Flame retardant composition of polyphenylene ether, styrene resin and cyclic phosphate

Claim 2

A flame retardant composition comprising (a) a normally flammable composition comprising a polyphenylene ether resin and a styrene resin, and (b) an effective, flame-retardant amount of a compound of the formula ##STR6## wherein R is alkyl of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl or alkaryl.

Claim 3

A composition as defined in claim 1 wherein said polyphenylene ether resin is of the formula ##STR7## wherein the oxygen ether atom of one unit is connected to the benzene nucleus of the next adjoining unit, n is a positive integer equal to at least 50; and R 1 , independently, is a monovalent substituent selected from hydrogen, halogen, hydrocarbon radicals free of a tertiary alpha carbon atom, halohydrocarbon radicals having at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenyl nucleus and being free of a tertiary alpha carbon atom, hydrocarbonoxy radicals being free of a tertiary alpha carbon atom, or halohydrocarbonoxy radicals having at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenyl nucleus and being free of a tertiary alpha carbon atom.

Claim 4

A composition as defined in claim 2 wherein each R 1 is alkyl of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

Claim 5

A composition as defined in claim 3 wherein each R 1 is methyl.

Claim 6

A composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the styrene resin comprises from 20 to 80 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of component (a).

Claim 7

A composition as defined in claim 1 wherein said styrene resin has at least 25 percent by weight units derived from a compound of the formula: ##STR8## wherein R 2 is hydrogen, alkyl of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms or halogen; Z is vinyl, halogen, or lower alkyl, and p is 0 or a whole number equal to the number of replaceable hydrogen atoms in the benzene nucleus.

Claim 8

A composition as defined in claim 6 wherein p is 0 and R 2 is hydrogen.

Claim 9

A composition as defined in claim 1 wherein, in component (b), R is phenyl.

Claim 10

A composition as defined in claim 1 wherein the amount of component (b) is from 1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of (a) and (b) combined.

Claim 11

A process for decreasing the self-extinguishing time of a normally flammable composition comprising a polyphenylene ether resin and a styrene resin, said process comprising adding to said composition an effective flame-retardant amount of a flame-retardant of the formula ##STR9## wherein R is alkyl of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl or alkaryl.

Claim 12

A process for decreasing the self-extinguishing time of a normally flammable composition comprising a polyphenylene ether resin and a styrene resin, said process comprising adding to said composition an effective flame-retardant amount of a flame-retardant of the formula ##STR9## wherein R is alkyl of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl or alkaryl.

Claim 13

A process as defined in claim 10 wherein said polyphenylene ether resin is of the formula ##STR10## wherein the oxygen ether atom of one unit is connected to the benzene nucleus of the next adjoining unit, n is a positive integer equal to at least 50; and R 1 , independently, is a monovalent substituent selected from hydrogen, halogen, hydrocarbon radicals free of a tertiary alpha carbon atom, halohydrocarbon radicals having at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenyl nucleus and being free of a tertiary alpha carbon atom, hydrocarbonoxy radicals being free of a tertiary alpha carbon atom, or halohydrocarbonoxy radicals having at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenyl nucleus and being free of a tertiary alpha carbon atom.

Claim 14

A process as defined in claim 11 wherein each R 1 is alkyl of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms.

Claim 15

A process as defined in claim 12 wherein each R 1 is methyl.

Claim 16

A process as defined in claim 10 wherein the styrene resin comprises from 20 to 80 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of polyphenylene ether resin and styrene resin.

Claim 17

A process as defined in claim 10 wherein said styrene resin has at least 25 percent by weight units derived from a compound of the formula ##STR11## wherein R 2 is hydrogen, alkyl of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms or halogen; Z is vinyl, halogen, or lower alkyl, and p is 0 or a whole number equal to the number of replaceable hydrogen atoms in the benzene nucleus.

Claim 18

A process as defined in claim 15 wherein p is 0 and R 2 is hydrogen.

Claim 19

A process as defined in claim 10 wherein, in the flame-retardant, R is phenyl.

Claim 20

A process as defined in claim 10 wherein the amount of flame-retardant is from 1 to 10 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of polyphenylene ether resin, styrene resin, and flame-retardant combined.

Claim 21

A process for decreasing the self-extinguishing time of a normally flammable composition comprising a polyphenylene ether resin and a styrene resin, said process comprising adding to said composition from 2 to 4.5 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of polyphenylene ether resin, styrene resin, and flame-retardant combined, of a flame-retardant of the formula ##STR12## wherein R is alkyl of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl or alkaryl.

Claim 22

A process for decreasing the self-extinguishing time of a normally flammable composition comprising a polyphenylene ether resin and a styrene resin, said process comprising adding to said composition from 2 to 4.5 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of polyphenylene ether resin, styrene resin, and flame-retardant combined, of a flame-retardant of the formula ##STR12## wherein R is alkyl of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl or alkaryl.

Claim 23

A flame retardant composition comprising (a) a normally flammable composition comprising a polyphenylene ether resin and a styrene resin, and (b) from 2 to 4.5 parts by weight per 100 parts of (a) and (b) combined of a compound of the formula ##STR13## wherein R is alkyl of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl or alkaryl.

Claim 24

A flame retardant composition comprising (a) a normally flammable composition comprising a polyphenylene ether resin and a styrene resin, and (b) from 2 to 4.5 parts by weight per 100 parts of (a) and (b) combined of a compound of the formula ##STR13## wherein R is alkyl of from 1 to 18 carbon atoms, aryl or alkaryl.