COLORED RESIN COMPOSITION

Abstract: A colored resin composition characterized in that it has a matrix of a thermoplastic polymer (A), typically a polyester, and a thermoplastic polymer (B), typically a styrene polymer, which is dispersed in the matrix and is separated in phase from the matrix, and the polymer (B) is filled with substan­ tially the entire quantity of a colorant. Since the colorant is blended in only the dispersed phase polymer (B), deteriora­ tion due to the colorant of various characteristics, such as bleed-out of the colorant, is prevented in the colored resin composition according to this invention.

Description: BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Technical field This invention relates to a colored resin composition comprising a matrix of a thermoplastic polymer (A) and dispersed phases of another thermoplastic polymer (B) which are dispersed in said matrix and are separated in phase from said matrix phase. More specifically, the present invention relates to a colored resin composition which is suitable for use in the field of colored materials and can be dispersed uniformly and minutely even when a colorant is blended thereinto, and, moreover, deterioration of its various characteristics caused by the colorant, such as bleed-out, is prevented. Prior art Thermoplastic polymers are being employed widely in various fields because of their mechanical characteristics, excellent moldability, etc. Because of the broadness of their applicability, there are not a few fields in which coloration is required, and even more applications can be expected as a result of coloration. The coloration operation is desirably performed by an operation which is as simple as possible, such as by simple mixing. When a colorant is blended into a thermoplastic resin, a speckled pattern due to nonuniform dispersion, or in worse cases bleed-out, may be caused, or due to presence of the colorant, the properties inherently possessed by the thermoplastic polymer such as electrostatic characteristic, coating characteristic, and chemical resistance as surface characteristics may be markedly impaired, whereby a colored product which can be provided for practical application cannot be obtained. US-A-3 923 726 discloses the use of a composition comprising polyester, polystyrene and coloring material for films, fibers and machine parts. US-A-4 279 802 teaches a composition comprising a specific polyester and a colorant. DE-A-2 841 540 describes the production of a pigment preparation havin a high dispersing effect. Said preparation is a one-phase system. It is difficult to stabilize such a one-phase system over long time. SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION An object of the present invention is to overcome all at once such problems in carrying out coloration of thermoplastic polymers, namely, ununiform dispersion such as speckled patterns and deterioration of surface characteristics. To cope with such problems, the present invention has partitioned the function of the colorant and the function of the thermoplastic polymer into the matrix (continuous phase) and the dispersed phase of the composition respectively, so that both functions may be clearly distinguished from each other. More specifically, the present invention is based on the finding that the above object can be attained by confining the colorant within the dispersed phase thereby to prevent the thermoplastic polymer in the matrix from being influenced thereby, and further improving uniformness of coloration by dispersing the dispersed phase minutely and uniformly. Thus, the colored resin composition according to the present invention is characterized in which composition substantially the entire amount of a colorant (C) remains in the dispersed phases, wherein the polymer (A) comprises a thermoplastic polyester and a thermoplastic modified polyester graft-copolymerized with styrene, the polymer (B) being a styrene polymer and the colorant (C) having greater affinity for the styrene polymer than for at least one of the thermoplastic polyester and the thermoplastic modified polyester. DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION Composition General Description The composition of the present invention comprises a matrix phase of a thermoplastic polymer (A) and dispersed phases of a thermoplastic polymer (B) containing a colorant (C). Furthermore, since it is required in the present invention that substantially the entire amount of the colorant (C) fill the dispersed phases of the polymer (B), the polymers (A) and (B) should be different in affinity