Novolyte's phosphine derivatives, phosphinic acid derivatives, and glymes can impart benefits to polymer products and processing in number of areas:
Retard Degradation - phosphine derivatives function as antioxidant additives to stabilize polymer processing.
Phosphinic acid derivatives can stabilize polymer melts of polyamides, and can help reduce discoloration from processing thermoplastics such as polypropylene. The antioxidant properties of phosphinic acid additives also have been used to extend the shelf life of photo-crosslinkable polyester and urethane resins.
Flame Retardancy - Phosphonium compounds are used to impart ignition resistance to polyesters, polyamides, and polyethers by two mechanisms: By retarding the rate of fuel production along the combustion front; or by increasing the charring of a polymer that produces a physical barrier resistant to both heat transfer and permeability of gaseous decomposition products required to fuel the combustion process.
Phosphinic acids can be grafted onto various polymers such as unsaturated polyolefins, polyesters, and cellulosic fibers to make them flame resistant. Grafting results in the fire retardant properties becoming an integral part of the material, which are not susceptible to migration or phase separation within a polymer matrix (as additives tend to perform).
Curing Accelerators - Phosphinic acids are useful as curing accelerators for peroxide initiated cross-linking and as initiators in the peroxide initiated emulsion polymerization of diene and acrylate derivatives.
Mold Release - The strong interaction of phosphinic acids with metal surfaces is useful in mold release formulations.
Improved Properties - Glymes improve properties in the following polymer applications:
- Diglyme modifies the Ti-Al catalyzed preparation of a block ethylene-propylene copolymer.
- Glymes are incorporated into the finished product of poly (ethylene terephthalate) and its copolymers.
- Glymes aid in formation of rigid polyurethane foams with improved fluidity during molding and with improved bonding strength.
- Glymes can reduce the viscosity of polyols used in manufacturing polyurethanes without adversely affecting physical properties.
- Glymes are used in polyurethane coatings to form pinhole-free films with good adhesive strength for electrical and electronic parts.
- Glymes are used in the formulation and processing of isocyanates to yield isocyanurate and polyisocyanate prepolymers used in various polyurethane applications.
- Glymes are useful in formulating storage stable vulcanizing agents for urethane rubber.
Catalysts - Glymes are effective catalysts in the following applications:
- Ziegler-Natta catalysts for polymerization of alpha-olefins; also remove unreacted monomer in this type of polymerization.
- Used in mixtures with lithium or its compounds to convert conjugated dienes to polymers, rubbers, copolymers, block polymers, etc.
- Polymerization of monomers, including cyclosiloxanes, conjugated alkadiene, lactams, dicyclopentadiene, vinyl chloride, fluorinated acrylic esters, and I-octene.