U.S. patent application number 15/452996 was filed with the patent office on 2018-09-13 for bottlebrush polymers derived from poly(methylidenelactide).
The applicant listed for this patent is International Business Machines Corporation. Invention is credited to BRANDON M. KOBILKA, JOSEPH KUCZYNSKI, JACOB T. PORTER, JASON T. WERTZ.
Application Number | 20180258222 15/452996 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 63406356 |
Filed Date | 2018-09-13 |
United States Patent
Application |
20180258222 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
KOBILKA; BRANDON M. ; et
al. |
September 13, 2018 |
BOTTLEBRUSH POLYMERS DERIVED FROM POLY(METHYLIDENELACTIDE)
Abstract
A process of forming a bottlebrush polymer includes forming a
poly(methylidenelactide) (PML) material from an L-lactide molecule.
The process also includes forming a lactide feedstock that includes
a blend of a first amount of an L-lactide monomer and a second
amount of the PML material. The process further includes
polymerizing the lactide feedstock to form a bottlebrush
polymer.
Inventors: |
KOBILKA; BRANDON M.;
(TUCSON, AZ) ; KUCZYNSKI; JOSEPH; (NORTH PORT,
FL) ; PORTER; JACOB T.; (HIGHLAND, NY) ;
WERTZ; JASON T.; (PLEASANT VALLEY, NY) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
International Business Machines Corporation |
ARMONK |
NY |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
63406356 |
Appl. No.: |
15/452996 |
Filed: |
March 8, 2017 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
1/1 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C08G 83/002 20130101;
C08G 63/08 20130101; C08G 63/912 20130101 |
International
Class: |
C08G 63/91 20060101
C08G063/91 |
Claims
1. A process of forming a bottlebrush polymer, the process
comprising: forming a poly(methylidenelactide) (PML) material from
an L-lactide molecule, the PML material having a polymeric repeat
unit that includes a lactide group; blending a first amount of an
L-lactide monomer and a second amount of the PML material to form a
lactide feedstock; and polymerizing the lactide feedstock to form a
bottlebrush polymer.
2. The process of claim 1, wherein the bottlebrush polymer is a
poly(lactic acid)-polyethylene (PLA-PE) material, the process
further comprising adjusting a polyethylene portion of the PLA-PE
material by varying the second amount of the PML material.
3. The process of claim 1, wherein polymerizing the lactide
feedstock includes initiating a ring-opening polymerization
reaction.
4. The process of claim 3, wherein the ring-opening polymerization
reaction includes chemically reacting the lactide feedstock with a
tin(II) octanoate material.
5. The process of claim 1, wherein forming the PML material from
the L-lactide molecule includes: forming a methylidene lactide
molecule from the L-lactide molecule; and initiating a radical
polymerization reaction using a radical initiator to form the PML
material from the methylidene lactide molecule.
6. The process of claim 5, wherein the radical initiator is
azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN).
7. A process of forming a bottlebrush polymer, the process
comprising: forming a mixture that includes a
poly(methylidenelactide) (PML) material and a diol, the PML
material having a polymeric repeat unit that includes a lactide
group; performing a ring-opening polymerization reaction on the
mixture to form a PML-based polyester material; and chemically
reacting the PML-based polyester material with a lactone to form a
bottlebrush polymer.
8. The process of claim 7, wherein the ring-opening polymerization
reaction includes a base-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization
reaction of the PML material in the presence of the diol.
9. The process of claim 7, wherein the ring-opening polymerization
reaction includes an acid-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization
reaction of the PML material in the presence of the diol.
10. The process of claim 7, wherein the diol is ethylene
glycol.
11. The process of claim 7, wherein the diol is propylene
glycol.
12. The process of claim 7, wherein the lactone is
.beta.-propiolactone, .gamma.-butyrolactone, .delta.-valerolactone,
.epsilon.-caprolactone, or a combination thereof.
13. The process of claim 7, wherein the lactone is a biorenewable
lactone.
14. The process of claim 7, further comprising: forming a
methylidene lactide molecule from a biorenewable L-lactide
molecule; and initiating a radical polymerization reaction using a
radical initiator to form the PML material from the methylidene
lactide molecule.
