Curable linear polyphenylene ether interpenetrating polymer network compositions and process

Claim 2

A curable compositions comprising: (i) a thermoplastic polyphenylene ether resin substantially free of substituents which are inhibitors of free radicals; (ii)(a) at least one liquid, monovinyl un­saturated compound having a general formula selected from or a mixture of said compounds, wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, Z is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl or alkoxy and p is 0 or a whole number of from 1 to 3, alone, or in further combination with, (ii)(b) at least one monovinyl unsaturated compound copolymerizable with and different from component (ii)(a), said vinyl unsaturated compound (ii)(a) and (ii)(b) comprising from about 1 to about 60 percent by weight of (i) and (ii)(a) and (ii)(b) combined; and, optionally, (iii) an effective amount of a catalyst cap­able of generating free radicals to initiate polymerization of the vinyl unsaturated compounds (ii)(a) and (ii)(b); and at least one of: (iv)(a) an effective amount of a reinforcing agent; (iv)(b) an effective amount of a flame re­tardant agent; or (iv)(c) an effective amount of an impact modifier.

Claim 3

A composition as defined in Claim 1 wherein the compounds (ii)(a) and (ii)(b) comprise from about 15 to about 40 percent by weight of (i) and (ii)(a) and (ii)(b) combined.

Claim 4

A composition as defined in Claim 1 wherein said polyphenylene ether is a homopolymer or copolymer containing structural units of the formula: in which for each of these units independently each Q¹ is hydrogen, halogen, primary or secondary lower alkyl having up to seven carbon atoms, phenyl, haloalkyl or aminoalkyl wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen or nitrogen atom from the benzene ring, hydrocarbonoxy, or halohydrocarbonoxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms; and each Q² is independently hydrogen, halogen, primary or secondary lower alkyl, phenyl, haloalkyl, hydrocarbonoxy or halo­hydrocarbonoxy as defined for Q¹, said polyphenylene ether having terminal groups selected from reaction products of said polyphenylene ether with an organic acid, an organic acid halide, an organic acid anhydride, a ketene, or a compound having more than one of the functional groups or a mixture of any of the foregoing.

Claim 5

A composition as defined in Claim 3 wherein said polyphenylene ether is a poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-­phenylene ether) or a poly(2,6-dimethyl-co-2,3,6-tri­methyl-1,4-phenylene ether) end capped with an acid halide, and acid anhydride or compound having both acid halide and acid anhydride functional groups.

Claim 6

A composition as defined in Claim 4 wherein said polyphenylene ether is end capped with trimellitic anhydride acid chloride.

Claim 7

A composition as defined in Claim 1 wherein component (ii)(a) comprises a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and component (ii)(b) comprises a dialkyl fumarate or an N-substituted maleimide.

Claim 8

A composition as defined in Claim 6 wherein component (ii)(a) comprises styrene and component (ii)(b) comprises diethyl fumarate or N-phenyl maleimide.

Claim 9

A composition as defined in Claim 1 wherein component (iii) comprises an organic peroxide or an organic azo compound.

Claim 10

A composition as defined in Claim 8 wherein said organic peroxide comprises t-butylperoxybenzoate.

Claim 11

A composition as defined in Claim 1 wherein component (iv)(a) comprises a reinforcing amount of glass fibers, polyester fibers or a mixture thereof.

Claim 12

A composition as defined in Claim 1 wherein component (ii)(b) comprises a flame retardant amount of aluminum trihydrate.

Claim 13

A composition as defined in Claim 1 wherein component (iv)(c) comprises an impact improving amount of a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer or a polymer having a polymerized butyl acrylate core and a styrene shell.

Claim 14

A shaped article of manufacture formed by melt processing a composition as defined in Claim 1 by (1) blending powder or pellets of compon­ent (i), with liquid component (ii)(a), optionally, liquid component (iv)(b); optionally, component (iii), and at least one of components (iv)(a); (iv)(b) or (iv)(c); (2) extruding the composition to a desired shape at a temperature below 150°C.; and (3) curing component (ii)(a) and optional component (ii)(b).

Claim 15

A curable compositions comprising (i) the reaction product of (A) a poly­phenylene ether polymer; and (B) a compound having the general formula (I)―Z―(II) which is a compound that contains in its molecule both group (I) which is at least one group having the formula where X is F, Cl, Br, I, OH, OR, or O - - R, where R is H or an alkyl or aryl radical and group (II) which is at least one carboxylic acid, acid anhydride, acid amide, imido, carboxylic acid ester, amino or hydroxyl group; wherein groups (I) and (II) are covalently bonded through linkage Z which is a divalent hydrocarbon, radical; (ii)(a) at least one liquid, mono vinyl unsaturated compound having a general formula selected from or a mixture of said compounds, wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, Z is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl or alkoxy and p is 0 or a whole number of from 1 to 3, alone, or in further combination with, (ii)(b) at least one monovinyl unsaturated compound copolymerizable with and different from component (ii)(a), said vinyl unsaturated compound (ii)(a) and (ii)(b) comprising from about 1 to about 60 percent by weight of (i) and (ii)(a) and (ii)(b) combined; and, optionally, (iii) an effective amount of a catalyst capable of generating free radicals to initiate polymer­ization of the vinyl unsaturated compounds (ii)(a) and (ii)(b).

