Lightly Crosslinked Linear Olefinic Polymer Foams and Process for Making

This invention relates to lightly crosslinked linear olefinic polymer foam materials and processes for the preparation thereof.

Closed-cell branched ethylenic polymer foams may be manufactured by the process of extrusion foaming, wherein a normally solid thermoplastic ethylenic polymer resin, such as low density polyethylene, is melt processed and mixed under pressure with a volatile blowing agent to form a flowable gel. The gel is then passed through a shaping orifice or die opening into a zone of lower pressure. As the pressure is lowered, the volatile constituent of the gel vaporizes forming cells in the resin structure, which cools to a cellular foam material.

Linear olefinic polymers such as linear low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, and polypropylene have several properties which make the use of these polymers in foams desirable. For example, these linear olefinic polymers have a higher modulus of elasticity, greater toughness, higher heat distortion temperature, and lower permeability to blowing agents than other branched olefins. However, previous attempts to produce low density foams of these linear olefins by an extrusion process have been unsuccessful. Linear polyolefins, when foamed by an extrusion process suffer from small foam cross section, high levels of open cells, flow instability, and a narrow range of foaming temperatures.

The exact cause of problems of foaming linear polyolefins is not believed to be known. However, it is generally believed that poor melt strength together with a sharp change in melt viscosity near the transition temperature makes extrusion foaming of linear polyolefins difficult. With these properties, it is difficult to control bubble expansion during extrusion and under conditions of heat and high shear stresses. This results in many broken bubbles (open cells) during expansion and consequent poor foams.

Previous efforts to cure these problems with tne foamability of linear polyolefins have centered around blending a linear polyolefin witn another olefin polymer having good extrusion foamability. For example, Park et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,226,946, blended a linear polyethylene with a low density branched polyethylene to improve extrusion foamability of the linear polyethylene. Watanabe et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,102,829, blended an ionomer resin with a linear polyethylene for the same purpose. However, such known methods offer only partial solutions because of one or more deficiencies in the range of operating parameters, cost of materials, and final foam properties.

It is also known that relatively lightly to moderately crosslinked thermoplastic polymers have melt properties that are suitable for foam expansion. However, such crosslinked polymers are difficult to process on conventional melt processing apparatus such as extruders because of flow instability. The prior art has generally not utilized crosslinked polymers on such apparatus because shear degradation of the polymer occurs during melt processing and extrusion.

Accordingly, there is a need in the art for linear olefinic polymer compositions and processes which can be utilized to foam or expand such polymers in conventional melt processing apparatus.

The present invention meets that need by providing a process for the preparation of a lightly crosslinked linear olefinic polymer foam having a substantially closed-cell structure. The term "linear olefinic polymer" as used in this specification includes both polymers and copolymers of linear olefins such as linear low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene and polypropylene, as well as polystyrene.

A linear olefinic polymer or blend of linear olefinic polymers is melt processed in a conventional manner by feeding, melting, and metering it in a conventional melt processing apparatus such as an extruder. A volatile blowing agent and a crosslinking agent are mixed with the linear olefinic polymer under pressure to form a flowable gel or admixture. The crosslinking agent is added in an amount which is sufficient to initiate crosslinking and raise the pressure of the gel or admixture at the die opening to approximately 400 psig or above but insufficient to cause melt fracture of the polymer to occur. "Melt fracture" is a term used in the art to describe a melt flow instability of a polymer as it is extruded through a die which flow instability causes voids and/or other irregularities in the final product. Suitable crosslinking agents have been found to include azido and vinyl functional silanes, organic peroxides, multifunctional vinyl monomers, and oxygen.

As the flowable gel or admixture is extruded through the die opening to a zone of lower pressure, the volatile blowing agent activates to expand the linear olefinic polymer to a substantially closed-cell foam structure which is lightly crosslinked to itself. Foams having densities of between 0.6 and 15 pounds per cubic foot (pcf) may be produced. The linear olefinic polymer foams have excellent dimensional stability and higher compressive strengths and heat distortion temperatures than branched low density polyethylene foams of the same density.

The linear olefinic polymer foams of the present invention may be produced using conventional melt processing equipment and conventional processes such as extrusion and injection molding. The compositions are useful as structural foams, crosslinked jackets for cables and wires, thermocollapse resistant films, and crosslinked polyolefin sheet for polyolefin foam production.

Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide linear olefinic polymer compositions and processes which can be utilized to expand such compositions to substantially closed-cell foams. This and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description, the accompanying drawings, and the appended claims.

