Polymer composition

Claim 2

A composition comprising a mixture of (A) substantially non-crystalline thermoplastic aromatic polymer material as a substantially continuous phase; (B) aliphatic polymer material as a substantially continuous phase having a molecular weight of at least 10000; and (C) cross-linking agent capable of cross-linking the aliphatic polymer material (B), at least part of the cross-linking agent itself being incorporated in the resulting cross-links.

Claim 3

A composition according to claim 1 comprising, by weight based on the total weight of the composition, 40 to 90% of (A), 6 to 55% of (B), and 2 to 30% of (C).

Claim 4

A composition according to claim 2 comprising 55 to 80% of (A), 6 to 40% of (B), and 6 to 20% of (C).

Claim 5

A composition according to claim 3 comprising 15 to 30% of (B).

Claim 6

A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cross-linking agent is capable of reacting to give a gel content of at least 2% in the total composition.

Claim 7

A composition according to claim 5, wherein the gel content is at least 5%.

Claim 8

A composition according to claim 6, wherein the gel content is at least 15%.

Claim 9

A composition according to any preceding claim which is melt-processed.

Claim 10

A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cross-linking agent is capable of cross-linking the aliphatic polymer material when the composition is subjected to high energy electron beam radiation, gamma radiation or UV radiation.

Claim 11

A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the aromatic polymer material (A) is or includes one or more polymers selected from polycarbonates, polyarylates, polyphenylene ethers, polysulphones, polyether sulphones and polyether imides.

Claim 12

A composition according to claim 10, wherein up to 25% of the aromatic polymer material (A) is replaced by one or more polymers selected from polyarylether- ketones, polyphenylene sulphides and aromtic polyamide-imides.

Claim 13

A composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the aliphatic polymer material (B) has a molecular weight of at least 20000.

Claim 14

A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the aliphatic polymer material (B) is or includes one or more polymers selected from polyolefins, silicone elastomers, polyacrylate elastomers, fluoropolymers, hydrogenated polystyrene-diene block copolymers, linear thermoplastic polyesters, polyamides, thermoplastic polyurethanes and polyalkylene oxide elastomers.

Claim 15

A composition according to any of the preceding claims wherein the cross-linking agent (C) is or includes a monomer or oligomer having a molecular weight less than 20000.

Claim 16

A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cross-linking agent (C) has at least two reactive groups capable of reacting with the aliphatic polymer material (B).

Claim 17

A composition according to claim 15, wherein the reactive groups contain aliphatic unsaturation.

Claim 18

A composition according to any of the preceding claims wherein the cross-linking agent (C) is or includes one ore more materials selected from unsaturated esters of alkoxylated dihydric phenols, esterified bis-phenol epoxy resins, esterified epoxidised novolac resins, unsaturated imides, multifunctional acrylic monomers and telomers, multifunctional alkyl esters, and unsaturated urethane oligomers, 1,2-polybutadienes and acetylene terminated oligomers.

Claim 19

A composition according to any of the preceding claims wherein the cross-linking agent (C) is compatible with at least one aromatic polymer in the aromatic polymer material (A) in the sense that the said aromatic polymer in a binary mixture (A) and (C) has a glass transition temperature lower than that of (A) alone.

Claim 20

A composition according to any of the preceding claims wherein a) the aromatic polymer is a polyaryl sulphone, as hereinbefore defined, b) the aliphatic polymer, or mixture of aliphatic polymers, is selected from the series: poly(ether-ester) block copolymer, poly(ether -amide) block copolymer, polyacrylate elastomer, polyvinylidene fluoride homopolymers and copolymers, ethylene copolymers, chlorinated polyethylene, chlorosulphonated polyethylene and chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymers. c) the cross-linking agent or mixture of cross- linking agents is selected from the series: 2,2-bis-4-(methacryloxy-ethoxy) phenyl propane; 2,2-bis-4-(acryloxy-ethoxy)phenyl propane; acrylated bis-phenol epoxy resin, as hereinbefore defined; orthophthalic-, iso- phtalic- and terephthalic unsaturated polyester resins, as hereinbefore defined; alkoxy-bis phenol A unsaturated polyester resin, as hereinbefore defined; polystyryl pyridyl resin, as hereinbefore defined; N,N'm-phenylene dimaleimide; polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, as hereinbefore defined; triallyl isocyanurate; tris-(2-meth- acryloxy ethyl isocyanurate); tris(2-acryloxy ethyl isocyanurate); N,N' methylene bis acrylamide; N,N'ethylene bis acrylamide, all as hereinbefore defined.

Claim 21

A composition according to any of claims 1 to 18 in which a) the aromatic polymer is either a polyaryl- carbonate or polyarylate, as hereinbefore defined, b) the aliphatic polymer, or mixture of aliphatic polymers, is selected from the series: poly(ether-ester) block copolymer, poly(ether -amide) block copolymer thermoplastic polyurethane elastomer, polyacrylated elastomer, polyvinyledene fluoride homopolymer and copolymers, ethylene copolymers, chlorinated polyethylene and chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymers, c) the cross-linking agent or mixture of cross- linking agents is selected from the series: 2,2-bis-4-(methacryloxy-ethoxy) phenyl propane; 2, 2-bis-4- (acryloxy-ethoxy)phenyl propane; acrylated bis-phenol epoxy resin, as hereinbefore defined; orthophthalic-, iso- phtalic- and terephthalic unsaturated polyester resin, as hereinbefore defined; alkoxy-bis phenol A unsaturated polyester resin, as hereinbefore defined; polyethylene glycol dimethyacrylate, as hereinbefore defined; triallyl isocyanurate; tris-(2-meth- acryloxy ethyl isocyanurate) and tris-(2-acryloxy ethyl isocyanurate.

