Articles such as safety laminates and solar cell modules containing high melt flow acid copolymer compositions

Abstract

A polymeric film or sheet comprising an acid copolymer composition comprising acid copolymer of an alpha olefin and about 1 to about 30 wt % of alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbons, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, wherein the acid copolymer has a Melt Index of about 75 to about 600 g/10 min. The acid copolymer composition preferably comprises an additive selected from the group consisting of silane coupling agent, organic peroxide, and combinations thereof. In addition, an article comprising an interlayer formed of the polymeric film or sheet and an additional layer selected from the group consisting of glass, other polymeric interlayer sheets, polymeric film layers, and metal films or sheets. Examples of articles include safety windows and solar cells.

1 - 25 . (canceled) 
     
     
         26 . A process for manufacturing an article, said article comprising an interlayer and an additional layer selected from the group consisting of glass, other polymeric interlayer sheets, polymeric film layers, ceramic plates and metal films or sheets; said process comprising the steps of:
 providing a composition comprising a non-neutralized acid copolymer of an alpha olefin and about 15 to about 23 wt % of an alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbons, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer, wherein the acid copolymer has a Melt Index of greater than 100 to about 600 g/10 min, as measured by ASTM D1238 at 190° C. and under a load of 2160 g; and about 0.01 to about 10 wt %, based upon the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, of one or more organic peroxides;   compounding the composition at a temperature of 100° C. or less to prevent premature cross-linking;   extruding the composition at a temperature of 100° C. or less to form a polymeric film or sheet;   laying up a pre-press assembly comprising the polymeric film or sheet and the additional layer;   forming the article by laminating the pre-press assembly at a temperature of 115° C. or greater to cure the composition; and   optionally, subjecting the pre-press assembly to vacuum, to positive pressure, or to a second heating step at a temperature of 145° C.;   wherein the composition of the polymeric film or sheet has cross-linked to form the interlayer.   
     
     
         27 . The article that is the product of the process of  claim 26 . 
     
     
         28 . The article of  claim 27  that is a safety glass laminate. 
     
     
         29 . The article of  claim 27  that is a solar cell module. 
     
     
         30 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein (a) the alpha olefin is ethylene; (b) the alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, fumaric acid, monomethyl maleic acid, and mixtures thereof; and
 (c) the acid copolymer has a Melt Index of greater than 100 to about 400 g/10 min.   
     
     
         31 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the acid copolymer comprises about 18 to about 23 wt % of repeat units derived from the alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid. 
     
     
         32 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the acid copolymer comprises about 19 to about 22 wt % of repeat units derived from the alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid. 
     
     
         33 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the acid copolymer further comprises 0 to about 50 wt %, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer, of repeat units derived from one or more other unsaturated comonomers selected from the group consisting of methyl acrylate, methyl methacrylate, ethyl acrylate, ethyl methacrylate, isopropyl acrylate, isopropyl methacrylate, butyl acrylate, and butyl methacrylate. 
     
     
         34 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the composition comprises about 0.5 to about 3.0 wt % of the one or more organic peroxides, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, and the one or more organic peroxides are selected from the group consisting of 2,5-dimethylhexane-2,5-dihydroperoxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-betylperoxy)hexane-3, di-tert-butyl peroxide, tert-butylcumyl peroxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butylperoxy)hexane, dicumyl peroxide, alpha, alpha'-bis(tert-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene, n-butyl-4,4-bis(tert-butylperoxy)valerate, 2,2-bis(tert-butylperoxy)butane, 1,1-bis(tert-butyl-peroxy)cyclohexane, 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethyl-cyclohexane, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, and benzoyl peroxide. 
     
     
         35 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the composition further comprises one or more initiators or one or more inhibitors. 
     
     
         36 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the composition further comprises about 0.01 to about 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, of one or more silane coupling agents. 
     
     
         37 . The process of  claim 35 , wherein the composition comprises about 0.05 to about 1 wt% of the one or more silane coupling agents, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, and the one or more silane coupling agents are selected from the group consisting of gamma-chloropropylmethoxy-silane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltris(beta-methoxy-ethoxy)silane, gamma-vinylbenzylpropyltrimethoxysilane, N-beta-(N-vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-gamma-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, gamma-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxy-silane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane, beta-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxy-silane, vinyltrichlorosilane, gamma-mercaptopropylmethoxysilane, gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and N-beta-(aminoethyl)-gamma-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane. 
     
