Eastman Chemical Company

Grupo Petrotemex S.a. De C.v.

Eastman-kodak Company

Rhone-poulenc Nutrition Animale

Grupo Petromex, S.a. De C.v.

Stephen Weinhold

Frederick Leslie Colhoun

Mary Therese Jernigan

Robert Noah Estep

Michael Paul Ekart

Steven Lee Stafford

Alan George Wonders

Bruce Roger DeBruin

Marcus David Shelby

Mark Edward Stewart

Steven Paul Bellner

Tommy Ray Maddox, Ii

John Alan Wabshall, Jr

Michael Eugene Donelson

Richard Dalton Peters

John Guy Franjione

Roger Lee Martin

Rodney Scott Armentrout

Zhiyong Xia

Alan W White

Stephen H Wu

Charles A McCombs

Jason Christopher Jenkins

Donna Rice Quillen

Pierre Autant

Lanney Calvin Treece

Max Lamar Carroll, Jr

Ernest Phillip Smith

Harry P Hall

Benjamin Bradford Gamble

Perry Michael Murdaugh, Sr

Jacques Ruel

John G Franjione

Steven S Duncan

Lawrence A Coppari

Louis P Hoskins

Edward Lewis Boochard

Alan Wayne White

Barry Glen Pearcy

Larry Wayne Branscome

Ii Tommy Ray Maddox

Polyester polymer particle spheroids comprising a polyester polymer including: a carboxylic acid component containing at least 90 mole % of the residues of terephthalic acid, derivates of terephthalic acid, naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, and/or derivatives of naphthalene-2,6-dicarboxylic acid, and a hydroxyl component containing from 90 to 96 mole % of the residues of ethylene glycol, based on 100 mole percent of the carboxylic acid component residues and 100 mole percent hydroxyl component residues in the polyester polymer, wherein said particle has an It.V. of at least 0.72 dL/g, and the It.V. at the surface of the particle is from 0.02 dL/g to less than 0.25 dL/g higher than the It.V. at the center of the particle, and wherein the polyester polymer spheroids are not solid state polymerized.

Polyester polymer particles having a small surface to center molecular weight gradient

Polymer blends suitable for packaging are disclosed that include one or more impact modifiers; and one or more polyethylene terephthalate homopolymers or copolymers obtained by a melt phase polymerization using a catalyst system comprising aluminum atoms in an amount, for example, from about 3 ppm to about 60 ppm and one or more alkaline earth metal atoms, alkali metal atoms, or alkali compound residues in an amount, for example, from about 1 ppm to about 25 ppm, in each case based on the weight of the one or more polyethylene terephthalate homopolymers or copolymers The polymer blends disclosed exhibit improved low temperature toughness compared with blends made using polymers prepared with conventional catalyst systems.

Polyester blends exhibiting low temperature toughness

A bulk of polyester polymer particles comprising polyester polymer comprising greater than 75% virgin polyester polymer, the particles having:

Low melting polyester polymers

A process for producing non-solid-stated polyester polymer particles having one or more properties similar to polyester polymer particles that have undergone solid-state processing.

Production of non-solid-stated polyester particles having solid-stated properties

Disclosed is a process for a melt processing a polyethylene terephthalate resin characterized by one or more of the following. The polyester particles may have at least two melting peaks wherein one of the at least two melting peaks is a low peak melting point with a range from 140&#xb0; C. to 220&#xb0; C., or from 140&#xb0; C. to 230&#xb0; C., and having a melting endothermic area of at least the absolute value of 1 J/g. The polyester particles may have one or more melting peaks at least one of which when measured on a DSC first heating scan has a heating curve departing from a baseline in the endothermic direction at a temperature of less than or equal to 200&#xb0; C. The polyester particles may have an It.V. at their surface which is less than 0.25 dL/g higher than the It.V. at their center. The polyester particles may have not been solid stated. The melt processing device comprises a screw with a total length, L, a feed zone length in the range from 0.16L and 0.45L, a taper angle, &#x3c6;, in the range from 0.5 degrees and 5.0 degrees and a compression ratio, CR, in the range from 2.0 and 5.0.