15. A process of forming a bottlebrush polymer, the process
comprising: initiating a radical polymerization reaction using a
radical initiator to form a poly(methylidenelactide) (PML) material
from a methylidene lactide molecule, the PML material having a
polymeric repeat unit that includes a lactide group; forming a
mixture that includes the PML material or a PML-based polyester
material derived from the PML material; and polymerizing the
mixture to form a bottlebrush polymer.
16. The process of claim 15, wherein: the radical initiator is
azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN); the mixture includes a blend of an
L-lactide monomer and the PML material; polymerizing the mixture
includes initiating a ring-opening polymerization reaction; and
wherein the bottlebrush polymer is a poly(lactic acid)-polyethylene
(PLA-PE) material.
17. The process of claim 15, further comprising forming the
PML-based polyester material by performing a ring-opening
polymerization reaction on the PML material in the presence of a
diol.
18. The process of claim 17, wherein the diol is ethylene
glycol.
19. The process of claim 17, wherein the mixture includes a lactone
and the PML-based polyester material derived from the PML
material.
20. The process of claim 19, wherein the lactone is biorenewable
.epsilon.-caprolactone.
Description
BACKGROUND
[0001] Plastics are typically derived from a finite and dwindling
supply of petrochemicals, resulting in price fluctuations and
supply chain instability. Replacing non-renewable petroleum-based
polymers with polymers derived from renewable resources may be
desirable. However, there may be limited alternatives to
petroleum-based polymers in certain contexts. To illustrate,
particular plastics performance standards may be specified by a
standards body or by a regulatory agency. In some cases,
alternatives to petroleum-based polymers may be limited as a result
of challenges associated with satisfying particular plastics
performance standards.
SUMMARY
[0002] According to an embodiment, a process of forming a
bottlebrush polymer is disclosed. The process includes forming a
poly(methylidenelactide) (PML) material from an L-lactide molecule.
The process also includes forming a lactide feedstock that includes
a blend of a first amount of an L-lactide monomer and a second
amount of the PML material. The process further includes
polymerizing the lactide feedstock to form a bottlebrush
polymer.
[0003] According to another embodiment, a process of forming a
bottlebrush polymer is disclosed. The process includes forming a
mixture that includes a PML material and a diol. The process also
includes performing a ring-opening polymerization reaction on the
mixture to form a PML-based polyester material. The process further
includes chemically reacting the PML-based polyester material with
a lactone to form a bottlebrush polymer.
[0004] According to another embodiment, a process of forming a
bottlebrush polymer is disclosed. The process includes forming a
methylidene lactide molecule from a biorenewable L-lactide
molecule. The process also includes initiating a radical
polymerization reaction using a radical initiator to form a
poly(methylidenelactide) (PML) material from the methylidene
lactide molecule. The process further includes forming a mixture
that includes the PML material or a PML-based polyester material
derived from the PML material. The process includes polymerizing
the mixture to form a bottlebrush polymer.
[0005] The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of
the invention will be apparent from the following more particular
descriptions of exemplary embodiments of the invention as
illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein like reference
numbers generally represent like parts of exemplary embodiments of
the invention.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0006] FIG. 1A is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating an
example of a multiple-stage process of synthesizing a
poly(methylidenelactide) material (also referred to herein as a
"PML" material) from the biorenewable L-lactide molecule, according
to one embodiment.
[0007] FIG. 1B is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating an
example of a process of utilizing the PML material of FIG. 1A to
form a first example of a bottlebrush polymer, according to one
embodiment.
[0008] FIG. 2A is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating an
example of a process of forming a modified PML-based material from
the PML material of FIG. 1A, according to one embodiment.
[0009] FIG. 2B is a chemical reaction diagram illustrating an
example of a process of utilizing the modified PML-based material
of FIG. 2A to form a second example of a bottlebrush polymer,
according to one embodiment.
[0010] FIG. 3 is a flow diagram depicting a particular embodiment
of a process of utilizing a PML material (formed from the
biorenewable L-lactide molecule) to synthesize a first example of a
bottlebrush polymer.