Claim 22

A composition according to any of claims 1 to 18 in which a) The aromatic polymer is a polyaryl ether-imide, as hereinbefore defined. b) The aliphatic polymer or a mixture of aliphatic polymers, is selected from the series: poly(ether-ester) block copolymers, poly(ether-amide) block copolymer, polyvinyledene fluoride homopolymer and copolymers, ethylene copolymers, chlorinated polyethylene, acrylate elastomer and chlorotrifluoroethylene copolymers. c) the cross-linking agent or mixture of cross- linking agents, is selected from 2,2-bis-4-(methacryloxy-ethoxy) phenyl propane; 2,2-bis 4-(acryloxy-ethoxy) phenyl propane; orthophthalic; isophthalic, terephthalic and alkoxy-bis phenol-A unsaturated polyester resins, all as hereinbefore defined; triallyl isocyanurate; N,N'm-phenylene dimaleimide; polyethylene glycol dimethyacrylate; N,N'- methylene-bis-acrylamide and N,N'ethylene- bis-acrylamide.

Claim 23

A composition according to claim 21 in which the aliphatic polymer component is partially replaced with a polyhydroxyether material, or a polyalkylene terephthalate or the equivalent copolyesters, i.e. esters that contain a minor amount e.g. from 0.5 to 2% of repeating units derived from an aliphatic or another aromatic dicarboxylic acid and/or another aliphatic diol and polyol, at levels up to 50%.

Claim 24

A composition according to any of claims 1 to 18 which comprises (A) a polysulphone, (B) a poly(ether- ester) block copolymer, and (C) an acylated bisphenol epoxy resin.

Claim 25

A composition according to claim 23, wherein the poly(ether-ester) block copolymer is partially replaced with either a vinylidene fluoride/hexafluoropropylene copolymer, a propylene/tetrafluoroethylene copolymer, or an ethylene/propylene terpolymer.

Claim 26

A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cross-linking agent (C) is partly replaced by a non-reactive diluent having a molecular weight less than 20,000.

Claim 27

A composition according to claim 25 wherein the diluent is selected from toluene sulphonic an derivatives, arylsulphonamide resins, novolac phenol-formaldehyde resins, bis-phenol S and its derivates, 4,4'-dichlorodiphenyl sulphone and its derivatives, 4,4'-diaminodiphenyl sulphone and its derivatives, fully saturated forms of the cross-linking agents (C), and tackifying resins..

Claim 28

A composition according to any of the preceding claims, wherein the cross-linking agent (C) is partially replaced by polyhydroxy ether material.

Claim 29

A composition according to any of the preceding claims wherein the cross-linking agent (C) has been reacted with the aliphatic polymer (B) to give a cross-linked composition.

Claim 30

A composition according to claim 29 which has been cross-linked by electron beam irradiation to a dose of up to 50 MRads.

Claim 31

A composition according to claim 29 or 30 in the form of an article which has been deformed to and is retained in a heat recoverable state.

Claim 32

A composition according to any one of the preceding claims in the form of a heat-recoverable filament.

Claim 33

A mixture of an aromatic polymer and a cross- linking agent which contains double-bond unsaturation, the aromatic polymer having a glass transition temperature in the mixture which is lower than its inherent glass transition temperature.

Claim 34

A mixture of an aromatic polymer and a cross- linking agent which contains double-bond unsaturation, the aromatic polymer having a glass transition temperature in the mixture which is lower than its inherent glass transition temperature.

Claim 35

33 A mixture according to claim 32 substantially as described with reference to any one of the foregoing Examples tabulated in Tables 1 and 1A.

Claim 36

A composition comprising a mixture of an aliphatic thermoplastic elastomer comprising soft polyether or polyester blocks and hard polyester, polyamide or polyurethane blocks, and one or a combination of cross-linking agents selected from acylated bis-phenol-A-epoxy resin, isophthalic unsaturated polyester resin, triallyl isocyanurate and 2,2'-bis-4-(methylacryloxy- ethoxy)phenyl propane.

Claim 37

A composition comprising a mixture of an aliphatic thermoplastic elastomer comprising soft polyether or polyester blocks and hard polyester, polyamide or polyurethane blocks, and one or a combination of cross-linking agents selected from acylated bis-phenol-A-epoxy resin, isophthalic unsaturated polyester resin, triallyl isocyanurate and 2,2'-bis-4-(methylacryloxy- ethoxy)phenyl propane.

Claim 38

A composition comprising a mixture of: (i) aliphatic thermoplastic elastomer comprising soft polyether or polyester blocks and hard polyester, polyamide or polyurethane blocks; (ii) 3-50% of one or a combination of compatible cross-linking agents; and (iii) 0.1 - 10% of one or a combination of incompatible cross-linking agents.

Claim 39

A composition comprising a mixture of: (i) aliphatic thermoplastic elastomer comprising soft polyether or polyester blocks and hard polyester, polyamide or polyurethane blocks; (ii) 3-50% of one or a combination of compatible cross-linking agents; and (iii) 0.1 - 10% of one or a combination of incompatible cross-linking agents.