Preparation of chemiluminescent vinyl halide or vinylidene halide polymer structures

Abstract

A plasticized vinyl halide or vinylidene halide polymer structure useful in a chemiluminescent lighting device is disclosed wherein said structure is prepared from vinyl halide or vinylidene halide polymers. The plasticizer is preferably a dibutyl phthalate solution of a chemiluminescent oxalate and a fluorescer that is incorporated into the structure. Addition of a hydrogen peroxide activator solution to the structure produces the glow of chemical light. The structure has good strength, flexibility, porosity and absorbance of the activator solution. A method for the preparation of the structure is also disclosed.

We claim: 
     
       1. A porous, flexible structure comprising A) a non-particulate phase comprising a vinyl halide or vinylidene halide polymer having a molecular weight of about 100,000 to about 500,000 which constitutes about 0.5 to about 15.0 weight percent of .[.the structure.]. .Iadd.total polymer.Iaddend., B) an agglomerated particle phase comprising either 1) about 85.0 to about 99.5 weight percent .Iadd.of total polymer .Iaddend.of vinyl halide or vinylidene halide polymer particles having a diameter of from about 25 to about 125 microns and a molecular weight of from about 50,000 to about 120,000, or mixtures of said particles, or 2) about 45 to about 98.5 weight percent .Iadd.of total polymer .Iaddend.of vinyl halide or vinylidene halide polymer particles having a diameter of from about 25 to about 125 microns and a molecular weight of from about 50,000 to about 120,000, or mixtures of said particles, and about 1 to about 40 weight percent .Iadd.of total polymer .Iaddend.of vinyl halide or vinylidene halide polymer particles having a diameter of from about 130 to about 225 microns and a molecular weight of from about 100,000 to about 225,000 and C) a plasticizer comprising a solvent solution of a chemiluminescent compound and, optionally, a fluorescer, dispersed throughout both said phases. 
     
     
       2. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said agglomerated particle phase constitutes polyvinylchloride resin particles having a diameter of from about 25 to about 125 microns and a molecular weight of from about 50,000 to about 120,000, or mixtures of said particles. 
     
     
       3. A structure according to claim 1 wherein said agglomerated particle phase constitutes polyvinylchloride resin particles having a diameter of from about 25 to about 125 microns and a molecular weight of from about 50,000 to about 120,000, or mixtures of said particles and polyvinylchloride resin particles having a diameter of from about 130 to about 225 microns and a molecular weight of from about 100,000 to about 225,000. 
     
     
       4. The structure of claim 1 wherein said solvent is selected from dialkyl esters of phthalic acid; ethylene glycol ethers; citric acid esters and alkyl benzoates and is present in amounts of from about 0.5 part to about 3.0 parts per part of resin. 
     
     
       5. The structure of claim 1 wherein said solvent is dibutyl phthalate. 
     
     
       6. The structure of claim 1 wherein said solvent is dibutyl phthalate and is present in an amount of about 1.4 parts per 1.0 part of resin. 
     
     
       7. A structure of claim 1 wherein the chemiluminescent compound is selected from 3-aminophthalhydrazide; 2,4,5-triphenylimidazole; 10,10'-dialkyl-9,9'-biacridinium salts; 9-chlorocarbonyl-10-methylacridinium chloride, bis(1,2-dihydro-2-oxo-1-pyridyl) glyoxal and bis(substituted-phenyl) oxalates. 
     
     
       8. The structure of claim 7 wherein the bis(substituted-phenyl) oxalate is bis(2-nitrophenyl) oxalate, bis(2,4-dinitrophenyl) oxalate; bis(2,6-dichloro-4-nitrophenyl) oxalate, bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate; bis(3-trifluoromethyl-4-nitrophenyl) oxalate; bis(2-methyl-4,6-dinitrophenyl) oxalate; bis(1,2-dimethyl-4,6-dinitrophenyl) oxalate; bis(2,4-dichlorophenyl) oxalate; bis(2,5-dinitrophenyl) oxalate, bis(2-formyl-4-nitrophenyl) oxalate; bis(pentachlorophenyl) oxalate; bis-N-phthalimdyl oxalate; bis(2,4,5-trichloro-6carbopentoxyphenyl) oxalate; bis(2,4,5-trichloro-6carbobutoxyphenyl) oxalate or bis(2,4,6-trichlorophenyl) oxalate. 
     
     
       9. The structure of claim 8 wherein the chemiluminescent compound is bis(2,4,5-trichloro-6-carbopentoxyphenyl) oxalate. 
     
     
       10. The structure of claim 1 wherein the fluorescer is present and is selected from 9,10-bisphenylethynylanthracene; 1-chloro-9,10-bis phenylethynylanthracene and 2-chloro-9,10-bis(paramethoxyphenyl)anthracene. 
     
     
       11. The structure of claim 10 wherein the fluorescer is present in a concentration of about 0.1 weight percent to about 2.0 weight percent of the plasticizer solution. 
     
     
       12. The structure of claim 1 having on one surface thereof, a reflecting surface facing the structure.