Screw designs having improved performance with low melting PET resins

A process for producing non-solid-stated polyester polymer particles having one or more properties similar to polyester polymer particles that have undergone solid-state processing. In one embodiment, the process comprises (a) forming polyester polymer particles from a polyester polymer melt; (b) quenching at least a portion of the particles, (c) drying at least a portion of the particles, (d) crystallizing at least a portion of the particles, (e) annealing at least a portion of the particles. At all points during and between steps (b) through (e), the average bulk temperature of the particles is maintained above 165&#xb0; C.

Polyester composition with modifier hydroxyl compound

Spheroidal polyester polymer particles, as well as preforms and stretch blow molded bottles made from the spheroidal particles, are provided which have:

Spheroidal polyester polymer particles

A bulk of polyester polymer particles comprising polyester polymer comprising greater than 75% virgin polyester polymer, the particles having: The particles may also have a degree of crystallinity within a range of 20% and a maximum degree of crystallinity Tdefined by the equation:=50%&#x2212;where CA is the total mole % of all carboxylic acid residues other than terephthalic acid residues, based on 100 mole % of carboxylic acid residues, and OH is the total mole % of all hydroxyl functional compound residues other than ethylene glycol residues, based on 100 mole % of hydroxyl functional compounds residues. The preforms and bottles made from these particles can be obtained by melt processing these particles at either lower overall power, faster screw speeds, lower residence time, or lower overall cycle time to thereby reduce the level of residual acetaldehyde generated in the melt.

Polyester compositions are disclosed that include polyester polymers or copolymers having incorporated therein titanium nitride particles and carbon-coated iron particles to improve the reheat properties of the compositions. The compositions may also exhibit reduced yellowness, and improved resistance to the effects of UV light. Processes for making such compositions are also disclosed. The particles may be incorporated in the polyester by melt compounding, or may be added at any stage of the polymerization, such as during the melt-phase of the polymerization. A range of particle sizes may be used, as well as a range of particle size distributions. The polyester compositions are suitable for use in packaging made from processes in which a reheat step is desirable, or decreased yellowness is desired, or increased resistance to the effects of ultraviolet light is desired, or any combination of the foregoing.

Polyester polymer and copolymer compositions containing particles of titanium nitride and carbon-coated iron

Polyester compositions are disclosed that include polyester polymers or copolymers having incorporated therein carbon-coated iron particles that improve the reheat properties of the compositions. Processes for making such compositions are also disclosed. The carbon-coated iron particles may be incorporated in the polyester by melt compounding, or may be added at any stage of the polymerization, such as during the melt-phase of the polymerization. A range of particle sizes may be used, as well as a range of particle size distributions. The polyester compositions are suitable for use in packaging made from processes in which a reheat step is desirable.

Polyester polymer and copolymer compositions containing carbon-coated iron particles

There is now provided a polyester polymer particle having an It.V., a surface, and a center, wherein the It.V. at the surface of the particle is less than 0.25 dL/g higher than the It.V. at the center of the particle. The polyester polymer particle is desirably crystalline to prevent the particles from sticking to each other while drying, and desirably contains less than 10 ppm acetaldehyde. A polyester container, preferably a preform or beverage bottle, is made by feeding crystallized polyester particles having an It.V. of at least 0.70 dL/g to an extrusion zone, melting the particles in the extrusion zone to form a molten polyester polymer composition, and forming a sheet or a molded part from extruded molten polyester polymer, wherein at least a portion of the polyester particles have an It.V. at their surface which does not vary from their It.V. at their center by more than 0.25 dL/g, and the particles have not been solid state polymerized. Such polyester compositions have an It.V. suitable for containers, yet lose less It.V. during melt processing than existing polyesters.

Process of making a container from polyester polymer particles having a small surface to center intrinsic-viscosity gradient

Growing community of inventors

Kingsport, TN, United States of America

Stephen Weinhold