FIG. 1 is a graph of die pressure versus die gap for a linear low density polyethylene (having a melt index of 1.0 and a density of 0.935 gm/cc) foam crosslinked with an azido silane and using FC-12 as a blowing agent; open and filled symbols indicate good and poor foams, respectively;

FIG. 2 is a graph of die pressure versus die gap for an 80/20 by weight blend of linear low density polyethylene (1.0 melt index, 0.935 gm/cc density) and polystyrene (average mol. wt. of 200,000) foam crosslinked with an azido silane and using a 95/5 by weight blend of FC-12 and ethanal as a blowing agent; filled symbols indicate prefoaming;

FIG. 3 is a graph of die pressure versus die gap for a linear low density polyethylene (1.0 melt index, 0.935 gm/cc density) foam crosslinked with dicumyl peroxide; filled symbols indicate prefoaming;

FIG. 4 is a graph of the thermocollapse resistance (percent volume retention versus temperature) for linear low density polyethylene (2.3 melt index, 0.935 gm/cc density) foams crosslinked with different levels of an azido silane and using a 80/20 by weight blend of FC-12 and ethanol as a blowing agent;

FIG. 5 is a graph of heat distortion characteristics (percent volume retention versus temperature) for a series of linear olefinic polymer foams crosslinked with an azido silane;

FIG. 6 is a graph of compressive strengths of linear olefinic polymer foams made with a linear low density polyethylene having a melt index of 1.0 and a density of 0.935 gm/cc compared with a low density polyethylene foam (2.3 melt index, 0.923 gm/cc density); and

FIG. 7 is a graph of compressive strengths of linear olefinic polymer foams and a low density polyethylene foam.

The process of the present invention permits the production of a low density foam material having a substantially closed-cell structure from a linear olefinic polymer or blend of linear olefinic polymers by an extrusion process. Examples of linear olefinic polymers which can be used include linear low density polyethylene, high density polyethylene, polypropylene, polystyrene, and blends thereof. Copolymers of linear olefins may also be utilized. Such linear olefinic polymers have been, heretofore, difficult to expand by conventional melt processing apparatuses into suitable foamed materials.

Blowing agents useful in the practice of the present invention are well known and may comprise solids which decompose into gaseous products at extrusion temperatures or volatile liquids. A preferred class of blowing agents is the group of halogenated hydrocarbon compounds having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms. Dichlorodifluoromethane (FC-12) is most preferred as it is inexpensive and readily available. When halogenated hydrocarbon compounds are used as the blowing agent, there can be from about 0.013 to about 0.50 gram mole, and preferably 0.040 to 0.30 gram mole of such blowing agent per 100 parts of linear olefinic polymer resin in the flowable gel or admixture. Although use of a single blowing agent is preferred, mixtures of two or more of such blowing agents may also be used.

The blowing agent is compounded into the flowable gel in proportions to make the desired degree of expansion in the resulting foamed cellular product to make products having foamed densities down to about 0.6 pcf. Depending on the amount of blowing agent added, the resulting foamed materials may have densities from aoout 0.6 to 15.0 pcf.

Crosslinking agents useful in the practice of the present invention include azido and vinyl functional silanes, organic peroxides, multifunctional vinyl monomers, and oxygen. The crosslinking agents of the present invention are added to the olefinic polymer gel with the blowing agent and serve to lightly crosslink the linear olefinic polymer with itself. This crosslinking increases the melt tension and melt viscosity of the polymer gel, while permitting the polymer to remain flowable. This light crosslinking of the polymer also permits pressure to build up in the extruder to 400 psig or above without prefoaming which is important in producing a closed cellular structured foam.

An important aspect of the present invention is the control of the amount of crosslinking agent to the polymer gel. Too much crosslinking agent causes melt fracture and poor foam quality. Too little crosslinking agent does not provide good foamability. The crosslinked melt must remain flowable without suffering severe melt fracture and should contain less than 10% gels by dissolution test in boiling xylene. In terms of melt index (ASTM D-1238 Condition N 190.degree. C., 10 Kg), the lightly crosslinked polymer melt should have a melt index greater than about 0.1.

While all of the crosslinking agents utilized in the present invention are useful for producing linear olefinic polymer foams, the most preferred crosslinking agents are the azido functional silanes of the general formula R R'SiY.sub.2, in which R represents an azido functional radical attached to silicon through a silicon to carbon bond and composed of carbon, hydrogen, optionally sulfur and oxygen, each Y represents a hydrolyzable organic radical, and R' represents a monovalent hydrocarbon radical or a hydrolyzable organic radical. While not wishing to be bound by any particular mechanism, it is believed that the azido silane crosslinking agent acts via two separate mechanisms, one of which forms reversible crosslinked bonds. In this reversible reaction, the azido silane compound grafts onto an olefinic polymer through a nitrine insertion reaction. Crosslinking develops through hydrolysis of the silanes to silanols followed by condensation of silanols to siloxanes. This reaction mechanism is explained more fully in my commonly assigned co-pending application Ser. No. 672,010, entitled Alcohol Control of Lightly Crosslinked Foamed Polymer Production filed concurrently with this application, to which reference is made.

Since the condensation reaction of silanols to siloxanes is catalyzed by the presence of certain metal catalysts such as dibutyl tin dilaurate or butyl tin maleate, it is preferred that when azido silanes are used as the crosslinking agent in the present invention, that a small amount of such catalyst also be added to the polymer melt. The crosslinking reaction is self-controlled in the extruder by the presence of a gaseous reaction product, namely an alcohol, which limits the reaction. However, the crosslinking reaction proceeds during foam expansion at the exit of the die as the alcohol diffuses into the gaseous phase with the volatile blowing agent.

