阅读说明：本技术 热塑性塑料 (Thermoplastic plastic ) 是由 英格丽德·欣特施泰纳 萨布里纳·魏格尔 托马斯·罗伊特内尔 格哈德·布欣格尔 卡斯滕·赫茨霍 于 2019-01-18 设计创作，主要内容包括：本发明涉及一种熔点为35℃或更高的热塑性不饱和半结晶聚酯(A),所述聚酯(A)包含式1的烯丙基官能团,其中X选自O、N、S和/或P,n的值为1至4,优选为1或2,p的值为0或1,R为取代或未取代的芳族、脂族或脂环族碳链,所述碳链的碳原子数为0至10,优选为2至6,并且m为至少1,优选为1至3,所述聚酯(A)在130℃下的熔化粘度低于5Pas,优选低于3Pas,更优选低于1.5Pas,所述聚酯(A)包含选自包括饱和和不饱和、直链脂族、脂环族和芳族醇、多元醇、羧酸、二元和多元羧酸、酸酐和它们的衍生物的组的支持结晶性的化合物以及具有多于一个所列官能团的化合物,其中脂环族和芳族化合物的官能团彼此相对,例如在对位1,4-位的六元环的情况下,并且在所有情况下,支持结晶性的化合物除上述醇、酸酐或羧基或它们的衍生物外,不包含其他取代基,并且其中基于从合成中获得的聚酯的质量,支持结晶性的化合物的质量分数大于70％,优选地大于80％,更优选地大于90％,并且最优选地大于100％。本发明还涉及这种聚酯(A)的生产方法以及包含至少一种这种聚酯(A)的粉末涂层组合物。<Image he="173" wi="700" file="DDA0002591398600000011.GIF" imgContent="drawing" imgFormat="GIF" orientation="portrait" inline="no"></Image>(The invention relates to a thermoplastic unsaturated semi-crystalline polyester (A) having a melting point of 35 ℃ or higher, said polyester (A) comprising allyl functional groups of formula 1, wherein X is selected from O, N, S and/or P, n has a value of from 1 to 4, preferably 1 or 2, P has a value of 0 or 1, R is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic carbon chain having a number of carbon atoms of from 0 to 10, preferably from 2 to 6, and m is at least 1, preferably from 1 to 3, said polyester (A) having a melt viscosity at 130 ℃ of less than 5Pas, preferably less than 3Pas, more preferably less than 1.5Pas, said polyester (A) comprising crystallinity-supporting compounds selected from the group comprising saturated and unsaturated, linear aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and aromatic alcohols, polyols, carboxylic acids, di-and polycarboxylic acids, anhydrides and derivatives thereof and compounds having more than one of the listed functional groups, wherein the functional groups of the cycloaliphatic and aromatic compounds are opposite to each other, for example in the case of a six-membered ring in the para-1, 4-position, and in all cases the compound supporting crystallinity contains no further substituents in addition to the above-mentioned alcohol, anhydride or carboxyl groups or their derivatives, and wherein the mass fraction of the compound supporting crystallinity, based on the mass of the polyester obtained from the synthesis, is greater than 70%, preferably greater than 80%, more preferably greater than 90%, and most preferably greater than 100%. The invention also relates to a process for the production of such a polyester (A) and to a powder coating composition comprising at least one such polyester (A).)

1. A thermoplastic unsaturated semi-crystalline polyester (a) having a melting point of 35 ℃ or higher, said polyester (a) comprising allyl functional groups of formula 1:

wherein X is selected from O, N, S and/or P, n has a value of 1 to 4, preferably 1 or 2, P has a value of 0 or 1, R is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic carbon chain having a number of carbon atoms of 0 to 10, preferably 2 to 6, and m is at least 1, preferably 1 to 3, the polyester (A) has a melt viscosity at 130 ℃ of less than 5Pas, preferably less than 3Pas, more preferably less than 1.5Pas, and comprises crystallinity-supporting compounds selected from the group comprising saturated and unsaturated, linear aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and aromatic alcohols, polyols, carboxylic acids, di-and polycarboxylic acids, anhydrides and derivatives thereof, and compounds having more than one of the listed functional groups, wherein the functional groups of the cycloaliphatic and aromatic compounds are opposite to each other, for example in the case of a six-membered ring in the para-1, 4-position, and in all cases the compound supporting crystallinity does not contain other substituents than the above-mentioned alcohol, anhydride or carboxyl group or their derivatives, and wherein the mass fraction of the compound supporting crystallinity is more than 70%, preferably more than 80%, more preferably more than 90%, and most preferably more than 100% based on the mass of the polyester obtained from the synthesis.

2. The polyester (A) according to claim 1, wherein the allyl group of the allyl functional group of formula 1 is based on the structure- (X)_n-R-(O-CH₂-CH＝CH₂)_mIs linked to the carbon chain R via an oxygen atom, preferably n is 1 or 2, R has a chain length of 2 to 6 carbon atoms and m is 1 to 3.

3. The polyester (A) according to claim 1 or 2, wherein said polyester comprises at least 50% by weight, preferably at least 65% by weight, more preferably at least 80% by weight, and even more preferably at least 90% by weight of aliphatic compound supporting crystallinity, relative to the total weight of monomer supporting crystallinity.

4. The polyester (A) according to any of the preceding claims having a melting temperature peak, measured by differential scanning calorimetry, between 70 ℃ and 130 ℃, more preferably between 80 ℃ and 120 ℃, most preferably a melting temperature peak, determined by DSC, between 90 ℃ and 110 ℃.

5. Polyester (A) according to any of the preceding claims, having a melting enthalpy, measured by DSC, higher than 30J/g, preferably higher than 40J/g.

6. Polyester (A) according to any of the preceding claims, having a mass average molecular weight Mw of between 2000 and 25000g/mol, preferably between 4000 and 20000 g/mol.

7. The process for the production of polyesters (A) according to any of the preceding claims, wherein appropriately substituted allyl functional compounds are incorporated into the polyester backbone, for example by alcohol, ester, anhydride or acid substituents, giving the structure according to formula 1.

