Phillips Petroleum Company

James E Keesling

Joseph R Harder

A process to produce an article having a granite-like appearance is disclosed which consists essentially of (a) extruding a first mixture to form a second mixture; and (b) using the second mixture to form an article having a granite-like appearance. The first and second mixtures are in the form of particles where the first mixture consists essentially of about 99 to about 90 wt. % of a first particle composition and about 1 to about 10 wt. % of a second particle composition. The first particle composition consists essentially of a first polymer which consists essentially of a thermoplastic (co)polymer of ethylene and the second particle composition consists essentially of a colorant and a second polymer which consists essentially of a crosslinked thermoset (co)polymer of ethylene. The second polymer does not have a density which is substantially isopycnic compared to the first polymer Extrusion is performed at a temperature above the melting point of the first polymer but below the melting point of the second polymer and the decomposition temperature of the first polymer. In preferred embodiments, the first polymer is a copolymer of ethylene and hexene having a density of 0.880 to 0.952 g/cm.sup.3 and the second polymer is a copolymer of ethylene and hexene having a density of less than 0.941 g/cm.sup.3 or greater than 0.946 g/cm.sup.3, or the first polymer is a copolymer of ethylene and hexene having a density greater than 0.958 g/cm.sup.3 and the second polymer is a copolymer of ethylene and hexene having a density less than 0.941 g/cm.sup.3.

Process to produce an article that has a granite-like appearance and

A method and apparatus for continuously cooling a thermoplastic shape having two open sides in which the thermoplastic shape, in its at least partially molten state, is extruded and/or drawn along an elongated form having a contour complimentary to the contour of one side of the two open sides and, simultaneously with moving the thermoplastic shape, at least partially cooling the thermoplastic shape by cooling the form with a liquid cooling medium and drawing a vacuum, on the previously mentioned one side of the two open sides of the thermoplastic shape, through the form.

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Bartlesville, OK, United States of America

James E Keesling