In this manner, crosslinking of the polymer gel in the extruder is controlled so that the gel remains flowable until it exits the die to a zone of lower pressure. There, the crosslinking reaction proceeds, which stabilizes gas bubble and cell formation as the olefinic polymer is expanded. Because the degree of crosslinking in the extruder can be controlled, a greater proportion of azido silane crosslinking agent may be added and, a higher degree of crosslinking in resultant polymer foam may be obtained. Accordingly, the resultant polymer, crosslinked by azido silanes, may no longer be flowable and may contain a large amount of gels.

Suitable azido-functional silane compounds include the group of azido trialkoxysilanes such as 2-(trimethoxysilyl) ethyl phenyl sulfonyl azide (commercially available from Petrarch Systems, Inc., Bristol, Pa.) and (triethoxy silyl)hexyl sulfonyl azide (commercially available as Azcup D-98 from Hercules, Inc., Wilmington, Del.). The azido functional silane crosslinking agent is added in an amount between about 0.01 to 2.0 parts per hundred (pph), by weight, of linear olefinic polymer. An especially preferred range of addition is between 0.02 to 1.0 pph of azido silane crosslinking agent.

Other suitable silane crosslinking agents useful in the practice of the present invention include vinyl functional alkoxy silanes such as vinyl trimethoxy silane and vinyl triethoxy silane. These silane crosslinking agents may be represented by the general formula RR'SiY.sub.2 in which R represents a vinyl functional radical attached to silicon through a silicon carbon bond and composed of carbon, hydrogen, and optionally oxygen or nitrogen, each Y represents a hydrolyzable oganic radical, and R' represents a hydrocarbon radical or Y. Further examples of such silanes are found in U.S. Pat. No. 3,646,155, which is specifically incorporated herein by reference.

Suitable organic peroxide crosslinking agents include dicumyl peroxide, commercially available under the trademark Dicup R from Hercules, Inc., Wilmington, Del. The organic peroxide crosslinking agents are preferably added in an amount between about 0.001 to 0.5 pph, and most preferably between 0.005 to 0.1 pph, of linear olefinic polymer. Suitable multifunctional vinyl monomer crosslinking agents for the present invention include trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA) and pentaerythritol triacrylate (PETA), both commercially available from Celanese Corp. The multifunctional vinyl monomer crosslinking agents are preferably added in an amount between about 0.01 to 2.0 pph, and most preferably between 0.1 to 1.0 pph, of linear olefinic polymer. Additionally, it has been found that the introduction of oxygen will initiate self-crosslinking of linear olefinic polymers by a free radical mechanism.

The crosslinking of linear olefinic polymers by organic peroxides, multifunctional vinyl monomers, and oxygen is believed to take place via a free radical mechanism in which tertiary hydrogens on the polymer are removed. However, since this type of reaction is irreversible, the amounts of crosslinking agent added should be closely controlled to prevent over-crosslinking of the polymer resulting in melt fracture.

In accordance with the process of the present invention, olefinic polymer foams may be made on conventional melt processing apparatus such as by continuous extrusion from a screw-type extruder. Such an extruder typically comprises a series of sequential zones including a feed zone, compression and melt zone, metering zone, and mixing zone. The barrel of the extruder may be provided with conventional electric heaters for zoned temperature control.

An inlet, such as a straight-through injection nozzle, is provided for adding a mixture of fluid blowing agent and crosslinking agent under pressure to the polymer in the extruder barrel between the metering and mixing zones. Crosslinking agent is pumped, in a controllable manner, into the stream of fluid blowing agent upstream of the injection nozzle. The blowing agent and crosslinking agent are compounded into the starting polymer in a conventional manner to form a flowable gel or admixture, preferably in a continuous manner. Thus, the polymer, blowing agent, and crosslinking agent may be combined in the mixing zone of an extruder using heat to plastify the polymer resin, pressure to maintain the blowing agent in a liquid state, and mechanical working to obtain thorough mixing.

The discharge end of the mixing zone of the extruder is connected, through a cooling and temperature control zone, to a die orifice. The hot polymer gel is cooled and then passed through the die orifice into a zone of lower pressure (e.g., normal ambient air atmosphere) where the blowing agent is activated and the polymer gel expands to a lower density, cellular mass. As the foamed extrusion forms, it is conducted away from the die and allowed to cool and harden.

In practice, the temperature of the feed zone is maintained at 180.degree..+-.20.degree. C., the temperature of the melting, metering, and mixing zones is maintained at 210.degree..+-.20.degree. C., and the temperature in the cooling and temperature control zone is maintained at 120.degree..+-.20.degree. C. The temperature of the polymer gel as it expands through the die orifice is preferably just above the temperature at which solid polymer would crystallize out of the gel and will vary depending upon the particular olefinic polymer utilized.