[0011] FIG. 4 is a flow diagram depicting a particular embodiment
of a process of utilizing a PML material (formed from the
biorenewable L-lactide molecule) to synthesize a second example of
a bottlebrush polymer.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0012] The present disclosure describes bottlebrush polymers
derived from a poly(methylidenelactide) material (also referred to
herein as a "PML material") and processes of forming such
bottlebrush polymers. In the present disclosure, the PML material
is synthesized from the biorenewable L-lactide molecule. In some
cases, the bottlebrush polymers of the present disclosure may be
grown either directly from the lactide rings of the PML material
using ring-opening polymerization with L-lactide. In other cases,
the bottlebrush polymers of the present disclosure may be grown
from a modified PML material using biorenewable lactones. In some
cases, the PML-based bottlebrush polymers of the present disclosure
may be utilized as standalone biorenewable polymeric materials. In
other cases, the PML-based bottlebrush polymers of the present
disclosure may be incorporated into a material to increase the
biorenewable content of the material.
[0013] Referring to FIG. 1A, a chemical reaction diagram 100
illustrates an example of a multiple-stage process of synthesizing
a PML material 102 from the biorenewable L-lactide molecule,
according to an embodiment. In FIG. 1A, starting from the
biorenewable L-lactide molecule, radical
bromination/elimination/radical polymerization reactions may be
used to synthesize the PML material 102. As illustrated and further
described herein with respect to FIGS. 1B, 2A, and 2B, the PML
material 102 of FIG. 1A may be subsequently utilized to form
various examples of bottlebrush polymers.
[0014] The first chemical reaction depicted in FIG. 1A illustrates
that, starting from an L-lactide molecule, radical mono-bromination
at the carbon alpha to the carbonyl results in the addition of a
bromide group to the L-lactide molecule. In a particular
embodiment, the mono-brominated lactide molecule may be formed by
radical bromination of the alpha carbon position of the L-lactide
molecule by N-bromosuccinimide (NB S) using a radical initiator
such as benzoyl peroxide in a solvent such as benzene, among other
alternatives. The second chemical reaction depicted in FIG. 1A
illustrates that elimination with triethylamine (NEt.sub.3) in a
solvent such as dichloromethane (DCM) results in the formation of a
methylidenelactide molecule.
[0015] The third chemical reaction depicted in FIG. 1A illustrates
that a radical polymerization reaction (e.g., including a radical
initiator, such as azobisisobutyronitrile (AIBN), among other
alternatives) may be used to form the PML material 102 from the
methylidene lactide molecule. In FIG. 1A, the integer x is used to
represent a number of repeat units in the PML material 102 that
include a lactide ring bound to a polyethylene (PE) backbone. One
of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that the number of
repeat units in the PML material 102 may be adjusted for tailoring
of a PE portion of a PLA-PE material formed from the PML material
102, as described further herein with respect to FIG. 1B.
[0016] As a prophetic example, methylidenelactide (2.0 g, 14 mmol)
and AIBN (24 mg, 0.15 mmol) may be dissolved in 20 mL
tetrahydrofuran (THF) under a dry argon atmosphere in a pressure
flask with a Teflon screw top and stirred at 60.degree. C. for 30
hours. The solution may be cooled to room temperature and
precipitated into a 20.times. excess volume of chloroform. The
solid product may be filtered, re-dissolved in about 20 ml hot
tetrahydrofuran over the course of several hours, and precipitated
again in a 20.times. excess volume of hexanes. The resulting solid
may be dried in a vacuum oven at 85.degree. C. until complete
removal of volatiles (determined by thermogravimetric
analysis).
[0017] Referring to FIG. 1B, a chemical reaction diagram 110
illustrates an example of a process of utilizing the PML material
102 of FIG. 1A to form an example of a first bottlebrush material
114 (identified as "Bottlebrush Material(1)" in FIG. 1B). The first
bottlebrush material 114 may be formed from a blend 112 (identified
as "Lactide Feedstock Blend" in FIG. 1B) that includes an
unmodified L-lactide monomer and the PML material 102 of FIG. 1A.
In the particular embodiment depicted in FIG. 1B, the first
bottlebrush material 114 corresponds to an example of a bottlebrush
poly(lactic acid)-polyethylene (PLA-PE) material. In a particular
embodiment, the first bottlebrush material 114 may be synthesized
by performing a ring-opening polymerization that includes the use
of Lewis acid conditions, such as heating as a melt with a metal
catalyst, such as tin(II) octanoate (identified as "SnOct.sub.2" in
FIG. 1B).
