General Electric Company

Ye-Gang Lin

Rajendra Kashinath Singh

Patrick Joseph McCloskey

Roy Ray Odle

Theodorus L Hoeks

Safwat Ebeid Tadros

Raphael Mestanza

Mahari Tjahjadi

Pin-pin Wu

Galina D Georgieva

George F Fischer

Adrianus Alphonsus Kusters

Kapil Chandrakant Sheth

James L Derudder

Larry I Flowers

William James Swatos

Yuxian An

Michael Shoen Davis

Joseph M Janssen

Vijaykumar Hanagandi

Scott S Haraburda

Vikram Gopal

Rafael Hierro Martin

Ana Isabel Diaz Calderon

Richard Crosby

Pin-Pin Wu

Ronald Dale Craddock

Joseph M H Janssen

A thermoplastic composition comprises polycarbonate, an impact modifier having a pH of about 3 to about 7, and a flame retardant essentially free of bromine and chlorine.

Polycarbonate composition

It has now been surprisingly found that addition of a phosphorous-containing oxy acid to a glass-filled polycarbonate composition substantially improves its fire retardant performance. Thus, the present invention provides a method for making a flame-retarded glass-filled polycarbonate resin comprising adding to the resin an effective flame-retardant amount of a phosphorous-containing oxy acid. Where appropriate, the melt strength of the polycarbonate is enhanced by the addition of an antidrip agent and the performance can be further enhanced by the addition of a flame retardant. Use of such a composition results in superior fire-retardant performance.

Method for making fire-retarded glass-filled polycarbonate and related compositions

A combination of a potassium salt of a perfluoroalkane sulfonate and a sodium salt of toluene sulfonic acid, preferably in the presence of an antidrip agent to provide high melt strength, act synergistically to provide flame-retarded polycarbonate compositions at low levels. Thus, a flame-retarded polycarbonate resin can be made by adding to the polycarbonate resin an effective flame-retardant amount of a potassium salt of a perfluoroalkane sulfonate and a sodium salt of toluene sulfonic acid. The two salts may be formulated in advance into an additive composition.

Method for making fire-retarded polycarbonate and related compositions

A system and method for measuring viscosity, melt flow index (MFI), and melt volume rate (MVR) of a polymer melt in real-time during an extrusion process to provide quick and accurate feedback for process control. The system includes a polymer processing rate sensor ( ), a polymer melt temperature sensor ( ), an extruder pressure sensor ( ), and a die head temperature sensor ( ) for taking in-line measurements during the extrusion process. The in-line measurements are made on the main process stream of the polymer melt, with the determination of viscosity, MFI, and MVR based on these measured values and those obtained during a calibration run with polymers having known properties. The invention can be used in any polymer compounding and extrusion process utilizing die opening with any constant geometry for monitoring quality and providing feedback for process control.

In-line rheometer device and method

A method and apparatus for measuring the rheological properties of a polymer melt includes flowing the polymer melt from a first reactor to a device through a conduit at a predetermined flow rate, measuring a first pressure of the polymer melt at a first location in the conduit, measuring a second pressure at a second location downstream from the first location, measuring a temperature at a third location in the conduit, wherein the third location is between the first location and the second location, and calculating the rheological property of the polymer melt as it flows through the conduit. The method and apparatus do not require diversion of the polymer melt from the main process stream.

Rheological measurement process

A system for providing process control information, such as viscosity, concerning a polymer melt comprises a means containing a polymer melt under pressure; means for diverting a stream of the polymer melt directly from said containing means to and through an orifice of predetermined geometrical shape wherein the flow of said diverted portion to and through said orifice is unobstructed and directly dependent on the pressure of said main polymer melt wherein the cross sectional area is sized to permit the flow of said diverted melt polymer therethrough absence additional independent means acting on said diverted melt polymer for increasing flow through said orifice; temperature sensing means for measuring the temperature of the diverted melt stream and producing a resultant temperature signal; pressure sensing means for measuring the pressure of the diverted melt stream and producing a resultant pressure signal, said pressure signal being directly dependent on the pressure of polymer in said main polymer melt and the predetermined size of said orifice; means measuring or calculating the production rate of the extruder; and manufacturing control system means responsive to the temperature, pressure and production rate signals for determining process characteristics of the main polymer melt.

Scaleless on-line rheometer device

Linear polyesters are branched by transesterification with resins having the formula: ##STR1## wherein n is an integer of from 1 to 10.

Process for branching thermoplastic linear polycarbonate resins

The disclosure describes reacting a multi-functional phenolic or carboxylic branching agent with a transesterification catalyst to form an organic salt prior to reactive extrusion of said organic salt branching agent with linear polycarbonate resin as a means to dramatically increase the efficiency of the branching agent in the preparation of branched polycarbonate.

Method of branching and cross-linking a polycarbonate resin

A system for providing process control information, such as viscosity, concerning a polymer melt comprises a means containing a polymer melt under pressure; means for diverting a stream of the polymer melt directly from said containing means to and through an orifice of predetermined geometrical shape wherein the flow of said diverted portion to and through said orifice is unobstructed and directly dependent on the pressure of said main polymer melt wherein the cross sectional area is sized to permit the flow of said diverted melt polymer therethrough absence additional independent means acting on said diverted melt polymer for increasing flow through said orifice; temperature sensing means for measuring the temperature of the diverted melt stream and producing a resultant temperature signal; pressure sensing means for measuring the pressure of the diverted melt stream and producing a resultant pressure signal, said pressure signal being directly dependent on the pressure of polymer in said main polymer melt and the predetermined size of said orifice; means weighing at least a portion of said diverted melt stream discharged through said orifice, said weighing means including weight sensing means for measuring the weight of diverted melt stream and producing a resultant weight signal; and computer means responsive to the temperature, pressure and weight signals for determining process characteristics of the main polymer melt.

On-line rheometer device

Branched polycarbonates are prepared by the reaction of a linear or branched polycarbonate with a branching resin having a molecular weight up to about 3,000, typically a novolak or a bisphenol polymer. The reaction preferably takes place in the presence of a carbonate equilibration catalyst such as a quaternary bisphenolate.

Polyphenols as polycarbonate branching agents

A composition comprising a phosphorus containing acid and an ester of a phosphorus containing acid useful for imparting improved physical and chemical properties to polymers containing polyesters, copolyester carbonates, polycarbonates, and mixtures thereof, a method of treating said polymers with said composition, and articles of manufacture comprising said polymers and said composition.

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Evansville, IN, United States of America

Ye-Gang Lin