The resulting linear olefinic polymer foams comprise substantially closed-cell structures and are flexible to bending and shaping. The foams have excellent dimensional stability and high compressive strengths and heat distortion temperatures than branched low density polyethylene foams having an equivalent foam density.

As is conventional, finely divided solid materials such as talc, calcium silicate, zinc stearate, and the like can advantageously be incorporated with the polymer gel prior to expansion. Such finely divided materials aid in controlling the size of the cells and may be employed in amounts up to five percent by weight of the polymer. Numerous fillers, pigments, lubricants, and the like well known in the art can also be incorporated as desired. Antioxidants may be added to retard or suppress the crosslinking reaction. In such an instance where antioxidant is present in or added to the polymer gel, an additional amount of crosslinking agent may be required to achieve the desired degree of crosslinking.

The specific working examples that follow are intended to illustrate the invention but are not to be taken as limiting the scope thereof. In the examples, parts and percentages are by weight unless otherwise specified or required by the context.

The apparatus used in this and other examples was a 11/4" screw type extruder having two additional zones for mixing and cooling at the end of usual sequential zones for feeding, melting, and metering. An opening for blowing agent injection was provided on the extruder barrel between the metering and mixing zones. A small syringe-type pump was connected to the blowing agent stream for injection of crosslinking agent. At the end of the cooling zone there was attached a die orifice having an opening of rectangular shape. The height of the opening, called die gap hereinafter, was adjustable while its width was fixed at 0.25".

A granular linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), having 1.0 melt index (ASTM D-1238-79 Condition E) and 0.935 g/cc density was uniformly mixed witn 0.1 pph dibutyl tin dilaurate condensation catalyst (commercially available under the designation T-12, from M&T Chemical Inc.) and 0.1 pph talcum powder. The mixture was fed into the extruder at an essentially uniform rate of about 10 pounds per hour. FC-12 blowing agent (dichlorodifluoromethane) was injected into the extruder at a rate of 19.9 pph. The temperatures maintained at the extruder zones were: 170.degree. C. at feeding zone, 220.degree. C. at melting and metering zone, and 220.degree. at mixing zone. The temperature of the cooling zone was adjusted so that the gel could be cooled down to about 123.degree. C. throughout the tests. For each test, the die gap was varied to determine its effect on foam appearance. A predetermined amount of an azido functional silane was injected into the extruder to determine its effect on foaming performance.

The test results are summarized in Table I and FIG. 1. As can be seen from FIG. 1, a key to successful foam extrusion of a linear low density polyolefin is the ability to build the die pressure to approximately 400 psig or above. This appears to be an approximate line of demarcation between good and poor foams in appearance.

Without addition of azido silane, the LLDPE foam partially collapsed at a larger die gap. The die had to be closed to 0.06" to substantially prevent the foam from collapsing. At this small die gap, the foam had a very small cross section, a high level of open cells, a high density, some voids in the cross-section, and ripple on the edges. The foam was not of satisfactory quality. When 0.05 pph of an azido silane was added, the foam quality improved dramatically with the pressure increased both at the die and extruder discharge. At a die gap as large as 0.110 inches, a good quality foam having a larger cross section, low density, and low open cell content was achieved. The foam strand was straight with no sign of flow instability. The foam looked even better at 0.075 pph silane level. Excellent quality foam was produced at a die gap as large as 0.145'. At 0.10 pph silane level, an even larger cross sectioned foam was achieved. The foam looked good but there developed a slight sign of over-crosslinking as exhibited by a slightly higher level of open cells.

The LLDPE foams thus produced with low cost FC-12 blowing agent had good dimensional stability during aging. This feature is remarkable in that a foam produced from a branched chain low density polyethylene using the same blowing agent shrinks as much as 30% during aging. The LLDPE foams also had a heat distortion temperature of 115.degree. C., which is 15.degree. C. higher than that for a typical low density polyethylene foam (LDPE). The heat distortion temperature is the highest temperature at which a foam shrinks no more than 5% in volume during one hour aging.

The tests in this example employed the same apparatus, polymer composition, and operation conditions as in Example I. An 80/20 mixture of FC-12/ethanol was used as the blowing agent in order to see the effect of alcohol on the crosslinking.

The test results are set forth in Table II. In this example, which is not a part of the present invention, but rather a part of the subject matter of copending application Ser. No. 672,010, referred to above, it is shown that alcohol suppressed line pressures for formulations crosslinked with an azido functional silane.

Although not as dramatic as in Example I, the effects of silane were evident in one or more areas of foaming performance. Good quality foams were obtained at the silane levels of 0.1 to 0.15 pph. At a 0.25 pph silane level, the foam strand fractured signifying over-crosslinking. As shown in FIG. 4, the foams made with 0.15 and 0.25 pph silane showed some thermo-collapse resistance during oven aging tests. That is, these foams retained over 50% of their original volume during aging in 130.degree. C. oven for one hour while the control (Test No.1) and those containing a lower level of silane collapsed totally during the test.