[0018] In a particular embodiment, the blend 112 may include a
first amount of the "conventional" L-lactide monomer and a second
amount of the PML material 102 of FIG. 1A. In FIG. 1B, the integers
m and n are used to identify the PLA portions of the PLA-PE
material that results from ring-opening of the lactide rings in
each of the monomers of the blend 112, and the integer x is used to
identify a PE portion of the PLA-PE material. For example, the
integer m may correspond to a first PLA portion of the PLA-PE
material that results from ring-opening of the lactide ring of the
L-lactide monomer. The integer n may correspond to a second PLA
portion of the PLA-PE material that results from ring-opening of
the lactide rings of the PML material 102. As the PML material 102
includes a single lactide ring per repeat unit, the integer x may
be proportional to the integer n. One of ordinary skill in the art
will appreciate that the relative amounts of "conventional"
L-lactide monomer and PML material 102 in the blend 112 may be
adjusted in order to tailor the material properties of the first
bottlebrush material 114.
[0019] Thus, FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate an example in which a PML
material is synthesized from the biorenewable L-lactide molecule,
and a bottlebrush polymer (e.g., a bottlebrush PLA-PE material) is
grown directly from the lactide rings of the PML material using
ring-opening polymerization with L-lactide. In some cases, the
bottlebrush PLA-PE material depicted in FIG. 1B may be utilized as
a standalone biorenewable polymeric material. In other cases, the
bottlebrush PLA-PE material depicted in FIG. 1B may be incorporated
into a material to increase the biorenewable content of the
material.
[0020] Referring to FIG. 2A, a chemical reaction diagram 200
illustrates an example of a process of modifying the PML material
102 of FIG. 1A to form a PML-based polyester material 202,
according to one embodiment. As illustrated and further described
herein with respect to FIG. 2B, the PML-based polyester material
202 of FIG. 2A may be subsequently utilized to form a bottlebrush
polymer that is different from the bottlebrush PLA-PE material
depicted in FIG. 1B.
[0021] The first chemical reaction depicted in FIG. 2A illustrates
that the PML material 102 of FIG. 1A may be chemically reacted with
a diol 204 to form the PML-based polyester material 202, according
to one embodiment. In the particular embodiment depicted in FIG.
2A, the diol 204 includes ethylene glycol. In other cases, the diol
204 may include propylene glycol, among other alternative and/or
additional diols that may be selected to tailor the final
properties of a particular material. In a particular embodiment,
the lactide ring on the PML material 102 may be converted into a
terminal alcohol. In some cases, converting the lactide ring into a
terminal alcohol may include performing a base-catalyzed
ring-opening polymerization (e.g., using an amine base) of the PML
material 102 in the presence of the diol 204. In other cases,
converting the lactide ring of the PML material 102 into a terminal
alcohol may include performing an acid-catalyzed ring-opening
polymerization of the PML material 102 in the presence of the diol
204. In some cases, the diol 204 may be a "mono-protected" ethylene
glycol to avoid potential cross-linking reactions. As an
illustrative, non-limiting example, 2-(trimethylsiloxy)-ethanol may
be used, and appropriate chemicals may be used after reaction with
the polymer to remove the silyl group (e.g., using a fluoride
source such as TBAF or a mild acid). Alternative protecting groups
may be used in other cases.
[0022] As a prophetic example, poly(methylidenelactide) (0.2 g) may
be dissolved in 100 ml of a hot 1:1 (v:v) solution of
tetrahydrofuran:ethylene glycol. The flask may be sealed under a
dry, argon atmosphere, brought to the desired temperature, and
triazabicyclodecene (TBD) (2 mg, 0.014 mmol) dissolved in a minimal
amount of ethylene glycol may be added by syringe. After 24 hours,
a 10.times. excess (relative to TBD) of benzoic acid dissolved in a
minimal amount of methanol may be added in order to quench the
initiator, and the solution may be brought to room temperature. The
solution may be added directly to hexane, dropwise, to precipitate
the polymer, which may be collected by filtration, and dried in a
vacuum oven at >60.degree. C. until complete removal of
volatiles (determined by thermogravimetric analysis).