8. Use of a polyester according to any of claims 1 to 6 in a binder system of a powder coating composition.

9. Powder coating composition comprising at least one thermoplastic semi-crystalline polyester (a) according to any one of claims 1 to 6 and at least one thermoplastic amorphous polymer (B) comprising alkenyl unsaturated groups, wherein polymer (B) has a Tg between 30 ℃ and 75 ℃, and wherein the composition components soluble in organic solvents have a weight average molecular weight between 2,000g/mol and 20,000g/mol, and wherein polyester (a) and polymer (B) are copolymerizable with each other.

10. The powder coating composition according to claim 9, wherein the weight per unsaturated group (WPU) of polymer (B) is from 140 to 2000g/mol, more preferably from 200 to 1200g/mol, most preferably from 300 to 800 g/mol.

11. Powder coating composition according to claim 9 or 10, wherein the WPU (weight per unit unsaturated group) of the polyester (a) is between 250 and 2000g/mol, preferably between 400 and 1500g/mol, most preferably between 400 and 800 g/mol.

12. The powder coating composition according to any one of claims 9 to 11, further comprising a thermal initiator and/or a photoinitiator.

13. The powder coating composition according to any one of claims 9 to 11, wherein polymers (a) and (B) are copolymerizable with each other when irradiated by an electron beam.

14. The powder coating composition according to any one of claims 9 to 13, wherein the amount of amorphous polymer (B) is 20 to 90 wt. -%, preferably 40 to 75 wt. -%, of the sum of (a) and (B).

15. The powder coating composition according to any one of claims 9 to 14, wherein the at least one thermoplastic amorphous polymer (B) does not comprise allyl functional groups.

Technical Field

The present invention relates to a thermoplastic unsaturated semi-crystalline polyester (a) containing allyl functional groups having a melting point of 35 ℃ or more, a process for the production of such polyester (a), the use of such polyester (a) in a binder system of a powder coating composition, and a powder coating composition comprising at least one thermoplastic polyester (a) and at least one thermoplastic amorphous polymer (B) containing alkenyl unsaturated groups, wherein the polyester (a) and the polymer (B) are capable of copolymerizing with each other.

Background

Powder coatings are a very environmentally friendly coating material compared to solvent based coatings. In particular, the almost complete material availability, the absence of VOC constituents and its simple application lead to an increase in the market share of powder coatings. However, coating heat sensitive substrates with powder coatings presents technical challenges due to the relatively high baking temperatures, typically between 150 and 200 ℃.

Heretofore, accelerated epoxy/polyester powder coatings (mixed powder coatings) have been commonly used to coat heat sensitive substrates and are characterized by low bake temperatures and significantly improved uv resistance compared to epoxy powder coatings. However, the lowest curing temperature that can be achieved with this system is about 130 ℃ since a lower curing temperature will result in insufficient storage stability due to a high concentration of curing catalyst. In addition to the above-mentioned hybrid formulations, free-radical curing systems are currently and historically used. For these systems, only small amounts of crystalline or partially crystalline resins are recommended in the prior art, in particular because such resins prove difficult to homogeneously mix with amorphous resins due to a significant change in melt viscosity. In addition, since the use of crystalline resins results in a drastic reduction in viscosity and subsequent non-tackiness, if too high a concentration of crystalline resins is used, the edge coverage may become insufficient.

There are some documents which propose the use of (partially oligomeric) vinyl or allyl ether urethanes in combination with unsaturated polyesters for coating temperature-sensitive substrates with free-radically curing powder coatings, for example EP 2342286B 1, WO 2010/052290 a1, EP 2342287 a1, WO 2014/173861 and WO 1993/019132. Although the group of vinyl ether urethanes in particular can undergo very rapid polymerization reactions with unsaturated polyesters, which makes it very suitable for low-temperature applications in the field of powder coatings, the highly restricted commercial availability of this group constitutes a great disadvantage. Therefore, further development of potential powder coating technology is limited.

The prior art of systems has limited literature, including the more widely commercially available and more strongly prepolymerized allyl prepolymers. They are disadvantageous in the relatively high curing temperatures described in the literature. Such temperatures are required because of their intrinsically higher molar mass and the higher viscosity associated therewith.

EP 0309088B 1 describes a powder composition for in-mold processing comprising at least one unsaturated polyester and at least one copolymerizable second resin, and an initiator in an amount sufficient to crosslink the mixture, which initiator in turn consists of a mixture of fast and slow initiators. EP 1043138 a1 relates to thermosetting resins for use as a surface coating for glass fibre reinforced moulded articles in moulds, wherein the resin is in powder form. The systems described in these two publications are intended to utilize the powder in-mold coating (PIMC) process. The powder is preferably applied to the surface of the mould when the mould surface is sufficiently hot to cause the powder particles to melt and partially solidify the film thus produced. After that, the mold coated like this is filled with a liquid, and the filling resin with or without glass fiber reinforcement is heat cured. The combined curing of the coating and the filling resin is carried out under applied pressure (in a press). Although lower curing temperatures can thus be achieved compared to conventional powder coating systems, they are still in a temperature range with a lower curing temperature of about 150 ℃, which is clearly too high for heat-sensitive substrates. In addition, flow and leveling, i.e., melt viscosity, does not play a role in PIMC, resulting in higher coating thickness. Furthermore, for the curing process, pressure is applied, which is not the case in powder coatings, or even undesirable. It is known from the prior art that atmospheric oxygen can inhibit the curing process at the surface of free-radically cured coatings, which leads to soft surfaces. This is irrelevant in PIMC, since curing under pressure in a press (closed system), whereas in powder coating this aspect produces particular effects. Finally, the aesthetic properties of the obtained coating are not relevant in PIMC.

US 3331891 describes compositions in powder form comprising an allyl prepolymer and an unsaturated polyester, which are heat cured. Thus, the number average molar mass of the allyl prepolymer is at most 25,000g/mol and will comprise 5 to 50 parts of an unsaturated polyester having a melting point of 35 to 120 ° and at most 10 parts of diallyl phthalate monomer per 100 parts of allyl prepolymer. In addition, the composition includes a polymerization catalyst. Despite the use of such polymerization catalysts, the compositions still require a curing temperature of 150 ℃ and 160 ℃ to achieve sufficient crosslinking of the system. The compositions disclosed in this document do not enable the coating of temperature-sensitive substrates, and the high baking temperatures of the coatings described in the examples are due in particular to the high proportion of diallyl phthalate prepolymer, at least two thirds based on binder, and the resulting high viscosity in the system. In addition, the polyester used is not a semi-crystalline resin focused to reduce viscosity, and therefore, viscosity reduction cannot be achieved even if this component is added.