The same apparatus, polymer, and operating procedure as in Example I were also employed in this example. A small amount (0.05 pph) of organotin catalyst (T-12) was added to all formulations in this example. The talc level was varied from 0.1 to 0.7 pph for cell size control. A 90/10 by weight mixture of FC-12/MeCl.sub.2 was used as the blowing agent. A predetermined amount of an azido functional silane was mixed in the blowing agent. The extruder zones were maintained at 170.degree., 200.degree., and 200.degree. C. for feeding zone, melting and metering zone and mixing zone, respectively. The gel temperature was maintained at about 128.degree. C. The die gap was fixed at 0.100 inch for all tests except for Test No. 5 in which the foam appearance at 0.200 inch die gap was also observed. Also in Test No. 5, a small amount (1.0 pph) of methanol was mixed in to determine its effect. The test results are given in Table III.

Without the crosslinking agent, the foam was of poor quality with small cross section, some voids, rough skin, and rippled edges in spite of its substantially closed cell structure. When a small amount (0.125 pph) of an azido functional silane was added, an excellent quality foam was obtained. At the silane level of 0.15 pph, melt fracture developed. Cutting the level of nucleator did not improve foam quality. When the alcohol-containing blowing agent was injected, the melt fracture disappeared and an excellent quality foam of large cross section was obtained. The die could be opened as wide as 0.200" without incurring prefoaming although more open cells developed in the foam. The LLDPE foams produced in this example showed good dimensional stability during ambient aging and a high heat distortion temperature of 115.degree. C.

The apparatus used in this example and its operating procedure were the same as used in Example I. A high density linear polyethylene (HDPE) having 0.6 melt index (ASTM D-1238-79 Condition E) and 0.963 g/cc density was used in this example. The polymer granules were mixed with 0.05 pph talc and 0.05 pph organotin catalyst (T-12). The mixture was fed into the extruder at 10 pounds per hour. Extruder zones were maintained at 160.degree., 200.degree. and 200.degree. C. for feeding, melting and metering, and mixing zone, respectively. The gel temperature was fixed at 132.degree. C. for all tests. The test results are set forth in Table IV.

The effect of an azido silane on the foaming was even more dramatic during the tests in this example. Without silane, a good foam could not be produced, but with 0.15 pph silane excellent quality substantially closed cell foam was achieved. The foams expanded by low cost FC-12 blowing agent showed excellent dimensional stability during ambient aging with shrinkage no more than 3%. This is a remarkable improvement over a LDPE foam made with FC-12 blowing agent. The heat distortion temperature of the HDPE foams was about 125.degree. C. which is about 25.degree. C. higher than that of a typical LDPE foam.

In this example, the same apparatus, operating conditions, and polymer composition were used, as in Example IV, except for gel temperature and blowing agent. The gel temperature was maintained at about 130.degree. C. and a 90/10 mixture of FC-12/EtOH was used as the blowing agent. The test results are presented in Table V.

Again, the silane crosslinking agent aided in foam processing and alcohol suppressed development of crosslinking in the extrusion line. At a low silane level, improvements were seen in one or more performance areas. For example, even at 0.05 pph silane level, foam density dropped significantly from the control. At 0.15 pph silane level, good quality foams were produced with a noticeable increase in the die pressure. Interestingly, the pressure at extruder discharge increased little at this silane level. This is an advantage in foam extrusion process since a high die pressure prevents prefoaming but a low extruder discharge pressure facilitates polymer extrusion. The trend indicates that the alcohol-containing blowing agent called for a silane level higher than 0.15 pph for the optimum results.

The apparatus used in this example was the same as in Example I. A Hercules Porofax 6523 polypropylene resin having 4.0 melt index (ASTM D-1738 Condition L) was used. The polymer was mixed with 0.1 pph talc and 0.05 pph organotin catalyst (T-12) and fed into the extruder at a uniform rate of 10 pounds per hour. A 90/10 by weight mixture of FC-12 and methylene chloride was injected into the extruder at a rate of 27.8 pph. Extruder zones were maintained at 180.degree., 200.degree. and 210.degree. C. for feeding, melting and metering, and mixing zone, respectively. The gel temperature was kept at an essentially constant level of 146.degree. C. The data are summarized in Table VI. In this example also, addition of an azido functional silane improved foam processability of polypropylene. The polypropylene foams did not shrink at all during aging and had a heat distortion temperature as high as 165.degree. C.

The same apparatus used in Example I was used in this example. The polymer feedstock employed in this example was an 80/20 mixture of a linear low density polyethylene that was used in Example I and a polystyrene having weight average molecular weight of about 200,000.

Two granular polymers were blended by use of a tumbler, mixed with 0.1 pph talc and 0.05 pph organotin catalyst (T-12) and fed to the extruder at an esentially uniform rate of 10 pounds per hour. A 95/5 by weight mixture of FC-12/ethanol was injected into the extruder at a rate of approximately 21.0 pph. Extruder zones were maintained at 145.degree., 195.degree. and 205.degree. C., respectively, for feeding, melting and metering, and mixing zone, respectively. The gel was cooled down to an essentially uniform temperature of about 122.degree. C. The test results are seen in Table VII and FIG. 2.