[0023] As previously described herein with respect to FIG. 1A, the
integer x is used to represent a number of repeat units in the PML
material 102 that include a lactide ring bound to the PE backbone.
In FIG. 2A, the integer z is used to represent the number of repeat
units in the PML-based polyester material 202 that include an ester
group and the two hydroxyl groups bound to a PE backbone of the
PML-based polyester material 202 after ring-opening polymerization
of the PML material 102 in the presence of the diol 204. As the PML
material 102 includes a single lactide ring per repeat unit, the
integer x may be proportional to the integer z.
[0024] Referring to FIG. 2B, a chemical reaction diagram 210
illustrates an example of a process of utilizing the PML-based
polyester material 202 of FIG. 2A to form a second example of a
bottlebrush material 214 (identified as "Bottlebrush Material(2)"
in FIG. 2B), according to one embodiment. FIG. 2B illustrates an
example of a renewable polyester that may be grown from the
terminal hydroxyl groups of the PML-based polyester material 202 of
FIG. 2A using a lactone 212 and a Lewis-basic catalyst, such as
triazabicyclodecene (TBD), resulting in the formation of the second
bottlebrush material 214.
[0025] In the example depicted in FIG. 2B, the integer y in the
lactone 212 is used to illustrate that various lactones or
combinations of lactones may include different numbers of carbon
atoms in the lactone ring. To illustrate, lactones are typically
named according to the precursor acid molecule (e.g., aceto=2
carbon atoms; propio=3; butyro=4; valero=5, capro=6, etc.) and a
Greek letter prefix specifies the number of carbon atoms in the
heterocycle (i.e., the distance between the relevant --OH group and
the --COOH group along the backbone). To illustrate, the lactone
212 may correspond to .beta.-propiolactone (where y=1),
.gamma.-butyrolactone (where y=2); .delta.-valerolactone (where
y=3); or .epsilon.-caprolactone (where y=4). One of ordinary skill
in the art will appreciate that one or more alternative and/or
additional lactones, or combinations thereof, may be utilized.
Further, one of ordinary skill in the art will appreciate that,
with respect to the co-polymerization reaction depicted in FIG. 2B,
the relative amounts of the PML-based polyester material 202 of
FIG. 2A and the lactone 212 may be adjusted in order to tailor the
material properties of the resulting bottlebrush material 214.
[0026] In a particular embodiment, a first amount of the PML-based
polyester material 202 is chemically reacted with a second amount
of the lactone 212. In some cases, the same number of molar
equivalents may be reacted. In other cases, a different number of
molar equivalents may be utilized in order to tailor the relative
portions of second bottlebrush material 214 that are associated
with the different reactants.
[0027] As a prophetic example, the PML-based polyester material 202
(0.2 g) and caprolactone (1.0 g) may be dissolved in 100 ml of a
hot mixture of tetrahydrofuran and an organic solvent which may
include, DMF, DMS, chloroform, chlorobenzene, or NMP. The flask may
be sealed under a dry, argon atmosphere, heated to or in excess of
65.degree. C., and triazabicyclodecene (TBD) (2 mg, 0.014 mmol)
dissolved in a minimal amount of THF may be added by syringe. After
24 hours, a 10.times. excess (relative to TBD) of benzoic acid
dissolved in a minimal amount of methanol may be added in order to
quench the initiator, and the solution may be brought to room
temperature. The solution may be added directly to hexane,
dropwise, to precipitate the polymer, which may be collected by
filtration, and dried in a vacuum oven at >60.degree. C. until
complete removal of volatiles (determined by thermogravimetric
analysis).
[0028] Thus, FIGS. 2A and 2B illustrate an example in which a PML
material (synthesized from the biorenewable L-lactide molecule) is
modified to include hydroxyl functional groups, and a bottlebrush
polymer is grown from the modified PML material using one or more
biorenewable, lactones. In some cases, the bottlebrush material
depicted in FIG. 2B may be utilized as a standalone biorenewable
polymeric material. In other cases, the bottlebrush material
depicted in FIG. 2B may be incorporated into a material to increase
the biorenewable content of the material.