EP 0844286 a1 relates to a powder coating composition having a dual cure mechanism comprising a resin having reactive unsaturated groups (e.g. unsaturated polyester, unsaturated polyacrylate, unsaturated polymethacrylate or mixtures thereof), a copolymerizable second resin having one of a vinyl ester group, an acrylate group, a methacrylate group, an allyl ester group or mixtures thereof, and a photoinitiator and a thermal initiator. EP 0980901 a2 and EP 1538186 a1 both describe free radical curing systems with UV initiation. Both systems may not be suitable for three-dimensional substrate geometries; in this case, a thermally initiated system is preferred.

EP 0957141B 1 describes 2K systems which contain an unsaturated polyester and a radical initiator in a first component and a polymerization accelerator in a second component. However, in another document (WO 2015/158587), the properties of the systems based on allyl prepolymers described in EP 0957141B 1 are described as being insufficient with respect to storage stability, extrudability and expansion capacity, based on 2K systems with vinyl ether urethane crosslinkers for curing.

CN 102884132 a and EP 2566923 a1 describe heat curable powder coating compositions comprising at least one crystalline polyester resin and at least one amorphous polyester resin, at least one curing agent and at least one thermal radical initiator, wherein at least one crystalline polyester resin and/or at least one amorphous polyester resin has diacid vinyl unsaturated groups, at least one curing agent is crystalline or amorphous, and at least one curing agent has reactive unsaturated groups which can crosslink with the ethylene double bonds of the diacid vinyl unsaturated groups of the at least one crystalline polyester resin and/or the at least one amorphous polyester resin. Thus, since the curing agent is molecular or oligomeric (low molar mass), it can migrate to the surface during film formation or storage and subsequently also during its use. Within the scope of some experiments, this effect of "blooming" of low molecular compounds can be shown for powder coating compositions and, in addition, constitutes a problem known in the art.

WO 2018/015530 a1 discloses thermoplastic unsaturated amorphous polyesters containing allyl functionality and a method of forming polyesters in which trimethylolpropane monoallyl ether and pentaerythritol allyl ether are incorporated into the polyester backbone.

WO 93/19132A 2 discloses allyl ether esters prepared from 1.2mol of trimellitic anhydride and 2.5mol of trimethylolpropane diallyl ether, having a viscosity of 166dPas at 23 ℃ and an acid number of 75.5mg KOH/g resin, and the use of the polyesters in binder systems for powder coating compositions with unsaturated polyesters.

WO 97123539 a1 discloses allyl-functionalized polyesters prepared from the propionate intermediate of trimethylolpropane diallyl ether, succinic anhydride and 2, 2-dimethylolpropionic acid, wherein the polymer has an acid number of 125.7 and a viscosity of 118mPas at 23 ℃.

In summary, coating compositions for heat-sensitive substrates should on the one hand have a very low viscosity at low curing temperatures, so that good flow properties can be achieved, which means a smooth surface appearance and leveling. On the other hand, the storage stability of such coating compositions must not be impaired. Furthermore, the curing reaction must already proceed very quickly at low temperatures, which means that conventional curing mechanisms, such as polyaddition and polycondensation, cannot be used, since they would require too much catalyst, which in turn would lead to chemical pre-reactions during storage. It has proven to be very difficult to compromise aspects of low viscosity, high reactivity and storage stability, which are generally observed for highly reactive binders used in powder coating compositions, since the binders generally exhibit a very low glass transition temperature and therefore undergo chemical pre-reaction or caking under storage conditions. In addition, the compositions of the prior art have encountered difficulties in processing (adhesion to cooling rolls, cooling belts, grinding mills).

Allyl polyesters are known from uv curing to have excellent coating properties; however, so far, only amorphous polyesters containing allyl functionality have been described.

Disclosure of Invention

It is an object of the present invention to overcome the disadvantages of the prior art with respect to powder coating formulations with respect to excessively high baking temperatures for heat-sensitive substrates, problems associated with insufficient UV-curing or dual-curing, and insufficient storage stability, poor resistance to cold fluids or insufficient flexibility. Flexibility within the meaning of the present invention is indicated by long-term crack resistance or is also known as the expansion capacity assessed using the Ledro test based on the IKEA test standard IOS-TM-0022.

According to the invention, this object is solved by a thermoplastic unsaturated semi-crystalline polyester (A) having a melting point of 35 ℃ or higher, comprising allyl functional groups in the main chain of the polyester according to formula 1.

Wherein X is selected from O, N, S and/or P, n has a value of 1 to 4, preferably 1 or 2, P has a value of 0 or 1, R is a substituted or unsubstituted aromatic, aliphatic or cycloaliphatic carbon chain having a number of carbon atoms of 0 to 10, preferably 2 to 6 and m is at least 1, preferably 1 to 3, the polyester (A) has a melt viscosity at 130 ℃ of less than 5Pas, preferably less than 3Pas, more preferably less than 1.5Pas, and comprises crystallinity-supporting compounds selected from the group comprising saturated and unsaturated, linear aliphatic, cycloaliphatic and aromatic alcohols, polyols, carboxylic acids, di-and polycarboxylic acids, anhydrides and derivatives thereof and compounds having more than one of the functional groups listed, wherein the functional groups of the cycloaliphatic and aromatic compounds are opposite to each other, for example in the case of a six-membered ring in the para 1, 4-position, and in all cases the compound supporting crystallinity does not contain other substituents than the above-mentioned alcohol, anhydride or carboxyl group or their derivatives, and wherein the mass fraction of the compound supporting crystallinity is more than 70%, preferably more than 80%, more preferably more than 90%, and most preferably more than 100% based on the mass of the polyester obtained from the synthesis. Values of over 100% can be obtained because during the synthesis water and/or other reaction by-products evaporate and therefore the amount of polyester obtained from the synthesis is less than the amount of educt used. With respect to formula 1 above, it is understood that the carbon chain R shown bears, on the one hand, a plurality of mllyl groups, optionally linked by-X-, and, on the other hand, a maximum of n groups-X-linked into one or more polyester chains of the main chain. The respective definitions of R, X, n, m and p are given above.