for the colorant (C), more specifically, that the affinity between B and C should be greater than the affinity between A and C. In this case, the "affinity" may be, for example, "electrical attracting force". Primarily on the basis that the thermoplastic polymer (A) is greater in amount than the thermoplastic polymer (B) in the present composition, (A) constitutes the matrix phase and (B) constitutes the dispersed phase. Accordingly, the polymerization methods set forth below as preferable for preparation of the thermoplastic polymer (A) and for preparation of the thermoplastic polymer (B), respectively, can be utilized in use one for the other with necessary modifications. Matrix The matrix is a thermoplastic polymer comprising a thermoplastic polyester and a thermoplastic modified polyester graft-copolymerized with styrene. Among the thermoplastic polymers which can be used in the present invention, those producing the marked effect of the present invention are transparent in nature. A polyester to be used in the present invention is chosen suitably from those obtained by polycondensation of polybasic acids and polyhydric alcohols conventionally used, and those which are solid at ordinary temperatures at which the colored polyester composition of the present invention is used can be used. The polybasic acid is preferably a dibasic to tetrabasic acid, more preferably a dibasic or tribasic acid, particularly a dibasic acid. These polybasic acids may include, for example, (a) aromatic carboxylic acids, particularly those having 2 to 3 carboxylic groups bonded to unsubstituted or lower alkyl-substituted benzene rings such as terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, and trimellitic acid; (b) saturated aliphatic carboxylic acids, particularly those ω-dicarboxylic acids having about 3 to 8 carbon atoms or C₁ - C₁₄ hydrocarbyl-substituted compounds thereof such as adipic acid, succinic acid, n-dodecenylsuccinic acid, iso-dodecenylsuccinic acid, n-dodecylsuccinic acid, n-octylsuccinic acid, iso-octylsuccinic acid, n-butylsuccinic acid, and hexahydroterephthalic acid; (c) aliphatic unsaturated carboxylic acids, particularly unsaturated compounds corresponding to the aliphatic carboxylic acids of the above (b) such as maleic acid and fumaric acid. In the synthesis of polyesters, it would be an ordinary practice to employ these polybasic acids in the form of their lower alkyl esters or anhydrides. On the other hand, the polyhydric alcohol is preferably a di- to hexa-hydric alcohol, more preferably di- or tri-hydric alcohol, particularly a dihydric alcohol. Those having numbers of carbon atoms of the order of 2 to 18 are preferred. Examples of these polyhydric alcohols are (a) ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, 1,4-butane diol, hexamethylene glycol, neopentyl glycol, 2,2,4,4-tetramethyl tetramethylene glycol, glycerine, trimethylolpropane, bisphenol A, hydrogenated bisphenol A, and sorbitol, or (b) alkylene oxide adducts thereof (particularly ethylene oxide, propylene oxide) such as polyoxyethylene (10) sorbitol, polyoxypropylene (5) glycerine, polyoxyethylene (4) pentaerythritol, polyoxypropylene (2,2)-2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane, and polyoxyethylene (2)-(2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl)propane. A polyester which can exhibit markedly the effect of the present invention has a glass transition temperature of 40 to 150°C, particularly 60 to 130°C, and a number-average molecular weight of 500 to 30,000, particularly 1,000 to 20,000. From a practical viewpoint, when the composition of the present invention is applied for the fields such as paints, developers, and binder, it is preferable to use one which is amorphous with a crystallinity of less than 5% as measured by X-ray analysis, particularly one which is soluble in a solvent. Dispersed phase/polymer On the other hand, suitable styrene polymers for constituting the dispersed phase are polystyrene, or copolymers of styrene with not more than half in weight of copolymerizable monomers, for example, lower alkyl esters of acrylic acid such as methyl acrylate, lower alkyl esters of methacrylic acid such as methyl methacrylate, n-butyl methacrylate and (or) acrylic acid or methacrylic acid. Among these, those having a glass transition temperature of 30 to 105°C, particularly 40 to 80°C, and a number average molecular weight of 1,000 to 150,000, particularly 2,000 to 100,000 can exhibit great effectiveness. Preferable styrene polymers to be used in the present invention are copolymers comprising 95 to 55% by weight