[0029] Referring to FIG. 3, a flow diagram illustrates an example
of a process 300 of utilizing a PML material (formed from the
biorenewable L-lactide molecule) to synthesize a first example of a
bottlebrush polymer, according to one embodiment. In the particular
embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the process 300 further includes
forming an article of manufacture from the bottlebrush polymer. It
will be appreciated that the operations shown in FIG. 3 are for
illustrative purposes only and that the operations may be performed
in alternative orders, at alternative times, by a single entity or
by multiple entities, or a combination thereof. For example, one
entity may form a methylidene lactide molecule from the
biorenewable L-lactide molecule and form the PML material from the
methylidene lactide molecule (illustrated as operations 302 and 304
in the example of FIG. 3), while another entity may form a blend
that includes the PML material and a "conventional" L-lactide
monomer and polymerize the blend to form the bottlebrush polymer
(illustrated as operations 306 and 308 in FIG. 3). Additionally, in
some cases, another entity may form an article of manufacture from
the bottlebrush polymer (corresponding to operation 310 in the
example of FIG. 3).
[0030] The process 300 includes forming a methylidene lactide
molecule from an L-lactide molecule, at 302. The process 300 also
includes forming a PML material from the methylidene lactide
molecule, at 304. For example, referring to FIG. 1A, a
multiple-stage process may be used to synthesize the PML material
102 from the biorenewable L-lactide molecule. In the example of
FIG. 1A, starting from the biorenewable L-lactide molecule, radical
bromination/elimination/radical polymerization reactions may be
used to synthesize the PML material 102.
[0031] The process 300 includes forming a lactide feedstock blend
that includes a blend of an L-lactide monomer and the PML material,
at 306. The process further includes polymerizing the lactide
feedstock to form a first bottlebrush material, at 308. For
example, referring to FIG. 1B, the blend 112 may include a first
amount of the L-lactide monomer and a second amount of the PML
material 102. In the particular embodiment depicted in FIG. 1B, the
first bottlebrush material 114 corresponds to an example of a
bottlebrush PLA-PE material. In a particular embodiment, the first
bottlebrush material 114 may be synthesized by performing a
ring-opening polymerization that includes the use of Lewis acid
conditions, such as heating as a melt with a metal catalyst, such
as tin(II) octanoate.
[0032] In the particular embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the process
300 further includes forming an article of manufacture from the
first bottlebrush material, at 310. To illustrate, in some cases,
the first bottlebrush material may be utilized as standalone
biorenewable polymeric material. In other cases, the first
bottlebrush material may be incorporated into a material to
increase the biorenewable content of the material. To illustrate,
the first bottlebrush material 114 of FIG. 1B may be incorporated
into the material via co-extrusion, injection molding, spin
coating, doctor-bladed solutions, or other common techniques. For
example, the first bottlebrush material 114 of FIG. 1B may be
blended with a polyurethane material, a polycarbonate material, an
acrylonitrile butadiene styrene (ABS) material, a polyester
material, a polyether material, or a combination thereof (among
other alternatives). In cases where the blend includes a
non-renewable petroleum-based polymer, the addition of the
biorenewable PML-based bottlebrush material 114 of FIG. 1B to the
blend may increase the biorenewable content of the article of
manufacture formed from the blend.
[0033] Thus, FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a process of
utilizing a PML material (formed from the biorenewable L-lactide
molecule) to synthesize a first example of a bottlebrush polymer.
FIG. 3 illustrates that, in some cases, the bottlebrush polymers of
the present disclosure may be grown directly from the lactide rings
of the PML material using ring-opening polymerization with
L-lactide. In the particular embodiment depicted in FIG. 3, the
bottlebrush polymer may be incorporated into an article of
manufacture to increase the biorenewable content of the article of
manufacture.