It has surprisingly been found that, for the purposes of the present invention, it is possible to provide solid, semi-crystalline, allyl-functional polyesters (a) which have not been reported so far, since only amorphous allyl polyesters or liquid polyesters containing allyl functions exhibiting a crystalline structure have been described. For the preparation of the semi-crystalline polyester (a), it is even possible to use allyl compounds which do not promote the crystalline structure, which gives freedom to choose allyl compounds, which mainly leads to such a limitation: the allyl compound may be contained in the polyester backbone, for example, by alcohol, ester, anhydride, or acid groups. It has surprisingly been found that polyester compositions comprising a lower amount of crystallinity-supporting aromatic compounds generally lead to excellent coating properties.

According to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the allyl group of the allyl function of formula 1 is based on the structure- (X)_n-R-(O-CH₂-CH＝CH₂)_mIs linked to the carbon chain R via an oxygen atom, preferably n is 1 or 2, R has a chain length of 2 to 6 carbon atoms and m is 1 to 3.

In another preferred embodiment, the polyester comprises at least 50 wt.%, preferably at least 65 wt.%, more preferably at least 80 wt.%, and even more preferably at least 90 wt.% of the crystallinity-supporting aliphatic compound relative to the total weight of the crystallinity-supporting monomers.

According to another preferred embodiment, the compound supporting crystallinity is selected from terephthalic acid, hexahydroterephthalic acid, 1, 12-dodecanedioic acid, adipic acid, succinic acid, diethylene glycol, ethylene glycol, 1, 3-propanediol, 1, 4-butanediol, 1, 4-cyclohexanedimethanol, 1, 6-hexanediol, fumaric acid and mixtures and/or derivatives thereof.

According to a particularly preferred embodiment, the compound having crystallinity is selected from the group consisting of succinic acid 1, 4-butanediol, 1, 6-hexanediol and mixtures and/or derivatives thereof.

Preferably, the polyester (A) according to the invention has a melting temperature peak, measured by differential scanning calorimetry, of between 70 ℃ and 130 ℃, more preferably between 80 ℃ and 120 ℃, and most preferably a melting temperature peak, measured by DSC, of between 90 ℃ and 110 ℃.

According to another embodiment, the melt viscosity of the polyester (a) at 130 ℃ is between 0.1Pas and 5Pas, in particular between 0.1Pas and 3Pas, further in particular between 0.1Pas and 2Pas, further in particular between 0.1Pas and 1.5Pas, even further in particular between 0.1Pas and 1.1 Pas.

According to another preferred embodiment, the polyester (A) according to the invention has a melting enthalpy, measured by DSC, higher than 30J/g, preferably higher than 40J/g. A melting enthalpy of the polyester (A) of more than 30J/g, preferably more than 40J/g, leads to improved flow and leveling of the coating. Without being bound by theory, the inventors believe that the heat distribution in the softened coating is improved by a melting enthalpy of the polyester (A) of more than 30J/g, preferably more than 40J/g. This effect is considered to be caused by latent heat consumed in the melting process of the polyester (a). Thus, the endothermic first-order phase transition (melting) of the semi-crystalline polyester (a) at its melting temperature consumes a certain amount of thermal energy that is transferred into the coating during curing. In other words, when this thermal energy is consumed by the endothermic first-order phase transition, the temperature of the coating layer is kept near the melting temperature of the polyester (a) at the melting temperature of the polyester (a). Finally, this results in a uniform heat distribution from the top to the bottom of the coating, resulting in excellent leveling and flow of the coating during curing. In addition, the viscosity of the semi-crystalline polyester (A) decreases drastically during the first-order phase transition, which further contributes to the levelling properties. The inventors believe that this combination of an improved heat distribution due to the latent heat consumed by the polyester (A) with a melting enthalpy of more than 30J/g, preferably more than 40J/g, with a drastic reduction in viscosity at the melting temperature of the polyester (A), leads to excellent levelling properties. It is also particularly preferred if the melting point of the polyester (A) is equal to or below the latent curing temperature of the coating, since this further improves the levelling properties.

The inherent levelling ability of the coatings comprising polyester (a) is of particular importance for low temperature curing applications, such as coatings of fibreboard (MDF), polymers and other temperature sensitive substrates. For coating applications on temperature sensitive substrates, it is desirable that the curing temperature is below 150 ℃, preferably below 140 ℃, for example between 100 ℃ and 140 ℃ in a short time of below 30 minutes, preferably below 20 minutes, more preferably below 10 minutes, even more preferably below 5 minutes.

Another benefit of this excellent inherent leveling property is that the amount of flow/leveling agents (such as acrylic flow agents) added to the coating composition can be reduced, thereby improving the chemical stability and cost efficiency of the coating. The influence of the flow and leveling properties on the melting enthalpy of the semi-crystalline polyester (a) can be seen from table 3, since the semi-crystalline polyesters with the highest melting enthalpy (PE5, PE7, PE8) lead to cured coatings (PC2, PC7, PC8, PC9) with a particularly smooth surface appearance.

It is also advantageous if the mass-average molecular weight Mw of the polyesters (A) according to the invention is between 2000g/mol and 25000g/mol, preferably between 4000g/mol and 20000 g/mol.

According to another embodiment, the polyester (A) has a mass average molecular weight Mw of from 5000 to 20000g/mol, preferably from 6000 to 18000g/mol, even more preferably from 7000 to 17000 g/mol.

According to another aspect, the present invention relates to a process for the production of polyester (a), wherein a suitably substituted allyl functional compound is incorporated into the polyester backbone, for example by alcohol, ester, anhydride or acid substituents, resulting in a structure according to formula 1.

Suitable monomers for introducing allyl functionality into the polyester backbone according to formula 1 may be allyl alcohol, 2-allyloxyethanol, trimethylolpropane monoallyl ether, pentaerythritol allyl ether, 3-allyloxyethanol-1, 2-propanediol and mixtures thereof. However, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art of polymer synthesis that other suitable monomers may be found.