of styrene and 5 to 45% by weight of lower alkyl esters of unsaturated mono- or di-carboxylic acid such as n-butyl acrylate, n-butyl methacrylate, and di-n-butyl fumarate. The dispersed phase comprises such a polymer filled with a colorant (as described in detail below). Dispersed phase/colorant A colorant which can be used in the present invention must have at least the following two requirements. i) It should have the property of being capable of penetrating into the thermoplastic polymer constituting the dispersed phase. Accordingly, generally speaking, a colorant having greater affinity for the thermoplastic polymer constituting the dispersed phase than for the thermoplastic polymers constituting the matrix is preferred. When the colorant itself has no such property, the above property may be imparted to the colorant by a measure such as treatment with other components. In other words, it is required that the colorant, itself, or by treatment with other components, for example, have greater affinity for the styrene polymer constituting the dispersed phase than for at least one of the thermoplastic polymers constituting the matrix. ii) The size of the colorant (mean dispersed size) should be smaller than the dispersed phase. Any colorant can be used in the present invention without adverse effect, provided that it does not cause discoloration or abnormality in resin characteristics during coloration. Specific examples are basic dyes such as Rhodamine B, acidic dyes, fluorescent dyes, azo type dyes, anthraquinone type dyes, azine type dyes, and metal complex compound type dyes, and in addition red iron oxide, titanium oxide, cadmium yellow, cadminum red, basic dye lake, and phthalocyanine type pigments. Among these, organic dyes or organic pigments, particularly the former are preferred since they do not impair the transparency of the composition. One of the characteristics of the present invention is that the component constituting the dispersed phase is filled with the colorant. That is, in addition to the greater affinity of the colorant for the dispersed phase than for the matrix phase, the interactions between the matrix phase, the dispersed phase and the colorant are important. For example, in the composition of the present invention, the colorant is required to remain in the dispersed phase not only in the solid state at normal temperature, as a matter of course, but also even after once becoming molten by being subjected to thermal history. In other words, it is important that the colorant be prevented from being diffused into the matrix phase. In order to cause the colorant to remain within the dispersed phase without being diffused into the matrix phase, it is desirable to choose combinations so that the electrical attracting force between the dispersed phase resin (B) and the colorant (C) will be greater than the electrical attracting force between the matrix phase resin (A) and the colorant (C). Above all, the effect of the present invention is remarkable in the case when the matrix phase resin (A) and the dispersed phase resin (B) are both negative or the former (A) is neutral and the latter (B) is negative, when the colorant (C) is electrically (particularly electrostatically or ionically) positive; or in the case when the matrix resin (A) and the dispersed resin (B) are both positive or the former (A) is neutral and the latter (B) is positive, when the colorant (C) is electrically negative. In general, a positive colorant is preferable for its transparency. For making the matrix phase resin (A) and the dispersed phase resin (B) different in electrical properties, it is preferable to introduce functional groups for exhibiting desired electrical properties into one of the resins or to introduce functional groups for exhibiting electrical properties which are opposed to each other into both of the resins. (If resins having such functional groups already exist, they can be of course chosen and used). Thermoplastic polymers having such functional groups include, for example, thermoplastic polymers comprising copolymers (inclusive of graft copolymers) containing as a comonomer unsaturated organic acids, alkyl esters or anhydrides thereof (specifically acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid or anhydride thereof) as those having negative electrical properties, or containing as comonomer vinyl monomers having amino or amide group or quaternarized salt thereof (specifically N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylate, N,N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylate, N-ethyl-N-phenylaminoethyl