This particular polymer blend provided reasonably good foam without crosslinking when the die gap was closed down to 0.050 inch. The foam had a small cross section and a relatively high level of open cells. At a larger die gap, foam collapsed partially. Foam improved progressively with the azido functional silane level. At a silane level of 0.15 pph or higher, superb-looking foams were obtained having a lower density, larger cross section, and lower open cell content. At a silane level as high as 0.25 pph, there was no sign of over-crosslinking. Again, a die pressure of approximately 400 psig was the line of demarcation between good and poor foams.

The foams thus produced also had excellent dimensional stability during aging without suffering any shrinkage. The heat distortion temperature of the blend foams was about 110.degree. C.

The apparatus, operating procedure, and polymer used in this example were the same as in Example I. Polymer granules were adhered with 0.05 pph talc by use of a wetting agent and fed into the extruder. FC-12 blowing agent was injected into the extruder at an essentially uniform rate of 19.7 pph. A predetermined amount of dicumyl peroxide (Dicup R (trademark), from Hercules Inc.) was injected into the blowing agent stream in 10% by weight solution in methylene chloride. Extruder zone temperatures were maintained at 140.degree., 180.degree., and 200.degree. C., respectively. The gel was cooled down to an essentially uniform temperature of about 124.degree. C. The resultant data are given in Table VIII and are illustrated in FIG. 3.

The control LLDPE foam was not satisfactory. Addition of a small amount (0.0054 pph) of dicumyl peroxide improved foam processability and quality. The best result was obtained at a peroxide level of 0.01 pph. Excellent quality foams were produced at a wide range of die gaps. When the peroxide level was raised to 0.0123 pph, symptoms of over-crosslinking developed. At a high peroxide level, the foam strand fractured. Again, a die pressure of approximately 400 psig was the line of demarcation between good and poor foams.

A Brabender Plasti-corder (trademark of C.W. Brabender Instruments, Inc.) mixing head having 60 ml capacity was employed in this example in order to show that a multi-vinyl functional monomer could be used as a crosslinking agent in accordance with this invention.

The Brabender mixer was heated to an essentially constant temperature of 200.degree. C. A linear low density polyethylene used in Example I was used in all tests of this example. Approximately 40 g of the granular polyethylene was put in the mixer with its blades rotating at a constant speed of 30 rpm. The opening of the mixer was continuously purged with nitrogen in most tests except otherwise specified. The torque was continuously recorded on a strip chart. The torque reached an essentially steady state in 5-10 minutes.

After about 10 minutes mixing, there was added a predetermined amount of crosslinking agent selected from Dicup R dicumyl peroxide by Hercules Inc. and trimethyolpropane triacyrlate (TMPTA) made oy Celanese Chemical Co. Dicup R was fed in 20% solution in methylene chloride. Kneading was continued until the torque peaked out. Melt index of the crosslinked material was determined.

As shown in Table IX, dicumyl peroxide is an effective crosslinking agent. The torque rose about 18% at the peroxide level of 0.02 pph. The level of peroxide was determined rather excessive in Example VIII. A similar increase in torque was achieved by about 0.3 to 0.4 pph TMPTA in nitrogen atmosphere. From this result, it is inferred that a multivinyl monomer may be used as a crosslinking agent for improving extrusion foamability of a linear polyolefin polymer.

The Brabender mixer was also used in this example. Several linear low density polyethylenes and a high density polyethylene having 6.2 melt index (ASTM D-1238-79 Condition E) and 0.963 g/cc density were evaluated for self-crosslinking in air atmosphere. In each test, approximately 40 g of polymer was charged in the mixer with its blades rotating at a constant speed of about 30 rpm. The test data are set forth in Table X.

All linear low density polyethylenes gained more than enough torque for improvement in extrusion foamability during kneading in the mixer. The induction time for torque rise was mostly shorter than 30 minutes. The induction time became shorter and the maximum torque rise was greater at a higher temperature. In inert atmosphere, the torque did not rise appreciably. Antioxidant delayed crosslinking but did not stop its development. From the results of the tests, it is inferred that melt kneading of a linear polyethylene in the presence of oxygen is another way of lightly crosslinking the polymer for extrusion foaming. A vented extruder could be used for this purpose.

The apparatus used in this example was the same as Example 1. A granular polystyrene, polystyrene with a weight average molecular weight of about 200,000, was uniformly mixed with a small amount of dibutyl tin dilaurate condensation catalyst (T-12, available from M & T Chemicals, Inc.), barium stearate and talcum powder. The mixture was into the extruder at an essentially uniform rate bout 10 pounds per hour. A premixed blowing agent injected into the extruder at a predetermined rate. Blowing agents used in this example were a 50/50 by weight mixture of fluorocarbon 12 (FC-12) and methyl chloride (MeCl) for Test No. 1 and a 70/30 by weight mixture of fluorocarbon 12 and fluorocarbon 11 (FC-11) for the other tests. An azido functional silane, 2-(trimethoxysily ethylphenylsulfonyl) azide (C-T2905 distributed by Petrarch Systems, Inc.), was injected to the blowing agent stream at a uniform predetermined rate. The extruder zones were maintained at 170.degree., 190.degree. and 200.degree. C. for feeding, melting, metering, and mixing zone, respectively. The temperature of the cooling zone was adjusted so that the gel could be cooled down to a uniform temperature for optimum foam expansion.

