Thermoplastic polyester particles and methods of production and uses thereof

Abstract

A method of producing thermoplastic particles may comprise: mixing a melt emulsion comprising (a) a continuous phase that comprises a carrier fluid having a polarity Hansen solubility parameter (dP) of about 7 MPa 0.5 or less, (b) a dispersed phase that comprises a dispersing fluid having a dP of about 8 MPa 0.5 or more, and (c) an inner phase that comprises a thermoplastic polyester at a temperature greater than a melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polyester and at a shear rate sufficiently high to disperse the thermoplastic polyester in the dispersed phase; and cooling the melt emulsion to below the melting point or softening temperature of the thermoplastic polyester to form solidified particles comprising the thermoplastic polyester.

What is claimed is the following: 
     
         1 . A composition comprising:
 particles comprising a thermoplastic polyester;
 wherein the particles have a sintering window that is within 5° C. of a sintering window of the thermoplastic polyester, a D50 up to about 200 μm, a circularity of about 0.7 or greater, and a diameter span up to about 3. 
   
     
     
         2 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles further comprise an emulsion stabilizer associated with an outer surface of the particles. 
     
     
         3 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the emulsion stabilizer comprises nanoparticles. 
     
     
         4 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise oxide nanoparticles. 
     
     
         5 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the nanoparticles comprise silica nanoparticles. 
     
     
         6 . The composition of  claim 3 , wherein the particles comprise about 0.01 wt % to about 10 wt % emulsion stabilizer. 
     
     
         7 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein at least some of the particles have a void comprising the emulsion stabilizer at a void/thermoplastic polyester interface. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 2 , wherein the emulsion stabilizer forms a coating that covers at least 50% of the outer surface of the particles. 
     
     
         9 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles comprise about 90 wt % to about 99.5 wt % thermoplastic polyester. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles have a D10 of about 0.1 μm to about 125 μm, a D50 of about 0.5 μm to about 200 μm, and a D90 of about 3 μm to about 300 μm, wherein D10<D50<D90. 
     
     
         11 . The composition of  claim 10 , wherein the particles have a diameter span of about 0.4 to about 3. 
     
     
         12 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles have a D10 of about 0.5 μm to about 5 μm, a D50 of about 0.5 μm to about 10 μm, and a D90 of about 3 μm to about 15 μm, wherein D10<D50<D90. 
     
     
         13 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles have a D10 of about 1 μm to about 50 μm, a D50 of about 25 μm to about 100 μm, and a D90 of about 60 μm to about 300 μm, wherein D10<D50<D90. 
     
     
         14 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles have a D10 of about 5 μm to about 30 μm, a D50 of about 30 μm to about 100 μm, a D90 of about 70 μm to about 120 μm, and a diameter span of about 0.5 to about 2.5, wherein D10<D50<D90. 
     
     
         15 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles have a Hausner ratio of about 1.0 to about 1.5. 
     
     
         16 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic polyester comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), polytrimethylene terephthalate (PTT), polyhexamethylene terephthalate, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         17 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein particles further comprise a thermoplastic polymer selected from the group consisting of polyamides, polyurethanes, polyethylenes, polypropylenes, polyacetals, polycarbonates, polystyrenes, polyvinyl chlorides, polytetrafluoroethenes, polylactic acid, polyethers, polyether sulfones, polyetherether ketones, polyacrylates, polymethacrylates, polyimides, acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS), polyphenylene sulfides, vinyl polymers, polyarylene ethers, polyarylene sulfides, polysulfones, polyether ketones, polyamide-imides, polyetherimides, polyetheresters, copolymers comprising a polyether block and a polyamide block, grafted or ungrafted thermoplastic polyolefins, functionalized or nonfunctionalized ethylene/vinyl monomer polymers, functionalized or nonfunctionalized ethylene/alkyl (meth)acrylates, functionalized or nonfunctionalized (meth)acrylic acid polymers, functionalized or nonfunctionalized ethylene/vinyl monomer/alkyl (meth)acrylate terpolymers, ethylene/vinyl monomer/carbonyl terpolymers, ethylene/alkyl (meth)acrylate/carbonyl terpolymers, methyl methacrylate-butadiene-styrene (MBS)-type core-shell polymers, polystyrene-block-polybutadiene-block-poly(methyl methacrylate) (SBM) block terpolymers, chlorinated or chlorosulphonated polyethylenes, polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF), phenolic resins, poly(ethylene/vinyl acetate)s, polybutadienes, polyisoprenes, styrenic block copolymers, polyacrylonitriles, silicones, and any combination thereof. 
     
     
         18 . The composition of  claim 1 , wherein the particles have a circularity of about 0.93 to about 0.99.