methacrylate, N,N-dimethylaminopropyl methacrylamide, N,N-diethylaminopropyl methacrylamide, N,N-dimethylaminoethyl methacrylamide, N,N-diethylaminoethyl methacrylamide, vinyl pyridine, and vinyl piperizine) as those having positive electrical properties (such polymers being sometimes called responsive polymers herein). Preparation/formation of phase structures In the composition of the present invention, the dispersed phase is preferably dispersed minutely and uniformly in the matrix phase. Such a uniform dispersion system can be formed in the case of a mechanical blend of a matrix polymer and a polymer constituting the dispersed phase (colorant containing polymer) by choosing suitably the kinds of their compositions (molecular weight, molecular weight distribution, copolymerization ratio, random characteristic, etc. being also considered), the blending conditions (device, temperature, kneading speed, time, etc.), and other factors. A dispersing aid is used. The dispersing aid to be used in the present invention can be obtained by subjecting a thermoplastic resin compatible with the matrix phase (preferably the same as the matrix phase) and a vinyl monomer, which is compatible with (preferably the same as) the dispersed phase when converted to a polymer, to graft reaction conditions. As a method for preparing the above dispersing aid by subjecting a thermoplastic polymer and a vinyl monomer to graft reaction conditions, any of the following six be employed: (1) a method in which the thermoplastic polymer is dissolved in a solvent and the reaction is carried out by charging the vinyl monomer into the resultant solution; (2) a method in which the reaction is carried out by dissolving the vinyl monomer in the thermoplastic polymer; (3) a method in which the thermoplastic polymer particles are suspended in water, the vinyl monomer is added to the suspension to impregnate the polymer particles, followed by carrying out the reaction; (4) a method in which the reaction is carried out under the state where a solution of the thermoplastic polymer dissolved in the vinyl monomer is floated as liquid droplets in water; (5) a method in which the vinyl monomer is allowed to react with the thermoplastic polymer under molten state; and (6) the radiation grafting method. Among these, the above method (3) or (4) is preferred. In carrying out the reaction, a polymerization initiator is generally employed. As the polymerization initiator, those employed for radical polymerization in general can be used, but it is preferable to choose one from those having a decomposition temperature of 45 to 110°C, particularly 50 to 105°C, in view of the temperature of the polymerization reaction. The decomposition temperature as herein mentioned means the temperature attained when the decomposition rate of the radical initiator becomes 50% after 0.1 mole of a polymerization initiator added into one liter of benzene is left to stand at a certain temperature for 10 hours. Specific examples of such initiators are organic peroxides such as 2,4-dichlorobenzoyl peroxide (54°C). t-butylperoxypivalate (56°C), o-methylbenzoyl peroxide (57°C), bis-3,5,5-trimethylhexanoyl peroxide (60°C), octanoyl peroxide (61°C), lauroyl peroxide (62°), benzoyl peroxide (74°C), t-butylperoxy-2-ethylhexanoate (74°C), 1,1-bis(t-butyloxy)-3,3,5-trimethylcyclohexane (91°C), cyclohexanone peroxide (97°), 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-dibenzoylperoxyhexane (100°C), t-butylperoxybenzoate (104°C), di-t-butyl-diperoxyphthalate (105°C), methyl ethyl ketone peroxide (109°C), dicumul peroxide (117°C), di-t-butyl peroxide and the like; azo compounds such as azobisisobutyronitrile (65°C), azobis(2,4-dimethylvaleronitrile) (68°C), 2-t-butylazo-2-cyanopropane (79°C) and the like; and water-soluble peroxides such as hydrogen peroxide and potassium persulfate (about 70°C). Here, the temperatures in the brackets indicate decomposition temperatures. These initiators can be used also in combination. The amount of the polymerization initiator used is within the range of from 0.05 to 30% by weight, preferably from 0.1 to 10% by weight. The dispersing aid to be used in the present invention can produce a dispersed phase which is amply minute and uniform if added in an amount of about 1% by weight. It is preferably used in an amount of 3% by weight or more. For a combination of a polyester as the matrix and a styrene polymer as the dispersed phase, the dispersing agent is a polyester modified with a styrene type monomer, that is, subjected to graft reaction with a styrene type monomer. Generally