Polymer Material Comprising Chains Bearing Imidazolidone Functions

Abstract

The invention concerns a polymer material consisting of macromolecular chains bound by hydrogen bonds wherein: the macromolecular chains consist of a polymer skeleton whereon is fixed by at least one covalent bond a modifying agent, the modifying agent comprising, assembled in a common molecule, one or more associative groups capable of being bound by hydrogen bonds and one or more reactive groups capable of forming covalent bonds with the polymer skeleton, at least one of the associative groups of the modifying agent is an imidazolidone heterocycle, the macromolecular chains bear on average 1 to 10 imidazolidone groups per chain. The average number of imidazolidone groups to be introduced into the macromolecular chains depends both on the average mass of said chains and the final properties desired for the material. The inventive polymer material can be extruded, co-extruded, injected, blown, moulded, overmoulded, calandered, thermoformed. It can be used to produce articles such as tubes, films, plates, extruded strings, bottles, containers. The inventive polymer material can also be mixed with other materials such as other polymers, thus it is used for example as impact modifier or rheology regulator. The invention further concerns the use of said polymer material as compatibility agent in a composition comprising among others at least two polymers belonging to different classes of polymers.

1 . A polymer material composed of macromolecular chains linked via hydrogen bonds, in which:
 the macromolecular chains are composed of a polymer backbone to which a modifying agent is attached via at least one covalent bond,   the modifying agent comprises, combined in the same molecule, one or more associative groups capable of uniting via hydrogen bonds and one or more reactive groups capable of forming covalent bonds with the polymer backbone,   at least one of the associative groups of the modifying agent is a heterocycle of imidazolidone type,   the macromolecular chains carry, on average, 1 to 10 imidazolidone groups per chain.   
     
     
         2 . The material as claimed in  claim 1 , in which the modifying agents are of the following general formula: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         in which: 
         R denotes a halogen or a primary or secondary amine, alcohol, thiol, aldehyde, ketone, carboxylic acid or derivative (acid chloride or bromide, acid anhydride or ester), sulfonic acid or derivative, isocyanate or epoxy group, 
         X denotes a hydrocarbon chain carrying one or more heteroelements, such as a linear or branched alkyl chain composed of 1 to 30 carbon atoms, a ring or a sequence of alkyl or aryl units linked via —C(O)O—, OC(O), —C(O)NH—, —NHC(O)—, C(O), —O—, —S— or —NH— bridges. 
       
     
     
         3 . The material as claimed in either of  claims 1  and  2 , in which the attaching of the modifying agent brings about the appearance of a bonding group of —NHC(O)— or —C(O)NH— amide type. 
     
     
         4 . The polymer material as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the modifying agent is: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         5 . The polymer material as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the modifying agent is: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         6 . The polymer material as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the modifying agent is: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         7 . The polymer material as claimed in  claim 2 , in which the modifying agent is: 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
       
     
     
         8 . The polymer material as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the polymer backbones exhibit a number-average weight of between 1000 and 100,000. 
     
     
         9 . The material as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which there are two different polymer backbones. 
     
     
         10 . The material as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  8 , in which there are polymer backbones of two different types A and B carrying a modifying agent at each of their ends forming an A/B multiblock linear associated. 
     
     
         11 . The material as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  8 , in which there are polymer backbones of two different types A and B, each chain of A carries at least two modifying agents and B carries a modifying agent at one of its ends or a modifying agent at each of its ends. 
     
     
         12 . The material as claimed in any one of the preceding claims, in which the polymer backbone is PMMA. 
     
     
         13 . The material as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  11 , in which the polymer backbone is a polyamide. 
     
     
         14 . The material as claimed in any one of  claims 1  to  11 , in which the polymer backbone is polyethylene. 
     
     
         15 . An object, such as a pipe, film, sheet, lace, bottle or container, manufactured with the material of any one of the preceding claims. 
     
     
         16 . The use of the material of any of the preceding claims as impact modifier or rheology regulator. 
     
     
         17 . The use of the material of any one of the preceding claims as compatibilizing agent in a composition comprising, inter alia, at least two polymers belonging to different polymer catagories.