     
         38 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein:
 (a) the polymeric film or sheet has a thickness of about 10 to about 250 mils;   (b) the alpha olefin is ethylene;   (c) the alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid is selected from the group consisting of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, itaconic acid, maleic acid, maleic anhydride, fumaric acid, monomethyl maleic acid, and mixtures thereof;   (d) the acid copolymer has a Melt Index of greater than 100 to about 400 g/10 min;   (e) the acid copolymer comprises about 18 to about 23 wt % of repeat units from the alpha,beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid; and   (f) wherein the composition comprises about 0.5 to about 3.0 wt % of the organic peroxide, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, and the organic peroxide is selected from the group consisting of 2,5-dimethylhexane-2,5-dihydroperoxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-betylperoxy)hexane-3, di-tert-butyl peroxide, tert-butylcumyl peroxide, 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(tert-butylperoxy)hexane, dicumyl peroxide, alpha, alpha'-bis(tert-butyl-peroxyisopropyl)benzene, n-butyl-4,4-bis(tert-butylperoxy)valerate, 2,2-bis(tert-butylperoxy) butane, 1,1-bis(tert-butyl-peroxy)cyclohexane, 1,1-bis(tert-butylperoxy)-3,3,5-trimethyl-cyclohexane, tert-butyl peroxybenzoate, benzoyl peroxide and mixtures thereof; and, optionally   (g) about 0.01 to about 5 wt %, based on the total weight of the acid copolymer composition, of one or more silane coupling agents selected from the group consisting of gamma-chloropropylmethoxy-silane, vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltris(beta-methoxy-ethoxy)silane, gamma-vinylbenzylpropyltrimethoxysilane, N-beta-(N-vinylbenzylaminoethyl)-gamma-aminopropyltrimethoxysilane, gamma-methacryloxypropyltrimethoxy-silane, vinyltriacetoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropyltrimethoxysilane, gamma-glycidoxypropyltriethoxysilane, beta-(3,4-epoxycyclohexyl)ethyltrimethoxy-silane, vinyltrichlorosilane, gamma-mercaptopropylmethoxysilane, gamma-aminopropyltriethoxysilane, and N-beta-(aminoethyl)-gamma-aminopropyl-trimethoxysilane.   
     
     
         39 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the polymeric film or sheet is a multilayer film or sheet comprising two or more sub-layers, wherein at least one of the sub-layers comprises the composition, and wherein the other sub-layer(s) comprise a polymer selected from the group consisting of acid copolymers and ionomers derived therefrom, poly(ethylene vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl acetal), polyurethane, polyvinylchloride, polyethylenes, polyolefin block elastomers, ethylene acrylate ester copolymers, silicone elastomers and epoxy resins. 
     
     
         40 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the polymeric film or sheet is treated to enhance the adhesion to other laminate layers. 
     
     
         41 . The process of  claim 40 , wherein the treatment comprises applying a monolayer of an adhesive/primer coating to the polymeric film or sheet. 
     
     
         42 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the additional layer is a rigid sheet selected from the group consisting of window glass, plate glass, silicate glass, sheet glass, low iron glass, tempered glass, tempered CeO-free glass, float glass, colored glass, specialty glass, coated glass, E-glass, Toroglass, Solex® glass, polycarbonate, acrylics, polyacrylate, cyclic polyolefins, metallocene-catalyzed polystyrene, polyamides, polyesters, fluoropolymers, metal sheets and ceramic plates. 
     
     
         43 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the additional layer is an other polymeric interlayer sheet selected from the group consisting of acid copolymers and ionomers derived therefrom, poly(ethylene vinyl acetate), poly(vinyl acetal), polyurethane, polyvinylchloride, polyethylenes, polyolefin block elastomers, ethylene acrylate ester copolymers, silicone elastomers and epoxy resins. 
     
     
         44 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the additional layer is a polymeric film layer selected from the group consisting of metal foils, limited to, polyesters, poly(ethylene naphthalate), polycarbonate, polyolefins, norbornene polymers, polystyrene, styrene-acrylate copolymers, acrylonitrile-styrene copolymers, polysulfones, nylons, poly(urethanes), acrylics, cellulose acetates, cellophane, vinyl chloride polymers, and fluoropolymers. 
     
     
         45 . The process of  claim 26 , wherein the pre-press assembly comprises layers in an order selected from the group consisting of
 a glass layer/the polymeric film or sheet;   a glass layer/the polymeric film or sheet/a second glass layer;   a glass layer/the polymeric film or sheet/the polymeric film layer;   a glass layer/the polymeric film or sheet/the polymeric film layer/a second polymeric film or sheet/a second glass layer; and   a glass layer/the polymeric film or sheet/the polymeric film layer/a second polymeric film or sheet/a second polymeric film layer.