speaking, the particle size of the dispersed phase in the matrix phase should preferably be 10 µ (micron) or less, particularly preferably 5 µ or less. The particle size as herein mentioned refers to the average primary particle size (Martin's size) as measured by observation of the cross-section of a sample by electron microscope. Another method for preparing the composition of the present invention comprises forming in situ the dispersing aid comprising a thermoplastic polyester subjected to styrene grafting treatment. After graft copolymerization, the ordinary practice is to knead the mixture for uniform dispersion of the dispersed phase. Experimental Examples Reference Example 1 : [Preparation of a modified polyester (dispersing aid)] Into an autoclave of 10-liter inner volume were charged 4 kg of water, 80 g of tribasic calcium phosphate and 0.12 g sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate to obtain an aqueous medium, and a solution of 8 g of benzoyl peroxide ("Nyper B" produced by Nippon Yushi Co.) dissolved in a mixture of 640 g of styrene and 160 g of n-butyl methacrylate was added thereto, the mixture then being stirred. Into the resultant mixture were charged 1,200 g of polyester particles ("Vylon GV100" produced by Toyo Boseki Co.: amorphous saturated polyester; glass transition temperature: 51.1°C; number average molecular weight: about 3,000), and, after replacement of the atmosphere in the autoclave with nitrogen, the temperature in the system was elevated to 60°C, which temperature was then maintained for 3 hours to cause the vinyl monomer containing the polymerization initiator to become impregnated into the polyester resin particles. Subsequently, 11.4 g of t-butylperoxypivalate ("Perbutyl PV" produced by Nippon Yushi Co.) was charged into the suspension system, and further the temperature within the system was elevated to 65°C and maintained thereat for 2 hours to initiate polymerization of the surfaces of the polyester particles. Then, the temperature within the system was elevated to 90°C and maintained thereat for 3 hours to complete polymerization. After cooling, the contents were taken out, washed with acid and washed with water to obtain 2 kg of modified resin particles. Reference Example 2 : (Preparation of a styrene polymer) Into an autoclave of 10-liber inner volume were charged 4 kg of water, 80 g of tribasic calcium phosphate and 0.12 g of sodium dodecylbenzenesulfonate to obtain an aqueous medium, and a solution of 28.6 g of "Perbutyl PV" and 20 g of "Nyper B" dissolved in a mixture of 1.4 kg of styrene, 560 g of n-butyl methacrylate and 40 g of acrylic acid was added thereto, the mixture then being stirred. After the atmosphere within the autoclave was replaced with nitrogen, the temperature within the system was elevated to 65°C, which temperature was then maintained for 3 hours. Further, the temperature within the system was elevated to 75°C and maintained thereat for 3 hours, and thereafter the temperature within the system was elevated to 90°C and maintained thereat for 2 hours to complete polymerization. After cooling, the contents were taken out, washed with acid, washed with water and dried to obtain 2 kg of a copolymer resin. When quantitative determination by IR spectrum was carried out on this product, it was found to contain 70 wt.% of styrene, 28 wt.% of n-butyl methacrylate and 2 wt.% of acrylic acid, indicating that the reaction proceeded substantially quantitatively. The product was also found to have a glass transition temperature of 76.6°C and a number-average molecular weight of about 25,000. Reference Example 3 : (Preparation of a styrene polymer) According to the method in Reference Example 2, except for using 15 kg of styrene and 0.5 kg of n-butyl methacrylate, binary copolymerization was carried out to obtain 2 kg of a styrene polymer. This product was found to have a glass transition temperature of 71.5°C and a number-average molecular weight of about 28,000. Reference Example 4 : (Preparation of a styrene polymer) In Reference Example 2, acrylic acid was replaced with maleic anhydride and otherwise the same procedure was conducted to obtain 2 kg of a copolymer resin which was a styrene polymer. This product was found to have a glass transition temperature of 73.5°C and a number-average molecular weight of about 25,000. Example 1 A blend of 30 parts by weight of the styrene polymer obtained in Reference Example 2 and 5 parts by weighs of "Rhodamine B base" were melted and kneaded through a twin-screw extruder equipped with a vent at 140°. The resultant mixture (35 