Abstract:
The present invention relates to a composition comprising at least one alkoxylated bisphenol-A diacrylate or dimethacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and at least one vinyl monomer. The composition is suitable for use in the fiberglass reinforced plastic art. The composition possesses similar or superior physical properties compared to unsaturated polyester based specialty resins, including emitting lower levels of organic volatiles than typical resins used in the art.

Description:
TECHNICAL FIELD 
     The present invention relates to polymer resin compositions useful in applications traditionally utilizing fiberglass reinforced plastic and low volatile emission specialty polyester resins. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Fiberglass reinforced plastic resins are well known in the art. These resins find use in typical applications such as boat hulls, automotive parts, structural applications, pultrusion and mine bolts. 
     Low emission resins are also known in the art. For example, Smeal et al in U.S. Pat. No. 5,501,830 disclose unsaturated polyester based resins that emit no more than 20.0 g/m 2  as measured by Rule 1162 Standard Method for Static Volatile Emissions of the South Coast Air Quality Management District (California). 
     It is an object of the present invention to provide a composition having at least one alkoxylated bisphenol-A diacrylate or dimethacrylate, ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, and at least one vinyl monomer. 
     It is another object of the present invention to provide a composition useful in the fiberglass reinforced plastic art. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a composition having similar or superior physical properties to unsaturated polyester based resins, including emission of lower levels of volatile emissions during polymerization. 
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     The present invention relates to a novel class of polymer resins comprising a pre-polymerized blend of: (1) at least one alkoxylated bisphenol-A diacrylates or dimethacrylates (&#34;ABAD&#34;); (2) ethylene glycol dimethacrylate (&#34;EGDM&#34;); and (3) at least one vinyl monomer. 
     The composition of the present invention finds use in applications typically reserved for fiberglass reinforced plastic and specialty polyester resin compositions. The resins of the present invention possess physical properties normally associated with polyester and styrenated resin compositions. However, the resins of the present invention emit lower levels of organic volatiles during polymerization than typical prior art resins used in fiberglass reinforced plastic applications. 
    
    
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     The ABAD of the present invention is present in an amount of about 60 to about 90 wt % of the total composition. Preferably, it is about 70 to about 85 wt %, and most preferably 70 to 80 wt %. The ABAD is preferably selected from the group consisting of ethoxylated bisphenol-A dimethacrylates (&#34;EBAD&#34;) having from 3 to 10 ethoxyl groups. Most preferably, it is 6-EBAD. Mixtures of these EBADs are also within the scope of the present invention. 
     EGDM is about 5 to about 30 wt % of the composition. Preferably, it is about 10 to about 25 wt %, and most preferably 10 to 20 wt %. 
     The vinyl monomer is about 5 to about 25 wt % of the composition. Preferably, it is about 10 to about 20 wt %, and most preferably 12 to 17 wt %. The vinyl monomer is preferably selected from the group consisting of styrene, vinyl toluene, t-butyl styrene and divinyl benzene. Most preferably, it is vinyl toluene. 
     The present invention is illustrated by, but not limited to the examples shown in Table I. 