Claim 16

A curable compositions comprising (i) the reaction product of (A) a poly­phenylene ether polymer; and (B) a compound having the general formula (I)―Z―(II) which is a compound that contains in its molecule both group (I) which is at least one group having the formula where X is F, Cl, Br, I, OH, OR, or O - - R, where R is H or an alkyl or aryl radical and group (II) which is at least one carboxylic acid, acid anhydride, acid amide, imido, carboxylic acid ester, amino or hydroxyl group; wherein groups (I) and (II) are covalently bonded through linkage Z which is a divalent hydrocarbon, radical; (ii)(a) at least one liquid, mono vinyl unsaturated compound having a general formula selected from or a mixture of said compounds, wherein R is hydrogen or methyl, Z is hydrogen, halogen, alkyl or alkoxy and p is 0 or a whole number of from 1 to 3, alone, or in further combination with, (ii)(b) at least one monovinyl unsaturated compound copolymerizable with and different from component (ii)(a), said vinyl unsaturated compound (ii)(a) and (ii)(b) comprising from about 1 to about 60 percent by weight of (i) and (ii)(a) and (ii)(b) combined; and, optionally, (iii) an effective amount of a catalyst capable of generating free radicals to initiate polymer­ization of the vinyl unsaturated compounds (ii)(a) and (ii)(b).

Claim 17

A composition as defined in Claim 14 where­in the compounds (ii)(a) and (ii)(b) comprise from about 15 to about 40 percent by weight of (i) and (ii)(a) and (ii)(b) combined.

Claim 18

A composition as defined in Claim 14 where­in said polyphenylene ether is a homopolymer or copolymer containing structural units of the formula: in which for each of these units independently each Q¹ is hydrogen, halogen, primary or secondary lower alkyl having up to seven carbon atoms, phenyl, haloalkyl or aminoalkyl wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen or nitrogen atom from the benzene ring, hydrocarbonoxy, or halohydrocarbonoxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms; and each Q² is independently hydrogen, halogen, primary or secondary lower alkyl, phenyl, haloalkyl, hydrocarbonoxy or halo­hydrocarbonoxy as defined for Q¹, said polyphenylene ether having terminal groups selected from reaction products of said polyphenylene ether with an organic acid, an organic acid halide, an organic acid anhydride, a ketene, or a compound having more than one of the functional groups or a mixture of any of the foregoing.

Claim 19

A composition as defined in Claim 16 where­in said polyphenylene ether is a poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-­phenylene ether) or a poly(2,6-dimethyl-co-2,3,6-trimethyl-­1,4-phenylene ether).

Claim 20

A composition as defined in Claim 16 where­in said polyphenylene ether is end capped with trimellitic anhydride acid chloride.

Claim 21

A composition as defined in Claim 14 where­in component (ii)(a) comprises a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and component (ii)(b) comprises a dialkyl fumarate or an N-substituted maleimide.

Claim 22

A composition as defined in Claim 14 where­in component (ii)(a) comprises styrene and component (ii)(b) comprises diethyl fumarate or N-phenyl maleimide.

Claim 23

A composition as defined in Claim 14 where­in component (iii) comprises an organic peroxide or an organic azo compound.

Claim 24

A composition as defined in Claim 21 where­in said organic peroxide comprises t-butyl peroxybenzoate.

Claim 25

A curable composition as defined in Claim 14 which also includes (iv)(a) an effective amount of a reinforc­ing agent; (iv)(b) an effective amount of a flame retardant agent; (iv)(c) an effective amount of an impact modifier; or a combination of any of the foregoing.

Claim 26

A composition as defined in Claim 23 where­in component (iv)(a) comprises a reinforcing amount of glass fibers, polyester fibers or a mixture thereof.

Claim 27

A composition as defined in Claim 23 where­in component (ii)(b) comprises a flame retardant amount of aluminum trihydrate.

Claim 28

A composition as defined in Claim 23 where­in component (iv)(c) comprises an impact improving amount of a styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene block copolymer or a polymer having a polymerized butyl acrylate core and a styrene shell.

Claim 29

A shaped article of manufacture formed by melt processing a composition as defined in Claim 14 by (1) blending powder or pellets of compon­ents (i), with liquid component (ii)(a), optionally, liquid component (ii)(b) and, optionally, component (iii); (2) extruding the composition to a desired shape at a temperature below 150°C.; and (3) curing component (ii)(a) and optional component (ii)(b).

Claim 30

A shaped article of manufacture formed by melt processing a composition as defined in Claim 23 by (1) blending powder or pellets of compon­ent (i), with liquid component (ii)(a), optionally, liquid component (iv)(b); optionally, component (iii), and at least one of components (iv)(a); (iv)(b) or (iv)(c); or a mixture of any of said components (iv)(a), (iv)(b) or (iv)(c); (2) extruding the composition to a desired shape at a temperature below 150°C.; and (3) curing component (ii)(a) and optional component (ii)(b).