Translucent white polymer composition and its use in glass laminates and other articles

Abstract

Provided herein is a translucent white polymer composition suitable for use as a safety glass interlayer. The translucent white polymer composition comprises a pigment and a polymeric resin that comprises an ionomer of an ethylene acid copolymer. Alumina (Al 2 O 3 ) and alumina trihydrate (Al(OH) 3 ; “ATH”) are preferred pigments. The translucent white polymer composition is useful in various molded articles. The translucent white polymer composition is particularly useful as an interlayer in glass laminates, including safety glass laminates and structural glass laminates. Further provided herein are methods of making the translucent white polymer composition, the articles and the glass laminates.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . A translucent white polymer composition comprising a pigment and an ethylene acid copolymer or an ionomer of the ethylene acid copolymer;
 said pigment having an index of refraction of about 1.5 to about 2.8;   said pigment further consisting essentially of particles having a minimum average size of about 380 nm, a median particle size (d50) of less than 0.2 mm, and an aspect ratio close to 1;   wherein a sample of the translucent white ionomer composition has a transmission of less than 90%; a haze of 75 to 100%; an L* value higher than 80, an a* value that ranges from −0.2 to −1.6, and a b* value that ranges from 0.8 to 4.0.   
     
     
         2 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 , wherein the pigment is selected from the group consisting of alumina trihydrate, alumina, magnesium oxide, beryllium aluminate, calcium sulfate, zinc phosphate tetrahydrate, and mullite. 
     
     
         3 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ethylene acid copolymer comprises copolymerized units of an α-olefin having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms; about 8 to about 30 wt % of copolymerized units of an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms; and, optionally copolymerized units of one or more additional comonomer(s) selected from the group consisting of unsaturated carboxylic acids having 2 to 10 carbon atoms and derivatives of the unsaturated carboxylic acids. 
     
     
         4 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 , wherein the ethylene acid copolymer comprises copolymerized units of ethylene; about 8 to about 30 wt % of copolymerized units of copolymerized units of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or a combination of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid; and, optionally copolymerized units of one or more additional comonomer(s) selected from the group consisting of derivatives of one or more unsaturated carboxylic acids, said unsaturated carboxylic acids having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and said derivatives selected from the group consisting of acid anhydrides, amides, and esters. 
     
     
         5 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 , comprising the ionomer, wherein about 5% to about 90% of the carboxylic acid groups are neutralized, based on the total carboxylic acid content of the ethylene acid copolymer. 
     
     
         6 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 , comprising about 1.0 to about 10.0 wt % of the pigment and about 99 to about 90 wt % of the polymeric resin, based on the total weight of the translucent white polymer composition. 
     
     
         7 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 , wherein a sample of the translucent white polymer composition having a thickness of about 1.6 mm has a transmission of about 56% to about 75%; a haze of about 90% to about 100%; and a clarity of about 10 to about 30%. 
     
     
         8 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 , wherein a sample of the translucent white polymer composition having a thickness of about 1.6 mm has a transmission of about 80% to about 90%; a haze of about 75% to about 85%; and a clarity of about 70% to about 86%. 
     
     
         9 . A molded article comprising the translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         10 . A glass laminate comprising an interlayer, said interlayer comprising the translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         11 . A safety glass laminate comprising an interlayer, said interlayer comprising the translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         12 . A structural glass laminate comprising an interlayer, said interlayer comprising the translucent white polymer composition of  claim 1 . 
     
     
         13 . A translucent white polymer composition comprising a pigment and an ethylene acid copolymer or an ionomer of the ethylene acid copolymer;
 said pigment selected from the group consisting of alumina trihydrate, alumina, magnesium oxide, beryllium aluminate, calcium sulfate, zinc phosphate tetrahydrate, and mullite;   wherein a sample of the translucent white ionomer composition has a transmission of less than 90%; a haze of 75 to 100%; an L* value higher than 80, an a* value that ranges from −0.2 to −1.6, and a b* value that ranges from 0.8 to 4.0.   
     
     
         14 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 , wherein the pigment consists essentially of particles having a minimum average size of about 380 nm, a median particle size (d50) of less than 0.2 mm, and an aspect ratio close to 1. 
     
     
         15 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 , wherein the ethylene acid copolymer comprises copolymerized units of an α-olefin having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms; about 8 to about 30 wt % of copolymerized units of an α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms; and, optionally copolymerized units of one or more additional comonomer(s) selected from the group consisting of unsaturated carboxylic acids having 2 to 10 carbon atoms and derivatives of the unsaturated carboxylic acids. 
     
     
         16 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 , wherein the ethylene acid copolymer comprises copolymerized units of ethylene; about 8 to about 30 wt % of copolymerized units of copolymerized units of acrylic acid, methacrylic acid, or a combination of acrylic acid and methacrylic acid; and, optionally copolymerized units of one or more additional comonomer(s) selected from the group consisting of derivatives of one or more unsaturated carboxylic acids, said unsaturated carboxylic acids having 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and said derivatives selected from the group consisting of acid anhydrides, amides, and esters. 
     
     
         17 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 , comprising the ionomer, wherein about 5% to about 90% of the carboxylic acid groups are neutralized, based on the total carboxylic acid content of the ethylene acid copolymer. 
     
     
         18 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 , comprising about 1.0 to about 10.0 wt % of the pigment and about 99 to about 90 wt % of the polymeric resin, based on the total weight of the translucent white polymer composition. 
     
     
         19 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 , wherein a sample of the translucent white polymer composition having a thickness of about 1.6 mm has a transmission of about 56% to about 75%; a haze of about 90% to about 100%; and a clarity of about 10 to about 30%. 
     
     
         20 . The translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 , wherein a sample of the translucent white polymer composition having a thickness of about 1.6 mm has a transmission of about 80% to about 90%; a haze of about 75% to about 85%; and a clarity of about 70% to about 86%. 
     
     
         21 . A molded article comprising the translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         22 . A glass laminate comprising an interlayer, said interlayer comprising the translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         23 . A safety glass laminate comprising an interlayer, said interlayer comprising the translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 . 
     
     
         24 . A structural glass laminate comprising an interlayer, said interlayer comprising the translucent white polymer composition of  claim 13 .