At a fixed die opening for a given blowing agent system where all formulations provided good quality foams, both pressures at the die and extruder discharge were recorded and samples were taken. The foam samples were aged for about one month at ambient temperature prior to property determination and secondary foaming tests.

Secondary foaming was conducted both by atmospheric steam and by hot air. Foam slugs of about 0.25" thickness were slided out of foam strands and aged for about one day at ambient temperature prior to secondary expansions. After exposure to atmospheric steam for varying lengths of time, foam specimens were aged at ambient temperature while their weights and volumes were monitored. Highly expanded foam specimens shrank when taken out of steam but recovered to the final steady state volumes in about two days. Expansion tests in hot air were conducted similarly with the exception that expansion or shrinkage of a foam specimen in the oven was permanent not needing ambient aging for volume recovery.

Table XIA shows that incorporation of an azido functional silane gradually raises both the die pressure and the extruder discharge pressure. Other noticable effects of silane include enlargement in cell size and cross sectional size which are desirable in foam extrusion.

The remarkable effect of silane on steam expandability of extruded polystyrene foam is seen in Table XIB. Addition of silane enhances both the rate and extent of foam expansion in steam. At the silane level of 0.2 pph, the foam expands about twice as much as the control to an expansion ratio exceeding 280 in two hours. At this long exposure to steam, the control and one with a low level (0.05 pph) of silane suffered thermal collapse; the expansion ratios are lower than those at one hour exposure.

The type of blowing agent also has a significant effect on steam expandability of the extruded polystyrene foams. The foam expanded with FC-12/MeCl blowing agent shows expansions lower than one half of that made with FC-12/FC-11 blowing agent. Loss of methyl chloride during aging is one probable cause of the relatively poorer performance of the FC-12/MeCl blown foam. FC-11, having a high solubility in polystyrene, effectively plasticizes polystyrene for faster and greater expansion.

The effect of crosslinking is also seen in hot air expansion tests. As Table XIC shows, foams lightly crosslinked with an azido functional silane expand more and withstand hot air longer than the control. For example, a foam crosslinked with 0.15 pph or higher level of azido silane keeps expanding during 90 minutes exposure to 100.degree. C. air while the control collapses within 60 minutes at the same temperature. Although less pronounced, the crosslinking effect persists at a lower level of silane as well.

The apparatus and its operating procedure used for tests in this example are the same as in Example 1. The polymer feedstock employed for tests in this example was a 50/50 by weight blend of polystyrene with Mw 200,000 and polystyrene with Mw 300,000. Approximately 0.05 pph T-12, 0.1 pph barium stearate and 0.1 pph talcum powder were mixed in the granular blend of two polystyrenes and fed into the extruder at a uniform rate of 10 pounds per hour. In test 1, there was used a 50/50 by weight mixture of FC-12 and methyl chloride as the expanding agent and a 70/30 mixture of FC-12 and FC-11 in the rest of the tests.

The level of azido silane crosslinking agent was varied up to 0.45 pph. The extruder zones were maintained at about 170.degree., 200.degree. and 200.degree. C. for feeding, melting, metering, and mixing zone, respectively. The temperature of the cooling zone was adjusted so that the gel could reach an essentially uniform temperature of about 135.degree. C.

When the operating condition reached an essentially steady state, the effects of die opening on foam appearance and line pressure were studied. Foam samples were taken both at the threshold die gap for prefoaming and at a fixed die gap for a given blowing agent system. Property determination and secondary foaming tests were conducted as described in Example XI.

In general, silane crosslinking has a similar effect on this polymer blend. As shown in Tables XIIA, XIIB and XIIC, azido functional silane increased die pressure and cell size permitting achievement of a larger foam cross section and greater expansion in both steam and hot air. The die may be opened wider at an azido functional silane level 0.25 pph or higher. For this polymer blend also, the type of expanding agent has a pronounced effect on steam expandability. FC-12/FC-11 is superior to FC-12/MeCl blowing agent. This is ascribed to the low permeability and high solubility of FC-11 in polystyrene.

The apparatus used in this example was the same as used in the other examples of this invention. An "S" shaped die orifice for Dow Pelaspan-Pac loose-fill packing was attached at the discharge end of the extruder replacing the gap-adjustable die used in the other examples.

