Polyketone polymer blends

Abstract

Improved compositions comprise polymer blends of a linear alternating polymer of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon and a polyblend with a rubber modifier incorporated therein, and optionally, an acidic polymer containing moieties of an α-olefin and an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid. The blends demonstrate improved processability and impact strength.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A composition comprising a blend of: (1) a linear alternating polymer of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon, wherein the linear alternating polymer is represented by the repeating formula ##STR2##  wherein G is a moiety of an ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon of at least 3 carbon atoms polymerized through the ethylenic unsaturation and the ratio of y:x is no more than about 0.5;   (2) a polyblend, present in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 20 wt %, based on total blend composition, comprising: (A) a rubber substrate polymer present in an amount of from about 10 wt % to about 30 wt % of the total polyblend, and selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene and copolymers of butadiene with up to about 40 wt % of styrene, acrylonitrile, or styrene/acrylonitrile comonomer; and   (B) a superstrate polymer grafted onto the rubber substrate which comprises from about 70 wt % to about 80 wt % of styrene and from about 20 wt % to about 30 wt % of maleic anhydride; and, optionally,     (3) an acidic polymer present in an amount of up to about 10 wt % of the total blend, and comprising a non-neutralized copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid.   
     
     
       2. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyblend comprises from about 1 wt % to about 10 wt % of the total blend. 
     
     
       3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyblend comprises from about 1 wt % to about 5 wt % of the total blend. 
     
     
       4. A composition comprising a blend of: (1) a linear alternating polymer of carbon monoxide and at least one ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon, wherein the linear alternating polymer is represented by the repeating formula ##STR3##  wherein G is a moiety of an ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon of at least 3 carbon atoms polymerized through the ethylenic unsaturation and the ratio of y:x is no more than about 0.5;   (2) a polyblend, present in an amount of from about 1 wt % to about 20 wt %, based on total blend composition, comprising: (A) a rubber substrate polymer, wherein the amount of the rubber substrate is from about 2 wt % to about 30 wt %, of the total polyblend; and   (B) a superstrate polymer grafted onto the rubber substrate which comprises from about 40 wt % to about 85 wt % of a monoalkenyl aromatic monomer and from about 15 wt % to about 35 wt % of an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydride; and, optionally,     (3) an acidic polymer incorporating moieties of α-olefin, α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid, and optionally, a non-acidic, low molecular weight polymerizable monomer, the acidic polymer optionally having a portion of the carboxylic acid groups neutralized with non-alkali metal.   
     
     
       5. The composition of claim 4 wherein the amount of the rubber substrate comprises from about 10 wt % to about 30 wt % of the total weight of the polyblend. 
     
     
       6. The composition of claim 5 wherein the superstrate polymer comprises from about 70 wt % to about 80 wt % of a monalkenyl aromatic monomer and from about 20 wt % to about 30 wt % of an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydride. 
     
     
       7. The composition of claim 6 wherein, in the linear alternating polymer, y is zero. 
     
     
       8. The composition of claim 7 wherein the rubber substrate component of the polyblend is selected from the group consisting of polybutadiene and copolymers of butadiene with up to about 40 wt % of a styrene, acrylonitrile, or styrene/acrylonitrile comonomer. 
     
     
       9. The composition of claim 8 wherein the monoalkenyl aromatic monomer of the superstrate polymer is styrene. 
     
     
       10. The composition of claim 9 wherein the unsaturated dicarboxylic acid anhydride is maleic anhydride. 
     
     
       11. The composition of claim 10 wherein the polyblend comprises from less than about 1 wt % to about 10 wt % of the total blend. 
     
     
       12. The composition of claim 11 wherein the superstrate polymer is a styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer. 
     
     
       13. The composition of claim 12 wherein the rubber substrate component of the polyblend is an acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene rubber intermediate. 
     
     
       14. The composition of claim 13 wherein the polyblend comprises from less than about 1 wt % to about 5 wt % of the total blend. 
     
     
       15. The composition of claim 14 wherein the polyblend is a styrene/maleic anhydride copolymer with an acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene rubber intermediate incorporated therein. 
     
     
       16. The composition of claim 15 wherein the acidic polymer is present in an amount of up to about 10 wt % of the total blend, and the acidic polymer comprises a non-neutralized copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid. 
     
     
       17. The composition of claim 15 wherein the acidic polymer is present in an amount of up to about 10 wt % of the total blend, and the acidic polymer has from about 10% to about 90% of the carboxylic acid groups neutralized with zinc, aluminum or magnesium. 
     
     
       18. The composition of claim 6 wherein, in the linear alternating polymer, G is a moiety of propylene and the ratio of y:x is from about 0.01 to about 0.1. 
     
     
       19. The composition of claim 15 wherein the polyblend additionally includes a matrix polymer. 
     
     
       20. The composition of claim 19 wherein during the graft polymerization of the superstrate polymer onto the rubber substrate, a copolymerizable monomer is also included, such that the matrix polymer forms, without grafting onto the substrate. 
     
     
       21. The composition of claim 20 wherein the copolymerizable monomer is selected from the group consisting of isobutylene, methyl methacrylate, and acrylonitrile. 
     
     
       22. The composition of claim 21 wherein the acidic polymer is present in an amount of up to about 10 wt % of the total blend, and the acidic polymer comprises a non-neutralized copolymer of ethylene and acrylic acid or methacrylic acid. 
     
     
       23. The composition of claim 21 wherein the acidic polymer is present in an amount of up to about 10 wt % of the total blend, and the acidic polymer has from about 10% to about 90% of the carboxylic acid groups neutralized with zinc, aluminum or magnesium.