     
                                           TABLE I__________________________________________________________________________LOE RESINS CONTAINING VARIOUS COMBINATIONS OF3, 6, AND 10 ETHOXYLATED BPA DIMETHACRYLATE,ETHYLENE GLYCOL DIMETHACRYLATE &amp; VINYL MONOMERS__________________________________________________________________________RESIN #                      K-15 (1)                                R-14 (1)                                        Z-11 (1)__________________________________________________________________________COMPOSITION, %3-EBPA DIMETHACRYLATE        50      40      --6-EBPA DIMETHACRYLATE        --      --      7010-EBPA DIMETHACRYLATE       20      30      --ETH. GYLCOL DIMETHACRYLATE   10      20      20VINYL TOLUENE (MONOMER)      20      10      10STYRENE (MONOMER)            --      --      --P-TERTIARY BUTYL STYRENE     --      --      --MOD L, 25% HQ (INHIBITOR)    0.05    0.04    0.05COBALT 12% (PROMOTER)        0.30    0.30    0.30POTASSIUM 15% (COPROMOTER)   0.20    0.20    0.20DMAA (COPROMOTER)            0.30    0.30    0.30RESIN PROPERTIES (3)BRKFLD VISCOSITY @77 F., (CPS)RM. TEMP. (77 F.) GEL TIME: (MIN.)                        35      56      46INTERVAL, (MINUTES)          33.0 (2)                                19.0 (2)                                        18.0 (2)PEAK EXOTHERM, (F.)          7.2     3.8     5.0BARCOL HARDNESS-45 MINUTES   338     279     3131 HOUR                       31 (2)  46 (2)  37 (2)2 HOUR                       40 (2)  45 (2)  38 (2)3 HOUR                       40 (2)  48 (2)  38 (2)4 HOUR                       40 (2)  48 (2)  39 (2)24 HOURS                     40 (2)  49 (2)  39 (2)1162 VOLATILE EMISSIONS, (G/M2)                        42 (2)  49 ()   38 (2)EMISSION TIME, (MINUTES)     21.8 (2)                                9.7 (2) 10.3 (2)PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF RESIN CLEAR CASTINGS: (3), (4)                        12.0    5.0     3.5TENSILE STRENGTH, (PSI)      8,960 +/- 1,310                                7,250 +/- 490                                        8,000 +/- 300TENSILE MODULUS, (MPSI)      0.470 +/- 0.011                                0.470 +/- 0.017                                        0.396 +/- 0.011TENSILE ELONGATION, (%)      2.5 +/- 0.5                                1.9 +/- 0.2                                        3.3 +/- 0.4FLEXURAL STRENGTH, (PSI)     15,740 +/- 1,020                                14,150 +/- 990                                        12,800 +/- 2,030FLEXURAL MODULUS, (MPSI)     0.420 +/- 0.008                                0.400 +/- 0.006                                        0.336 +/- 0.066HEAT DISTORTION TEMP: DTUL, F                        212     218     175WATER ABSORPTION @ 150° F.24 HOURS:                    0.5     1.11    0.937 DAYS:                      0.68    1.45    1.14__________________________________________________________________________RESIN #                      A-12 (1)                                U-12 (1)                                        A-13 (1)__________________________________________________________________________COMPOSTION, %3-EBPA DIMETHACRYLATE        --      50      506-EBPA DIMETHACRYLATE        --      20      2010-EBPA DIMETHACRYLATE       70      --      --ETH. GYLCOL DIMETHACRYLATE   15      10      10VINYL TOLUENE (MONOMER)      15      20      --STYRENE (MONOMER)            --      --      20P-TERTIARY BUTYL STYRENE     --      --      --MOD L, 25% HQ (INHIBITOR)    0.08    0.03    0.04COBALT 12% (PROMOTER)        0.30    0.30    0.30POTASSIUM 15% (COPROMOTER)   0.20    0.20    0.20DMAA (COPROMOTER)            0.30    0.30    0.30RESIN PROPERTIES (3)BRKFLD VISCOSITY @77 F., (CPS)                        39      32      30RM. TEMP. (77 F.) GEL TIME: (MIN.)                        22.5 (2)                                22.9 (2)                                        28.5INTERVAL, (MINUTES)          