Built-in antimicrobial plastic resins and methods for making the same
Inventors
LAU, Yiu Ting Richard • KWOK, Sau Kuen Connie • MENG, Wenjun • LI, Sheung Yin • CHEN, Yueying
Assignees
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Publication Number
US-10525614-B2
Publication Date
2020-01-07
Expiration Date
Abstract
A built-in and process-adaptive formulation of antimicrobial commodity thermoplastic resins with mixed compositions comprising of a polymer, a backbone linker, and a non-labile antifouling and biocompatible coupling agent which is melt-processable and enabled to be manufactured into finished products in the form of solid, monolith, tube, composite, fiber, film, sheet and varnish without the prerequisite of biocides or antimicrobial additives is disclosed. The said formulation is adapted to thermoforming and thermal curing processes including but not limited to melt compounding, spinning, extrusion, molding, compression foaming and drawing. The antimicrobial property is attributed to the persistent formation of a non-stick bacteria-repellent tethered layer in which the antifouling component of the said formulation is heterogeneously phase separated and/or surface migrated to the surface after product forming in order to minimize adsorption and/or colonization of bacteria.
Core Innovation
The invention relates to an antimicrobial thermoplastic resin that is biocide-free and prepared using melt extrusion of a masterbatch with a basic plastic selected from polyolefin and polycarbonate. The masterbatch comprises an antifouling reagent attached to a base polymer backbone via a reactive linker, where the antifouling reagent comprises polyethylene glycol (PEG). The reactive linker is maleic anhydride or a maleimide, and the resin has bacterial-repellent properties.
The masterbatch-based antimicrobial thermoplastic resin is formed so that the antifouling component provides a non-stick bacteria-repellent effect, while avoiding leaching antimicrobial additives. The PEG-derived antifouling component is attached through the maleic anhydride or maleimide reactive linker and is incorporated into a melt-processable resin suitable for producing finished articles.
A process-adaptive manufacturing approach is described for producing solid articles and multiple thermoplastic forms using melt-processable routes such as extrusion and molding, and further forming operations including thermoforming and related manufacturing operations. Documented support in the provided content includes material and characterization evidence and bacterial adsorption performance showing reduced colony formation versus controls for an injection-molded PE/SMA-PEG sample.
Claims Coverage
The independent claim is directed to an antimicrobial thermoplastic resin with biocide-free bacterial-repellent properties prepared by melt extrusion of a masterbatch and a basic plastic (polyolefin or polycarbonate). The claim identifies multiple inventive features centered on a PEG-based antifouling reagent covalently attached to a base polymer backbone through a reactive maleic anhydride or maleimide linker, incorporated via masterbatch-based melt processing.
Biocide-free melt-extruded antimicrobial resin
An antimicrobial thermoplastic resin that is biocide-free, has bacterial-repellent properties, and is prepared by melt extrusion of a masterbatch and a basic plastic selected from polyolefin and polycarbonate.
PEG antifouling reagent attached via reactive linker
The masterbatch comprises an antifouling reagent attached to a base polymer backbone via a reactive linker, wherein the antifouling reagent comprises polyethylene glycol (PEG).
Maleic anhydride or maleimide reactive linker
The reactive linker is maleic anhydride or a maleimide.
Masterbatch co-polymer structure including specific backbone units
The masterbatch comprises a co-polymer comprising a polystyrene repeating unit and a repeating unit represented by a co-polymer comprising a polypropylene repeating unit and a repeating unit represented by the specified polypropylene-based structures, including a polymer comprising a polypropylene repeating unit crosslinked with an agent represented by, or a co-polymer prepared by the reaction of a maleic anhydride-grafted olefin plastomer and polyethylene.
Masterbatch concentration refinement
The antimicrobial thermoplastic resin includes a masterbatch at a concentration of 4.7% to 7.5% (m/m).
Thermal processability refinement
The antimicrobial thermoplastic resin is thermally processable to 350°C.
Wet chemistry preparation refinement for the masterbatch
The masterbatch is prepared by a wet chemistry method.
Across the claim set, the core coverage is a biocide-free antimicrobial thermoplastic resin with bacterial-repellent properties, produced by melt extrusion using a masterbatch in which a PEG antifouling reagent is attached to a base polymer backbone via a maleic anhydride or maleimide reactive linker. The claim language further grounds the masterbatch composition in specified polymer structures and includes refinements related to masterbatch concentration, thermal processability, and wet-chemistry preparation of the masterbatch.
Stated Advantages
Biocide-free antimicrobial thermoplastic resin.
Bacterial-repellent properties.
Prepared by melt extrusion of the masterbatch and the basic plastic.
Non-biocidal approach with reduced colony formation versus controls.
Documented Applications
Thermoplastic production into finished articles including solid, monolith, tube, composite, fiber, film, sheet, and varnish using thermoforming/related forming routes described in the provided content.
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