

Foamable thermoplastic composition, thermoplastic foam and method of making the same Cross Reference to Related Applications The present application claims the benefit of priority for each of US 63/534,340 (filed 8 at 2023) and US 63/533,699, and each of these applications is incorporated by reference as if fully set forth below. The application is also incorporated by reference in U.S. Pat. No. 18/113,605 filed on 23, 2, 2023. Technical Field The present invention relates to foamable thermoplastic compositions, thermoplastic foams, foaming methods, and systems and articles made therefrom. Background While foams are used in a wide variety of applications, in many applications, it is desirable but difficult to achieve the goal that the foam material be environmentally friendly while having excellent performance characteristics and producing a cost effective product. Environmental considerations include not only the recyclability and sustainability of the polymeric resin forming the foam structure, but also the low environmental impact of the blowing agent used to form the foam, such as Global Warming Potential (GWP) and Ozone Depletion Potential (ODP) of the blowing agent. From the standpoint of recyclability and/or sustainable sources, the potential advantages of foams based on certain thermoplastic resins (including polyester resins) have been investigated. However, some difficulties are encountered in developing such materials. For example, it has been a challenge to develop polyester resins that are truly recyclable, producible from sustainable sources, and compatible with blowing agents that in combination with thermoplastic materials are capable of producing foams with good performance characteristics. In many applications, performance characteristics that are considered highly desirable include the production of high quality closed cell foams that are low density (and thus light weight when in use) and that have relatively high mechanical integrity and strength at the same time. Regarding the selection of thermoplastic resins, EP 3,231,836 acknowledges that despite the interest in thermoplastic resins, in particular polyester-based resins, this interest has encountered difficulties in development, including difficulty in determining the proper foaming grade of such resins. Furthermore, while EP 3,231,836 notes that certain polyethylene terephthalate (PET) resins (including recycled forms of PET) can be melt extruded with suitable physical and/or chemical blowing agents to produce closed cell foams having the potential for low density and good mechanical properties, there is no disclosure that any such resin can produce foams having both good environmental properties and good performance properties, and can also be formed from sustainable sources. The' 836 application identifies several possible polyester resins for forming open cell foams, including polyethylene terephthalate, polybutylene terephthalate, polycyclohexane terephthalate, polyethylene naphthalate, polyethylene furanoate, or mixtures of two or more of these. While the use of polyester materials to produce a foam that is substantially free of closed cells may be beneficial for some applications, as required by EP'836, a disadvantage of such structures is that, in general, open cell foams will exhibit relatively poor mechanical strength characteristics. CN 108484959 discloses that the preparation of foam products based on2, 5-furandimethyl copolyester is problematic, because the problem of dissolution of the blowing agent into the polyester is asserted, and specific methods using a combination of liquid and gaseous blowing agents and involving sequential use of these different classes of blowing agents are proposed. US 2020/0308363 and US 2020/0308396 each disclose the production of an amorphous polyester copolymer comprising starting with recycled polyester (of which PET is the only example) as the main component, followed by a series of processing steps to obtain an amorphous copolymer, i.e. a copolymer without crystallinity. A wide variety of different types of blowing agents are mentioned for use with such amorphous polymers. Regarding blowing agents, the use of haloolefin blowing agents in general, including Hydrofluoroolefins (HFOs) and hydrochlorofluoroolefins (hcfcs), is known, as disclosed, for example, in US 2009/0305876, which is assigned to the assignee of the present invention and incorporated herein by reference. Although the' 876 application discloses the use of HFO and HFCO blowing agents with various thermoplastic materials, including PET, for forming foam, there is no disclosure or suggestion that any such blowing agent be used with any other type of polyester resin. Applicants have realized that by using a polyester resin as disclosed herein in combination with a blowing agent comprising one or more hydrohaloolefins as disclosed herein, one or more unexpected advantages related to the formation of thermoplastic foams, part