6.3     5.8     7.3PEAK EXOTHERM, (F.)          313     337     352BARCOL HARDNESS-45 MINUTES   32 (2)  40 (2)  39 (2)1 HOUR                       36 (2)  40 (2)  40 (2)2 HOUR                       37 (2)  42 (2)  42 (2)3 HOUR                       37 (2)  44 (2)  42 (2)4 HOUR                       37 (2)  48 (2)  42 (2)24 HOURS                     38 (2)  49 (2)  42 (2)1162 VOLATILE EMISSIONS, (G/M2)                        4.8 (2) 16.3 (2)                                        30.9 (2)EMISSION TIME, (MINUTES)     9.0     27.5    19.0PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF RESIN CLEAR CASTINGS: (3), (4)TENSILE STRENGTH, (PSI)      7,700 +/- 400                                8,710 +/- 840                                        7,230 +/- 570TENSILE MODULUS, (MPSI)      0.402 +/- 0.010                                0.510 +/- 0.012                                        0.514 +/- 0.018TENSILE ELONGATION, (%)      2.9 +/- 0.5                                2.0 +/- 0.3                                        1.6 +/- 0.2FLEXURAL STRENGTH, (PSI)     13,090 +/- 640                                16,660 +/- 1,400                                        14,770 +/- 1,520FLEXURAL MODULUS, (MPSI)     0.352 +/- 0.005                                0.443 +/- 0.014                                        0.458 +/- 0.003HEAT DISTORTION TEMP: DTUL, F.                        169     216     233WATER ABSORPTION @ 150° F.24 HOURS:                    0.95    0.50    0.627 DAYS:                      1.10    0.73    0.80__________________________________________________________________________RESIN #                      D-13 (1)                                M-13 (1)__________________________________________________________________________COMPOSTION, %3-EBPA DIMETHACRYLATE        50      56-EBPA DIMETHACRYLATE        20      7010-EBPA DIMETHACRYLATE       --      --ETH. GYLCOL DIMETHACRYLATE   20      20VINYL TOLUENE (MONOMER)      --      --STYRENE (MONOMER)            10      --P-TERTIARY BUTYL STYRENE     --      5MOD L, 25% HQ (INHIBITOR)    0.02    0.03COBALT 12% (PROMOTER)        0.30    0.30POTASSIUM 15% (COPROMOTER)   0.20    0.20DMAA (COPROMOTER)            0.30    0.30RESIN PROPERTIES (3)BRKFLD VISCOSITY @77 F., (CPS)                        48      90RM. TEMP. (77 F.) GEL TIME: (MIN.)                        25.0 (2)                                18.0 (2)INTERVAL, (MINUTES)          5.8     5.3PEAK EXOTHERM, (F.)          329     286BARCOL HARDNESS-45 MINUTES   45 (2)  42 (2)1 HOUR                       48 (2)  42 (2)2 HOUR                       49 (2)  43 (2)3 HOUR                       51 (2)  44 (2)4 HOUR                       53 (2)  45 (2)24 HOURS                     54 (2)  45 (2)1162 VOLATILE EMISSIONS, (G/M2)                        14.5 (2)                                5.4 (2)EMISSION TIME, (MINUTES)     3.0     5.5PHYSICAL PROPERTIES OF RESIN CLEAR CASTINGS: (3), (4)TENSILE STRENGTH, (PSI)      6,696 +/- 835                                7,270 +/- 280TENSILE MODULUS, (MPSI)      0.520 +/- 0.020                                0.410 +/- 0.020TENSILE ELONGATION, (%)      1.4 +/- 0.2                                2.4 +/- 0.3FLEXURAL STRENGTH, (PSI)     12,636 +/- 838                                14,550 +/- 1,160FLEXURAL MODULUS, (MPSI)     0.460 +/- 0.028                                0.371 +/- 0.006HEAT DISTORTION TEMP: DTUL, F.                        250     208WATER ABSORPTION @ 150° F.24 HOURS:                    0.64    1.277 DAYS:                      1.04    1.62__________________________________________________________________________ (1) MODERATE AMOUNT OF FOAMING INITIALLY GENERATED WHEN MIXING THE INITIATOR IN WITH THE RESIN. FOAMING SHORTLY THEREAFTER DISSIPATES (2) SLT TACKY SURFACE OF CURED RESIN REMAINED FOR A COUPLE OF DAYS (3) -1.5% HIPOINT 90 MEKP ROOM TEMPERATURE INITIATOR (4) 2 HOUR ROOM TEMPERATURE (77° F.) CURE, 2 HOUR POSTCURE @100° C.