Thermoplastic resin composition

Claim 2

A thermoplastic resin composition which comprises: (A) 5 - 95% by weight of a polyamide resin which has a relative viscosity of 3.1 - 4.5 and a ratio (α) of terminal amino groups to terminal carboxyl groups such that 0:1 < α ≦ 0.99:1; and (B) 95 - 5% by weight of a modified polyphenylene ether resin, which is a polyphenylene ether resin which has been modified with at least one compound having at least one functional group, or a mixture of said modified polyphenylene ether resin and a polyphenylene ether resin.

Claim 3

A composition according to claim 1, which additionally comprises (C) 50 parts by weight or less of a rubber-like polymer per 100 parts by weight of the total of (A) and (B).

Claim 4

A composition according to claim 1 or 2, wherein (A) has a relative viscosity of 3.1 - 4.0 and 0:1 < α ≦ 0.95:1.

Claim 5

A composition according to claim 3, wherein 0.2:1 < α ≦ 0.85:1.

Claim 6

A composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the compound having at least one functional group is selected from: (a) compounds which have both (i) a carbon-carbon double bond or a carbon-carbon triple bond and (ii) a carboxyl group, acid anhydride group, amino group, acid amide group, imide group, epoxy group, carboxylic acid ester group, isocyanate group, methylol group, group containing an oxazoline ring or hydroxyl group; (b) saturated aliphatic compounds of formula (b) and derivatives thereof: (R I O) m R(COOR II ) n (CONR III R IV ) s (b) wherein: R is a straight chain or branched chain saturated aliphatic hydrocarbon group having 2 - 20 carbon atoms, R I is a hydrogen atom, or an alkyl, aryl, acyl or carbonyldioxy group having 1 - 10 carbon atoms, R II , which may be identical or different from each other R II if n is greater than 1, is a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aryl group having 1 - 20 carbon atoms, R III and R IV , which may be identical or different from each other and from each other R III and R IV respectively if s is s is greater than 1, are each a hydrogen atom or an alkyl or aryl group having 1 - 10 carbon atoms, m = 1, n + s ≧ 2, n ≧ 0, and s ≧ 0, and (R I 0) is located at the α-position or the β-position to the carbonyl group, and 2 - 6 carbon atoms are present between at least one pair of adjacent carbonyl groups; and (c) compounds of formula (c): (I)-Z-(II)      (c) wherein: (I) is a group of formula (X-CO) wherein X is F, Cl, Br, I, OH, OR or -O-CO-R wherein R is a hydrogen atom, an alkyl group or an aryl group; (II) is a carboxylic acid group, an acid anhydride group, an acid amide group, an imide group, a carboxylic acid ester group, an amino group or a hydroxyl group; and Z is a hydrocarbon group covalently linked to (I) and (II).

Claim 7

A composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the polyphenylene ether resin which is subsequently modified is a polymer obtainable by oxidation polymerisation of at least one phenol of formula: wherein R₁, R₂, R₃, R₄ and R₅, which may be identical or different, are each a hydrogen atom, a halogen atom or a substituted or unsubstituted hydrocarbon group, with the proviso that at least one is a hydrogen atom, with oxygen or an oxygen-containing gas using an oxidation coupling catalyst.

Claim 8

A composition according to any one of the preceding claims, wherein the polyphenylene ether resin (B) which is subsequently modified is a mixture of polyphenylene ether and a styrene resin.

Claim 9

A composition according to any one of claims 1 to 6, wherein the modified polyphenylene ether resin (B) is a mixture of a modified polyphenylene ether and a styrene resin.

Claim 10

A molded article or sheet or film comprising a composition as defined in any one of the preceding claims.

Claim 11

A process for preparing a composition as defined in any one of claims 1 to 8, which comprises: modifying a polyphenylene ether resin with at least one compound having at least one functional group to form a modified polyphenylene ether resin; if desired, mixing said modified polyphenylene ether resin with a polyphenylene ether resin; and mixing (B) 95-5% by weight of said modified polyphenylene ether resin or the mixture of said modified polyphenylene ether resin and the polyphenylene ether resin with (A) 5 - 95% by weight of a polyamide resin which has a relative viscosity of 3.1-4.5 and a ratio (α) of terminal amino groups to terminal carbonyl groups such that 0:1 α ≦ 0.99:1; and if desired, mixing 50 parts by weight or less of a rubber-like polymer with 100 parts by weight of the total of (A) and (B).