According to a preferred embodiment, 2-allyloxyethanol and/or trimethylolpropane monoallyl ether and/or pentaerythritol allyl ether is used to introduce allyl functionality in the polyester backbone according to formula 1.

According to an embodiment, the monomer introducing allyl functionality in the polyester backbone according to formula 1 is free of epoxy groups. It was surprisingly found that allyl functional monomers comprising epoxy groups reduce the crystallinity of the resulting polyester (a).

Preferably, the polyester (a) according to the invention is used in a binder system of a powder coating composition, even more preferably in a powder coating composition comprising at least one such thermoplastic semi-crystalline polyester (a) and at least one thermoplastic amorphous polymer (B) comprising alkenyl unsaturated groups, wherein the polymer (B) has a Tg between 30 ℃ and 75 ℃, and wherein the organic solvent soluble composition component has a weight average molecular weight between 2,000g/mol and 20,000g/mol, and wherein the polyester (a) and the polymer (B) are capable of copolymerizing with each other. According to the invention, such polyesters (A) enable powder coating systems to be cured at very low baking temperatures. In particular, temperature-sensitive substrates, such as wood-or plastic-based materials, can be coated with the powder coating formulations of the invention comprising polyesters (A) at low baking temperatures and short baking times. Surprisingly, it has been found that such powder coating formulations result in an optimum reactivity in order to be able to coat heat-sensitive substrates and to achieve a sufficient flow/leveling of the coating and the stability necessary for processing and storage of the powder coating. This is achieved by curing two binder components with very different properties which are copolymerizable with one another. By using a viscosity-reducing semicrystalline allyl-functional polyester (a) in combination with a second amorphous unsaturated polymer (B), highly reactive coatings with short curing times (already at low curing temperatures), good storage stability, good coating smoothness, good film properties (cold liquid resistance, flexibility of the coating) can be obtained. Since polymers (B) of high Tg polymers (Tg up to 75 ℃) can also be used, these polymers generally lead to poor surface appearance and processing problems. Especially in the case of thermally induced curing, it has surprisingly been found that the use of these compounds (B) together with the polyesters (a) according to the invention can still allow high reactivity of the coating, a smooth surface appearance and good substrate levelling. The high Tg of polymer (B) and the preferred lower limit of the peak maximum of the melting temperature of polyester (A) at 70 ℃ ensure good storage stability. The use of the polyesters (A) of the invention ensures a reduction in viscosity due to the semi-crystalline structure of the polyesters (A), thus allowing the handling of highly reactive coatings, even in the presence of thermal initiators, and ensures good flowability and levelling and high reactivity.

Furthermore, it is preferred that the weight per unsaturated group (WPU) of the polymer (B) is 140 to 2000g/mol, more preferably 200 to 1200g/mol, most preferably 300 to 800 g/mol.

It is also preferred that the WPU (weight per unit unsaturated group) of the polyester (A) is between 250g/mol and 2000g/mol, preferably between 400g/mol and 1500g/mol, most preferably between 400g/mol and 800 g/mol.

Limiting the WPU (weight per unit unsaturated group) of the resins (a) and (B) to the preferred range described above results in an optimum crosslinking density of the powder coating, wherein stability and flexibility can be ensured, resulting in excellent resistance to cold fluids, while the powder coating has good flexibility. Furthermore, it was found that a higher double bond equivalent causes insufficient chemical resistance of the powder coating to solvents and reduces the reactivity of the formulation. Too high double bond equivalents lead to a reduced crosslinking density of the powder coating and to a reduced mechanical and chemical stability. On the other hand, too low double bond equivalents lead to very high crosslinking densities and thus to unsatisfactory coating flexibility. In addition, side reactions may increasingly occur, in particular in the synthesis of polyesters having a very low double bond equivalent. Without being bound by theory, it is hypothesized that in these cases more and more alcohol is added to the unsaturated groups of the polyester, referred to as "Ordelt saturated".

Another preferred embodiment of the powder coating formulations according to the invention comprises thermally and/or UV-initiated systems in which, in the case of thermal initiation, the half-life of at least one thermal initiator is one minute (hereinafter referred to as T)_1/2) The temperature of (a) is from 80 ℃ to 200 ℃, preferably from 80 ℃ to 170 ℃, more preferably from 80 ℃ to 150 ℃, even more preferably from 90 ℃ to 140 ℃, particularly preferably from 100 ℃ to 130 ℃.

According to another embodiment, the melting temperature (in the case of a thermal initiator system) of the semi-crystalline polyester (a) is at or below a temperature at which the half-life of at least one thermal initiator (preferably all thermal initiators) is one minute.

According to one embodiment, the semi-crystalline polyester (a) has a melting temperature of between 70 ℃ and 130 ℃, preferably between 80 ℃ and 110 ℃, and in the case of a thermal initiator system, a temperature at which the half-life of at least one thermal initiator is one minute is between 90 ℃ and 170 ℃, preferably between 100 ℃ and 160 ℃, more preferably between 110 and 150 ℃, even more preferably between 110 and 140 ℃.

In a further preferred embodiment, the thermally initiated system additionally comprises an accelerator to reduce T_1/2And/or inhibitors to prevent premature decomposition of the initiator and premature crosslinking of the binder. This means that by careful selection of the components of the thermal initiation system, in particular with reference to the half-life temperature of the initiator and optionally the addition of inhibitors andand/or an accelerator to prevent premature or too late decomposition of the initiator, enabling thermal curing of the coating on the heat sensitive substrate. Examples of suitable thermal initiators are azo initiators or peroxides such as benzoyl peroxide, azobis (alkyl nitrile) peroxy compounds, peroxyketals such as 1, 1-bis (t-butylperoxy) -3,3, 5-trimethylcyclohexane, peroxyesters, dialkyl peroxides, hydroperoxides, ketone peroxides, and the like.

In a particularly preferred embodiment, the powder coating formulation of the invention is characterized in that the thermal initiator comprises a peroxide, preferably a dialkyl peroxide, diacyl peroxide or perester. Basically, other thermal initiators are also possible. Of crucial importance for the selection of the thermal initiator, the T of the thermal initiator_1/2The temperature range (which may optionally be adjusted by addition of accelerators or inhibitors) is similar to the temperature at which the binder can be crosslinked.