A 60/40 by weight mixture of Polystyrene with Mw 200,000 and polystyrene with Mw 300,000 was mixed with 1.2 pph fire retardant made by Dow Chemical Co. (FR-651), 0.02 pph magnesium oxide and 0.02 pph calcium stearate by the use of a small amount of wetting agent. For tests incorporating azido silane, a small amount of (0.05 pph) of dibutyl tin dilaurate (T-12) was additionally mixed in. The mixture was fed into the extruder at a uniform rate of about 10 pounds per hour. A predetermined amount of azido functional silane was premixed in the blowing agent and injected into the extruder. A 95/5 by weight mixture of FC-11 and methylene chloride was the blowing agent used for Tests 1 and 2 and a small amount of methanol was mixed to the blowing agent for Test 3. The extruder zones were maintained at 160.degree., 180.degree. and 200.degree. C. for feeding, melting and metering, and mixing zone, respectively. The temperature of the cooling zone was adjusted so that the extruder strand could become essentially free of voids upon quenching in cold water. The solid strand was cut to granules of approximately 1/4" in length. The granules were about 5/16" in width and about 3/32" in thickness.

The as-extruded granules were annealed in 65.degree. C. water for about 30 minutes and aged in ambient air for one day prior to steam expansion tests. The granules were expanded by atmospheric steam for 10 minutes and then aged for a day. This first expansion was followed by the second, third and fourth expansion in a day interval between the expansions. Expansion times were 10, 1 and 1 minutes for the second, third and fourth expansion, respectively. Foam densities were determined after the foams were aged for one day after each expansion.

As shown in Table XIII, addition of an azido silane results in a slight increase in the line pressure and leads to lower foam densities. The expanded material crosslinked with azido silane not only showed lower densities after each expansion but better appearance after third and fourth expansions. The control (Test 1) developed splits and cracks on the surface but the crosslinked materials showed few such deficiencies.

The heat distortion temperature of foams was tested by aging them in a convective oven for one hour. FIG. 5 illustrates the results of the tests. A control branched low density polyethylene (LDPE) foam with no azido silane crosslinking showed substantial heat distortion at between 105.degree. C. and 110.degree. C. The heat distortion temperatures of foams produced from polypropylene (PP) high density polyethlyene (HDPE), and linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) are about 165.degree. C., 125.degree. C., and 115.degree. C., respectively.

Blending in 20% polystyrene (PS) slightly reduces the heat distortion temperature of linear low density polyethylene. On the other hand, incorporating as much as 40% LDPE does not cause a drop in the heat distortion temperature of the linear low density polyethylene. All of the linear olefinic polymer foams crosslinked with azido silanes would be serviceable at temperature higher than that with a branched low density polyethylene foam.

As shown in FIGS. 6 and 7, and also in Table XVI below, the toughness and strength of the linear polyolefins are also well reflected in their foam properties. A 1.64 pounds per cubic foot (pcf) density LLDPE foam outperforms an equivalent density LDPE foam in all strength categories. The LLDPE foam was twice as strong and twice as tough as the LDPE foam. The 1.64 pcf density LLDPE foam almost matches a much higher density (2.53 pcf) LDPE foam in compressive strength and actually outperformed the LDPE foam in tensile properties. The heat distortion temperature of the LLDPE foams were 10.degree.-15.degree. C. higher than that of the LDPE foam.

Foams made from high density polyethylene and polypropylene also reflect superior compressive strengths and heat distortion temperatures in comparison to the LDPE foam.

The apparatus used in this example and its operating procedure were the same as used in Example I. A linear low density polyethylene having a 1.0 melt index and 0.935 gm/cc density was used in this example. The polymer granules were mixed with 0.05 pph talc and 0.05 pph organotin catalyst (T-12). A dichlorodifluoromethane (FC-12) blowing agent was added at the rate of 1.82-1.88 lb/hr. As the crosslinking agent, a vinyltrimethoxy silane (VTMO) was injected into the blowing agent stream in the amounts indicated in Table XVI. The extruder zones were maintained at 160.degree., 180.degree., and 200.degree. C. for feeding, melting and metering, and mixing, respectively. The gel temperature was fixed at 125.degree. C. for all tests. The test results are set forth in Table XVI.

As can be seen, the control sample with no crosslinking agent collapsed at larger die openings. Only at the smallest die opening was a satisfactory foam produced; however, this foam had a very small cross-section and some open cells. The addition of VTMO as the crosslinking agent permitted the use of wider die openings resulting in good foams having larger cell and cross-sectional sizes while exhibiting a very low open cell content.

The apparatus, procedure, polymer, additives, and blowing agent used in this example were the same as used in Example XVI. As the crosslinking agent, a 30:1 by weight mixture of vinyltrimethoxy silane and dicumyl peroxide was injected into the blowing agent stream in the amounts indicated in Table XVII.

As can be seen, the VTMO/peroxide mixture was quite effective and produced excellent quality foams having large cell and cross-sectional sizes and very low open cell content.

While the methods and compositions herein described constitute preferred embodiments of the invention, it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to these precise method and compositions, and that changes may be made in either without departing from the scope of the invention, which is defined in the appended claims.