Abstract: The invention relates to multilayer polymer structures having at least three layers. These layers include a polar capstock layer other than an acrylic, an olefinic substrate layer, and a tie layer. The tie layer is selected from olefinic acrylate copolymers, a block copolymer of vinyl aromatic monomer with an aliphatic conjugated diene or a derivative thereof, a copolymer of olefin and (meth)acrylic acid partially or fully in the salt form, a high impact polystyrene, and/or a vinyl cyanide-containing compound. Each layer could contain multiple sub-layers. The multilayer structure exhibits excellent structural integrity, excellent surface appearance, high impact strength, high scratch resistance, and excellent resistance to UV rays.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multilayered pultruded structure having a weatherable cap layer over a pultruded substrate, adhered with an appropriate tie layer. The structure provides improved weatherability and surface quality for pultruded structures. The invention is especially useful to provide a weatherable pultruded polyurethane, with an acrylic or styrenic cap layer. The weatherable polyurethane (PU) pultrusion of the invention provides an increased modulus over polyester pultrusions, making the weatherable PU pultrusion useful in commercial applications, and applications requiring a higher transverse modulus.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-layer structure having at least one inner layer containing an alloy of a biopolymer and an acrylic polymer and at least one outer layer containing a thermoplastic or thermoset polar polymer matrix. The combination of outer polar layer and an inner biopolymer/acrylic layer provides improved properties, such as improved adhesion, and improved mechanical properties. The multi-layer structure may be in the form of a sheet, a film, a tube or pipe, or a profile, and could be used by itself or as a cap-layer over a substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-layer structure in which one or more layers contain an acrylic polymer, and one or more layers contain biopolymers. The acrylic polymer and biopolymer could be in different layers of the structure, or in the same layer of the structure. The combination of acrylic polymer and biopolymer in the same multi-layer structure provides improved properties, such as improved adhesion, improved mechanical properties, and improvements in the ease of manufacturing. An inner layer containing a biopolymer gains significantly improved UV resistance, abrasion resistance, and surface appearance, when covered with an outer acrylic layer. The multi-layer structure may be in the form of a sheet, a film, a tube or pipe, or a profile, and could used by itself or as a cap-layer over another substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multilayered pultruded structure having a weatherable cap layer over a pultruded substrate, adhered with an appropriate tie layer. The structure provides improved weatherability and surface quality for pultruded structures. The invention is especially useful to provide a weatherable pultruded polyurethane, with an acrylic or styrenic cap layer. The weatherable polyurethane (PU) pultrusion of the invention provides an increased modulus over polyester pultrusions, making the weatherable PU pultrusion useful in commercial applications, and applications requiring a higher transverse modulus.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-layer structure having at least one inner layer containing an alloy of a biopolymer and an acrylic polymer and at least one outer layer containing a thermoplastic or thermoset polar polymer matrix. The combination of outer polar layer and an inner biopolymer/acrylic layer provides improved properties, such as improved adhesion, and improved mechanical properties. The multi-layer structure may be in the form of a sheet, a film, a tube or pipe, or a profile, and could be used by itself or as a cap-layer over a substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to multilayer polymer structures having at least three layers. These layers include a polar capstock layer other than an acrylic, an olefinic substrate layer, and a tie layer. The tie layer is selected from olefinic acrylate copolymers, a block copolymer of vinyl aromatic monomer with an aliphatic conjugated diene or a derivative thereof, a copolymer of olefin and (meth)acrylic acid partially or fully in the salt form, a high impact polystyrene, and/or a vinyl cyanide-containing compound. Each layer could contain multiple sub-layers. The multilayer structure exhibits excellent structural integrity, excellent surface appearance, high impact strength, high scratch resistance, and excellent resistance to UV rays.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-layer polymer structure having a polyolefin-based layer, an acrylic-based or other polar polymer layer, and a tie-layer between and adjacent to the polyolefin and acrylic-based layers. Each layer could contain multiple sub-layers. The invention specifically relates to the composition of the tie-layer used to bond the polyolefin- and the polar polymer layers together. The multilayer structure can contain more than three layers, with polar polymer layers on each side of the polyolefin-based layer, and can be made by any method known to the art. The multilayer structure exhibits excellent structural integrity, excellent surface appearance, high impact strength, high scratch resistance, and excellent resistance to UV rays.

Abstract: The invention relates to extruded polymeric sheet and articles with an appearance and a texture that can be varied to produce natural-looking variegated materials, that have a metallic or opalescent look. The appearance can simulate natural materials, such as granite, minerals, stone, metal ore. The extruded polymer sheet or article contains at least one polymer composite appearance layer having crosslinked polymer particles and metallic and/or pearlescent materials distributed in a thermoplastic matrix. The thermoplastic matrix can be pigmented or unpigmented. There extruded sheet or article has a transparent thermoplastic cap layer on the side facing the environment. The particle-containing layer can be coextruded in a multi-layer sheet that could include substrate layers and the cap layer.

Abstract: The invention relates to a multi-layer structure in which one or more layers contain an acrylic polymer, and one or more layers contain biopolymers. The acrylic polymer and biopolymer could be in different layers of the structure, or in the same layer ofteh structure. The combination of acrylic polymer and biopolymer in the same multi-layer structure provides improved properties, such as improved adhesion, improved mechanical properties, and improvements in the ease of manufacturing. An inner layer containing a biopolymer gains significantly improved UV resistance, abrasion resistance, and surface appearance, when covered with an outer acrylic layer. The multi-layer structure may be in the form of a sheet, a film, a tube or pipe, or a profile, and could used by itself or as a cap-layer over another substrate.

Abstract: The invention relates to high Tg monolithic and multi-layer thermoformable film or sheet useful as a backsheet on a photovoltaic module (PV). A methacrylic-based material is preferred. The film or sheet is formed of a composition having a Tg greater than 110° C. The methacrylic composition may be a blend of a polymethyl methacrylate polymer and a miscible or semi-miscible high Tg polymer, or may be a copolymer containing primarily methyl methacrylate monomer units. The backsheet is optionally covered with a fluoropolymer or acrylic/fiuoropolymer covering on the outside (side facing the environment). The back-sheet can be clear, white, and/or pigmented. The film or sheet is especially useful in concentrating photovoltaic modules (CPV), and is also useful in thin film photovoltaic modules.

Abstract: The invention relates to extruded polymeric sheet and articles with an appearance and a texture that can be varied to produce natural-looking variegated materials, that have a metallic or opalescent look. The appearance can simulate natural materials, such as granite, minerals, stone, metal ore. The extruded polymer sheet or article contains at least one polymer composite appearance layer having crosslinked polymer particles and metallic and/or pearlescent materials distributed in a thermoplastic matrix. The thermoplastic matrix can be pigmented or unpigmented. There extruded sheet or article has a transparent thermoplastic cap layer on the side facing the environment. The particle-containing layer can be coextruded in a multi-layer sheet that could include substrate layers and the cap layer.