Except for the aforementioned T_1/2In addition, the amount of peroxide used is also relevant.A too low peroxide dose may lead to insufficient crosslinking of the binder component, which in turn leads to poor swelling capacity and insufficient resistance to cold liquids.A too high peroxide concentration may on the other hand lead to pre-reactions during processing, storage problems and unpleasant degradation products which may lead to blooming.the desired concentration of peroxide depends on the chemical structure of the peroxide and the presence of fillers or phlegmatizers.if used, the amount of thermal initiator present is typically between about 0.1% and about 10%, preferably between about 1% and 5%, furthermore, if the powder coating composition according to the invention comprises a photoinitiator, preferably a UV initiator, in addition to or instead of the above thermal initiator) Phosphine oxides, aryl ketones such as 1-hydroxycyclohexyl phenyl ketone, michael's ketone, diaryl iodonium salts, copper synergists and the like. Typically, the photoinitiator is present in an amount of between about 0.1% and 10%, preferably between 1% and 5%.

As mentioned above, alternatively or additionally, thermal initiators (such as organic peroxides and azo compounds) as well as photoinitiators may also be used. It has been found that the presence of a thermal initiator in combination with a photoinitiator aids in curing near the substrate, particularly when pigmented, opaque or thicker film coatings are desired.

In another preferred embodiment, the powder coating composition may even not comprise any initiator, especially if electron beam curing is used.

It has also surprisingly been found that it is preferred for the powder coating composition comprising the polyester (a) according to the invention that the amount of amorphous polymer (B) is from 20 to 90 wt%, preferably from 40 to 75 wt% of the sum of (a) and (B). Surprisingly, by using defined amounts of polyester (a) in combination with thermoplastic amorphous polymer (B) containing alkenyl unsaturated groups, satisfactory flow/leveling can be obtained, since above the melting range of the component (a), this leads to a significant reduction in the originally relatively high melt viscosity of the powder coating caused by polymer (B).

According to another preferred embodiment of the present invention, it was found to be advantageous that in the powder coating composition the at least one thermoplastic amorphous polymer (B) comprises no allyl functional groups or at least only a low concentration of allyl functional groups. Surprisingly, the powder coating composition of the invention was found to be excellent if the allyl groups of the polyester (a) do not react with the allyl groups of the thermoplastic amorphous polymer (B) comprising alkenyl unsaturated groups.

The object of the invention will now be explained in more detail with reference to the figures and the following examples, in which the powder coating formulations of the invention are not limited to the specific compositions described.

To further illustrate formula 1, the polyester-containing PE used in the appended examples is schematically illustrated in FIGS. 1(a), (b) and (c)3-PE 8. In said fig. 1, (a) and (b) schematically show PE 3-PE6, and (c) schematically shows PE 7-PE 8. In (a), allyl-CH₂-CH＝CH₂Is linked to R via an oxygen atom (X ═ O, p ═ 1), the group R being a branched aliphatic carbon chain having six carbon atoms, said group R in turn being linked to two different polyester chains via two oxygen atoms (X ═ O, n ═ 2). In (b), allyl-CH₂-CH＝CH₂Is linked to R via an oxygen atom (X ═ O, p ═ 1), the group R being a branched aliphatic carbon chain having six carbon atoms, said group R in turn being linked to one polyester chain by two oxygen atoms (X ═ O, n ═ 2). In (c), allyl-CH₂-CH＝CH₂Is linked to R via an oxygen atom (X ═ O, p ═ 1), the radical R being a linear aliphatic carbon chain having two carbon atoms, said R in turn being linked to the polyester chain via one oxygen atom (X ═ O, n ═ 1).

Definition of

Within the scope of the present invention, at least one thermoplastic unsaturated semi-crystalline polyester (a) is understood to be a polyester according to claim 1, comprising allyl groups which can be subsequently chemically reacted. The production of the polyester may be achieved by suitable processes, such as, for example, polycondensation of a di-or polyfunctional organic acid and/or anhydride with a di-or polyfunctional alcohol, or transesterification of, for example, a methyl ester of a di-or polyfunctional organic acid. The allyl compounds included in the synthesis must have functional groups that allow introduction into the polyester backbone either directly during polyester synthesis or by subsequent modification of the polyester backbone. Functional groups such as alcohol and/or acid functional groups and/or their derivatives that allow introduction into the polyester backbone during synthesis or by subsequent modification of existing polyester backbones known to those skilled in the art.

"substituted" in the present invention means that at least one H atom is substituted with another atom or chemical group commonly referred to as a substituent.

The term "compound" used in the present invention is used as a structural unit having a functional group that allows introduction into a polyester chain, and the compound may be a monomer, an oligomer or a polymer.

The term "polyester backbone" as used herein describes the backbone of a polymer comprising ester functional groups (- [ -CO-O- ] -).

In the present invention, the term "incorporated into the polyester backbone" means that the compounds comprised in the polyester chain may be located at the end or within the polymer chain via any suitable functional group.

The viscosity of the unsaturated semi-crystalline polyester (a) was determined using an Inula Cap 2000+ viscometer at 130 ℃, number 6 spindle, 700rpm and a measurement time of 115 seconds as an eluent by gel permeation chromatography using chloroform at a flow rate of 1ml/min as an eluent column (three columns, 8 mm × 300 mm, PSSSDV, 5 μm,

and

) The calibration of (a) is done by narrow distribution polystyrene standards and detected by a refractive index detector.