parts by weight), 65 parts by weight of the polyester used in Reference Example 1 and 10 parts by weight of a modified polyester obtained in Reference Example 1 as the dispersing aid were melted and kneaded at 140°C through a twin-screw extruder equipped with a vent. From the colored composition, a press sheet was prepared, and further a cross-section was made and subjected to ion etching treatment for observation of the dispersed phase by a scanning type electron microscope. As a result, the dispersed phase was found to be dispersed uniformly and minutely with a mean particle size of 3.0 µm. Also, the colored composition was sandwitched between a slide glass and a cover glass on a hot press and thermally fused to be made into a thin film. The filling state of the colorant was observed by a transmission type optical microscope to find that the colorant had filled the dispersed phase. Example 2 A colored composition (II) was obtained in the same manner as in Example 1 except for replacing the styrene polymer used in Example 1 with 15 parts by weight of the styrene polymer prepared in Reference Example 2 and 15 parts by weight of the styrene polymer prepared in Example 3. For this product, the same evaluations as in Example 1 were carried out, and it was observed that the colorant had filled the dispersed phase and the dispersed phase was uniformly and minutely dispersed with a mean particle size of 2.3 µm. Example 3 A colored composition (III) was obtained as in Example 2 except for changing the colorant to copper phthalocyanine (Phthalocyanine Blue). For this product, the same evaluations as in Example 1 were made, and it was observed that the colorant had filled the dispersed phase and the dispersed phase was uniformly and minutely dispersed with a mean particle size of 3.3 µm. Example 4 A colored composition (IV) was obtained as in Example 1 except for changing the styrene polymer to that prepared in Rererence Example 4. For this product, the same evaluations as in Example 1 were made, and it was observed that the colorant had filled the dispersed phase, and the dispersed phase was uniformly and minutely dispersed with a mean particle size of 3.0 µm. Comparative Example 1 A colored composition (VI) was obtained as in Example 1 except for using the styrene polymer obtained in Reference Example 3 in place of the styrene polymer used in Example 1. When the same evaluations were made for this product, it was observed that the dispersed phase was dispersed minutely with a mean particle size of 3.0 µm, but the colorant had filled not only the dispersed phase but also the matrix phase.

Claims: A colored resin composition comprising a matrix of a thermoplastic polymer (A) and dispersed phases of another thermoplastic polymer (B) which are dispersed in said matrix and are separated in phase from said matrix phase, in which composition substantially the entire amount of a colorant (C) remains in the dispersed phases, wherein the polymer (A) comprising a thermoplastic polyester and a thermoplastic modified polyester graft-copolymerized with styrene, the polymer (B) being a styrene polymer and the colorant (C) having greater affinity for the styrene polymer than for at least one of the thermoplastic polyester and the thermoplastic modified polyester. A colored resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the mean particle size of the dispersed phases is 10 µm (microns) or less. A colored resin composition according to claim 2, wherein the mean particle size of the dispersed phases is 5 µm (microns) or less. A colored resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the colorant is an organic dye. A colored resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the polyester constituting the matrix has a glass transition temperature of 40 to 150 °C and a number-average molecular weight of 500 to 30,000. A colored resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the polyester has a glass transition temperature of 60 to 130 °C and a number-average molecular weight of 1,000 to 20,000. A colored resin composition according to claim 1, wherein the styrene polymer has a glass transition temperature of 30 to 105 °C and a number-average molecular weight of 1,000 to 150,000. A colored resin composition according to claim 7, wherein the styrene polymer has a glass transition temperature of 40 to 80 °C and a number-average molecular weight of 2,000 to 100,000.

Inventors: HORIE, SHINJI
Applicants: MITSUBISHI PETROCHEMICAL CO., LTD.
Application year: 1986
Main classification: C08J3
IPC codes: C08K5, C09B67, C08J3, C08L101, C08L67, C08K3