Manufacture of moulding materials

Claim 2

A thermoplastic moulding material consisting essentially of: (a) from about 35 to about 94.5 percent by weight based on the total weight of material of a synthetic thermoplastic polymer having a backbone comprising at least 50% of carbon atoms selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, styrene/acrylonitrile copolymers, ABS copolymers and mixtures thereof (b) between about 0.01 and about 0.045 and percent by weight, based on the total weight of moulding material, of a polyimide prepolymer which is the addition reaction product consisting of a polyamine and a bis-imide of an unsaturated carboxylic acid and (c) from about 5 to about 55 percent by weight, based on the total weight of material, of a reinforcing agent selected from the group consisting of glass fiber and mica.

Claim 3

A moulding material according to claim 1 in which the polyimide prepolymer consists of the addition reaction product of a primary diamine containing not more than 30 carbon atoms and an N,N 1 bis-imide of general formula ##STR4## in which D represents a divalent radical containing a carbon-carbon double bond and A is a divalent radical containing at least two carbon atoms.

Claim 4

A moulding material according to claim 2 in which the primary diamine is an aromatic compound.

Claim 5

A moulding material according to claim 3 in which the primary diamine contains at least one phenylene group.

Claim 6

A moulding material according to claim 4 in which the primary diamine is the compound of the formula ##STR5##

Claim 7

A moulding material according to claim 2 in which the radical D in the N,N 1 bis-imide is derived from an αβ unsaturated dicarboxylic acid.

Claim 8

A moulding material according to claim 6 in which the radical D is derived from maleic acid.

Claim 9

A moulding material according to claim 2 in which the radical A in the N,N 1 bis-imide is an aromatic radical.

Claim 10

A moulding material according to claim 8 in which the aromatic radical contains at least one phenylene group.

Claim 11

A moulding material according to claim 9 in which the radical has the formula ##STR6##

Claim 12

A moulding material according to claim 2 in which the molar ratio of bis-imide to polyamine is in the range 1.2:1 up to 50:1.

Claim 13

A moulding material according to claim 11 in which the molar ratio of bis-imide to polyamine is in the range 1.2:1 up to 2.9:1.

Claim 14

A moulding material according to claim 1 in which the thermoplastic polymer has a backbone composed solely of carbon atoms.

Claim 15

A moulding material according to claim 13 in which the thermoplastic polymer is polypropylene.

Claim 16

A moulding material according to claim 1 comprising a mixture of thermoplastic polymers.

Claim 17

A moulding material according to claim 1 in which the reinforcing agent comprises a mixture of glass fibre or mica with a further fibrous or particulate filler material.

Claim 18

A moulding material according to claim 16 in which the reinforcing agent comprises a mixture of glass fibre and talc.

Claim 19

A moulding material according to claim 1 in which the reinforcing agent consists solely of glass fibre.

Claim 20

A moulding material according to claim 18 in which the reinforcing agent comprises an organosilane dressed glass fibre.

Claim 21

A high modulus thermoplastic moulding material consisting essentially in percent by weight based on the total weight of the material of: (a) from about 35 to about 94.5 percent of a synthetic thermoplastic polymer having a backbone of at least 50 percent of carbon atoms and selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, copolymers of styrene and acrylonitrile and mixtures thereof; (b) from about 0.01 to about 0.045 percent by weight of the addition reaction product consisting of a primary diamine of the formula: ##STR7## and an N,N' bis-imide of the formula ##STR8## wherein D is a divalent radical containing a carbon-carbon double bond and A is a divalent radical containing at least two carbon atoms; and (c) from about 5 to about 55 percent of a reinforcing agent selected from the group consisting of glass and mica.

Claim 22

A high modulus thermoplastic moulding material consisting essentially in percent by weight based on the total weight of the material of: (a) from about 35 to about 94.5 percent of a synthetic thermoplastic polymer having a backbone of at least 50 percent of carbon atoms and selected from the group consisting of polypropylene, polyethylene, polystyrene, copolymers of styrene and acrylonitrile and mixtures thereof; (b) from about 0.01 to about 0.045 percent by weight of the addition reaction product consisting of a primary diamine of the formula: ##STR7## and an N,N' bis-imide of the formula ##STR8## wherein D is a divalent radical containing a carbon-carbon double bond and A is a divalent radical containing at least two carbon atoms; and (c) from about 5 to about 55 percent of a reinforcing agent selected from the group consisting of glass and mica.