The polymer (B) can be produced by radical polymerization, ionic polymerization, polyaddition, polycondensation, ring-opening polymerization or the like. This can be achieved in a manner known to the person skilled in the art by polymerizing monomers comprising alkenyl-containing unsaturated groups and/or by chemically functionalizing the polymer with compounds comprising alkenyl-containing unsaturated groups. In the context of the present invention, the terms crystalline polyester and semi-crystalline polyester are used synonymously, since there is no polymer with 100% crystallinity. The sites of unsaturation in the polymer can be obtained by using suitable monomers, such as unsaturated alcohols or acids or their derivatives. Monomers which favor crystallization are particularly suitable within the scope of the present invention, for example symmetrical compounds or compounds which favor hydrogen bond formation. Within the scope of the present invention, a symmetrical compound is a compound having at least one axis of symmetry. It is preferable to use a compound having a linear structure of a support polymer with a very low tendency to form side chains, such as a linear bifunctional alcohol, acid or their derivatives having functional groups opposite to each other. The polymer may also comprise aromatic or cycloaliphatic monomers. Examples of monomers which can be used for preparing, for example, the polyester (a) are terephthalic acid, isophthalic acid, phthalic acid, hexahydroterephthalic acid, tetrahydroterephthalic acid, benzoic acid, p-tert-butylbenzoic acid, cinnamic acid, crotonic acid, endomethylenetetrahydrophthalic acid, tetrachlorophthalic acid, 2, 6-naphthalenedicarboxylic acid, 3, 6-dichlorophthalic acid, cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid, adipic acid, succinic acid, azelaic acid (═ azelaic acid), capric acid diacid (═ dodecanedioic acid), trimellitic acid, trimellitic anhydride, 4' -oxybis (benzoic acid), fumaric acid, maleic anhydride, itaconic acid, conic acid, mesaconic acid, neopentyl glycol, ethylene glycol, diethylene glycol, dipropylene glycol, 1, 2-propanediol, 1, 3-propanediol, 1, 2-butanediol, 1, 3-butanediol, 1, 4-butanediol, 1, 6-hexanediol, 2, 5-hexanediol, 1, 4-cyclohexanedimethanol, 2-bis [4- (2-hydroxyethoxy) phenyl ] propane, 2, 3-butenediol, glycerol, hexanetriol, trimethylolethane, trimethylolpropane, triethylene glycol, tetraethylene glycol, pentaethylene glycol, hexaethylene glycol, isosorbide and pentaerythritol, but other monomers may also be used.

Within the scope of the present invention, the thermoplastic amorphous polymer (B) of at least one unsaturated group comprising an alkenyl group can be prepared by methods known to the skilled person using suitable unsaturated monomers.

Within the scope of the present invention, the melting point and the enthalpy of fusion of the polymers are determined by DSC measurements based on ISO 11357-3. The measurement was carried out at a heating rate of 20K/min. The melting point and melting enthalpy in the present invention refer to the peak melting temperature and melting enthalpy specified in the standard. To determine the maximum T of the exothermic crosslinking reaction_cureThe same heating rate and the same temperature range are used. T is_cureThe peak melting temperature was determined in the same manner, but instead of the endothermic peak of melting, an exothermic crosslinking peak was used. Since, in particular, the melting enthalpy and the peak melting temperature may be influenced mainly by the pretreatment, processing or in other words the thermal history of the polymer, the first heating run of the DSC is used for the first evaluation of the peak melting temperature. After that time, the user can select the desired position,the polymer must be cooled to a temperature of 20 ℃ below the measured value and held at this temperature for 2 hours. Thereafter, another DSC run can be started, wherein the onset temperature must be at least 50 ℃ lower than the melting temperature evaluated in the first DSC run. Finally, the exact values of the melting enthalpy, melting temperature and maximum temperature of the curing reaction can be evaluated in a second heating run. Table 1 shows these values for the allyl functional polyester. It will be apparent to those skilled in the art that it is necessary to ensure that no significant curing reaction has taken place in the previous heating run of the DSC. Thus, especially for DSC-measured powder coating formulations, it may not be possible to heat the sample to 30 ℃ above the melting temperature of the polymer used (as suggested in ISO 11357-3) in order to eliminate the thermal history of the sample.

Coatings rated according to the PCI smoothness rating have a value of at least sm1, with good flow or a smooth surface appearance.

The weight per unit unsaturated group (WPU) of the polymer can be determined by suitable methods known to those skilled in the art, such as NMR or titration with iodine.

The proportion of the polyester (a) is calculated from the amount of the polyester of the invention based on the total amount of the binder according to the following equation:

here, m (polyester) refers to the mass of the one or more polyesters (A), and m (polymer) refers to the weighed portion of the one or more polymers (B). The proportion of polymer (B) is similarly determined on the basis of the binder:

in case the adhesive comprises not only polyester/polyesters and only polymer/polymers, (m)_PolyesterA+m_{Polymer B}) The sum of (b) is understood to be the sum of all binder components, i.e. the sum of all polymers used.

Acid Value (AV) is similar to

ISO 2114, except that a mixture of 28 parts of acetone and 1 part of pyridine (% w/w) is used as solvent. As a solvent of the partial acid value, a mixture of 2 parts of pyridine and 1 part of methanol was used.

According to

ISO 4629 determines the hydroxyl number (HV).

Detailed Description

The polyester (a) of the invention is produced using monomers according to table 1 below:

polyester (A) having allyl groups in one step (preferred embodiment; referred to as "one-step" in Table 1)

All monomers and reactants were weighed into the reaction flask. The flask was purged with nitrogen. The mixture was heated up to 40 ℃ and MIBK was added using a dropping funnel. The mixture was heated to 210 ℃ to 230 ℃. The reaction water was collected and compared to the theoretical amount calculated from the resin formulation. When the reaction was complete and the resin was clear, vacuum (500+/-50mbar) was applied. After 10 minutes, the pressure had dropped to 300+/-50 mbar. In summary, the total time for applying the vacuum was 5 hours. Finally, the resin was discharged onto an aluminum plate and cooled overnight.

Polyester (A) having allyl groups in the two-step Process (referred to as "two-step Process" in Table 1)

All monomers and reactants were weighed into the reaction flask. The flask was purged with nitrogen. The mixture was heated up to 40 ℃ and MIBK was added using a dropping funnel. The mixture was heated up to 230 ℃. The reaction water was collected and compared to the theoretical amount calculated from the resin formulation. When the reaction is complete and the resin is clear, a vacuum of 500+/-50mbar is applied. After 10 minutes, the vacuum was raised to 300+/-50mbar and after 20 minutes to 200+/-50 mbar. The total vacuum time was 1 hour. The resin was then cooled to 180 ℃ and allyl groups were slowly added to the reaction flask over about 1.5 hours. After this step, the mixture was heated up to 210 ℃ to remove residual water. Thereafter, a vacuum of 500/50mbar was again applied for about two hours. Finally, the resin was discharged onto an aluminum plate and cooled overnight.