[0034] Referring to FIG. 4, a flow diagram illustrates an example
of a process 400 of utilizing a PMA material (formed from the
biorenewable L-lactide molecule) to synthesize a second example of
a bottlebrush polymer, according to one embodiment. In the
particular embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, the process 400 further
includes forming an article of manufacture from the bottlebrush
polymer. It will be appreciated that the operations shown in FIG. 4
are for illustrative purposes only and that the operations may be
performed in alternative orders, at alternative times, by a single
entity or by multiple entities, or a combination thereof. For
example, one entity may form a methylidene lactide molecule from a
biorenewable L-lactide molecule, form the PML material from the
methylidene lactide molecule, and form a PML-based polyester
material from the PML material using a diol (illustrated as
operations 402-406 in the example of FIG. 4). Further, another
entity may form a blend that includes the PML-based polyester
material and a lactone and polymerize the blend to form the second
bottlebrush polymer (illustrated as operation 408 in FIG. 4).
Additionally, in some cases, another entity may form an article of
manufacture from the second bottlebrush polymer (operation 410 in
the example of FIG. 4).
[0035] The process 400 includes forming a methylidene lactide
molecule from an L-lactide molecule, at 402. The process 400 also
includes forming a PML material from the methylidene lactide
molecule, at 404. For example, referring to FIG. 1A, a
multiple-stage process may be used to synthesize the PML material
102 from the biorenewable L-lactide molecule. In the example of
FIG. 1A, starting from the biorenewable L-lactide molecule, radical
bromination/elimination/radical polymerization reactions may be
used to synthesize the PML material 102.
[0036] The process 400 includes chemically reacting the PML
material with a diol to form a PML-based polyester material, at
406. For example, referring to FIG. 2A, the PML material 102 formed
according to the process described herein with respect to FIG. 1A
may be chemically reacted with the diol 204 (e.g., ethylene glycol
in the example of FIG. 2A, among other alternatives) to form the
PML-based polyester material 202. As described herein with respect
to FIG. 2A, converting the lactide ring on the PML material 102
into a terminal alcohol may include performing a base-catalyzed or
acid-catalyzed ring-opening polymerization of the PML material 102
in the presence of the diol 204.
[0037] The process 400 further includes polymerizing a blend that
includes the PML-based polyester material and a lactone to form a
second bottlebrush material, at 408. For example, FIG. 2B
illustrates an example of a renewable polyester that may be grown
from the terminal hydroxyl groups of the PML-based polyester
material 202 of FIG. 2A using the lactone 212. As previously
described herein, with respect to the lactone 212 depicted in FIG.
2B, the integer y is used to illustrate that various lactones or
combinations of lactones may include different numbers of carbon
atoms in the lactone ring. As an illustrative, non-limiting
example, the lactone 212 may correspond to a renewable lactone,
such as caprolactone.
[0038] In the particular embodiment depicted in FIG. 4, the process
400 further includes forming an article of manufacture from the
second bottlebrush material, at 410. To illustrate, in some cases,
the second bottlebrush material 214 of FIG. 2B may be utilized as
standalone biorenewable polymeric material. In other cases, the
second bottlebrush material 214 of FIG. 2B may be incorporated into
a material to increase the biorenewable content of the material. To
illustrate, the second bottlebrush material 214 of FIG. 2B may be
incorporated into the material via co-extrusion, injection molding,
spin coating, doctor-bladed solutions, or other common techniques.
For example, the second bottlebrush material 214 of FIG. 2B may be
blended with a polyurethane material, a polycarbonate material, an
ABS material, a polyester material, a polyether material, or a
combination thereof (among other alternatives). In cases where the
blend includes a non-renewable petroleum-based polymer, the
addition of the biorenewable PML-based bottlebrush material 214 of
FIG. 2B to the blend may increase the biorenewable content of the
article of manufacture formed from the blend.
[0039] Thus, FIG. 4 illustrates an example of a process of
modifying a PML material (formed from the biorenewable L-lactide
molecule), and utilizing the modified PML-based material to
synthesize a second example of a bottlebrush polymer. FIG. 4
illustrates that, in some cases, the bottlebrush polymers of the
present disclosure may be grown from a modified PML material using
biorenewable lactones. In the particular embodiment depicted in
FIG. 4, the bottlebrush polymer may be incorporated into an article
of manufacture to increase the biorenewable content of the article
of manufacture.
[0040] It will be understood from the foregoing description that
modifications and changes may be made in various embodiments of the
present invention without departing from its true spirit. The
descriptions in this specification are for purposes of illustration
only and are not to be construed in a limiting sense. The scope of
the present invention is limited only by the language of the
following claims.
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