Polymer (B)

In the case where polymer (B) is a polyester and is produced internally, all monomers and reactants are weighed in the reaction flask. The flask was purged with nitrogen. The mixture was heated up to 40 ℃ and MIBK was added using a dropping funnel. The mixture was heated up to 225-242 ℃. The reaction water was collected and compared to the theoretical amount calculated from the resin formulation. When the reaction is complete and the resin is clear, a vacuum of 500+/-50mbar is applied. After 3.5 hours, the vacuum was raised to 300+/-50 mbar. The total vacuum time was about 4.5 hours.

In the case of the semi-crystalline allyl-functional polyester (a), the theoretical weight per unit of unsaturation is provided, calculated as the ratio of the total mass of the resultant polyester/polymer synthesized (in grams, unless otherwise specified) to the mass of unsaturated monomer used for production (in moles, unless otherwise specified) or to the sum of the masses of unsaturated monomer used for production. For the DAP resins used in examples 3 and 9, the double bond equivalents of the polymer (provided in the supplier's data sheet) were determined by calculation of the iodine value. The conversion is accomplished according to the following formula:

the quality of the surfaces coated with the powder coating formulations of the present invention was evaluated according to the various criteria listed below.

The surface appearance was evaluated according to the PCI powder coating visual smoothness standard and the PCI powder coating visual texture standard. In the table, surfaces that are rated based on the PCI smoothness rating are labeled with "sm" plus the corresponding standard number of the PCI texture rating and "tx", respectively. According to

EN12720 checks the resistance to cold fluids. The test fluids were coffee andethanol (45% v/v) was run for 1 hour or 6 hours, respectively, and paraffin and deionized water were run for 24 hours each. For flexibility in the sense of the present invention, the so-called Ledro test according to IKEA specification IOS-TM-0022 is used, which evaluates the long-term crack resistance of the coated substrate.

Within the scope of the present invention, an extrusion is judged to be successful if it is carried out in an extruder without any significant pre-reaction. The pre-reaction is identified by premature at least partial polymerization of the powder coating. These pre-reactions occur when the temperature of the extrudate is too close to a temperature at which the half-life of the thermal initiator in the corresponding thermal initiation system is 1 minute. Experience has shown that the extrudate temperature (measured from the extruder outlet) is from about T_1/210 ℃ and in some cases from T_1/2-20 ℃ or T_1/2This is the case starting at-30 ℃.

Furthermore, processability is determined by any sticky residue during processing. This refers to the extrusion process, i.e. adhesion to the cooling unit (e.g. cooling roll) of the extruder. This is reported in the present invention as "adhesion" in the case of adhesion to a cooling roll or cooling belt, or otherwise as "non-adhesion". Here, sticking is understood as a phenomenon that requires additional mechanical impact to detach the formulation from the cooling unit.

A powder coating formulation according to table 3 was electrostatically applied to a medium density fiberboard to achieve a film thickness of about 100 ± 20 μm. Powder coating formulations PC-1-PC9 were heat cured using an IR oven. The substrate temperature and residence time in the oven are listed in table 3. In the case of PC 10, the powder coating was melted in the IR heating zone for about six minutes, thereby bringing the maximum temperature of the substrate to about 140 ℃. Subsequently, curing was started using a mercury lamp so that the substrate temperature at the inlet of the UV region was about 120 ℃. For PC 10, DSC measurements also used an ultraviolet lamp (OMNICURE 2000 series) that was turned on at a temperature of 130 ℃.

PE 1-2

These two examples are comparative examples, showing that the amount of compound supporting the crystal structure is too small. Thus, the resin has an amorphous character, exhibits no detectable or only a very low enthalpy of fusion. In particular, for the resin 2, only the glass transition temperature was detected and the melting temperature was not detected.

PE 3-8

These examples are resins according to the invention. In particular, resins 5-8 represent preferred embodiments, which are prepared based on the preferred preparation process using a large amount of a compound supporting the crystal structure, thereby providing resins with high crystallinity.

PC 1

PC 1 is a comparative example using PE 1, and has very few compounds supporting crystallinity. The extrudate was not processable because it adhered to the chill roll and the chill belt. Extrudates that could be used for milling, coating and curing were not obtained.

PC 2-9

These examples are powder coatings according to the invention. In particular, formulations PC 7-9 present preferred embodiments, comprising a large number of compounds supporting crystallinity in polyester (a). Furthermore, in formulation PC 7-9, polymer (B) contained no allyl functionality. In addition, PC 7-9 was optimized in terms of the weight per unit of unsaturation of polyesters (A) and (B) and the amount of component B, resulting in an optimum crosslink density and therefore excellent cold liquid resistance in the Lehydro test.

TABLE 1 semi-crystalline allyl-functional polyester (A)

¹Mixtures of different monomers showing different numbers of allyl groups (CAS 91648-24-7); supplied by Sigma-Aldrich Handels GmbH (Vienna Austria)

²Measurements were made using different settings (AR2000 Ex viscometer with plate 543334.901)

³Tg rather than melting point, since polymers are notComprising a crystalline fraction

TABLE 2 thermoplastic, amorphous, ethylenic unsaturation (B)

¹Diallyl phthalate-based prepolymer (OSAKA SODA co., ltd., OSAKA, japan)

TABLE 3 powder coating compositions

¹Flowing agent, Allnex holdings. a.l., lusenberg

²Titanium dioxide, Huntsman corporation, salt lake city, usa

³Dibenzoyl peroxide, Co-initiator Ltd, Duisburg, Germany

⁴Degassing agent, Troy corporation, Florham Park, USA

⁵Bis (2,4, 6-trimethylbenzoyl) -phenoxy phosphine oxide, BASF Schweiz AG, Barcel, Switzerland

⁶1- [4- (2-Hydroxyethoxy) -phenyl]2-hydroxy-2-methyl-1-propan-1-one, Bassfungs, Basel, Switzerland

⁷Is not suitable for UV curing, since UV curing is not initiated by temperature but by activation of the UV lamp alone

⁸Visual smoothness/texture standard according to PCI powder coating

⁹Not tested