Polyphenylene ether resin compositions containing EPDM rubber-modified alkenyl aromatic resins and hydrogenated elastomeric block copolymers

Claim 2

A thermoplastic molding composition comprising: (a) a polyphenylene ether resin; (b) an alkenyl aromatic resin that is modified with a rubbery interpolymer of a mixture of mono-olefins and a polyene by polymerizing alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of the rubbery interpolymer until 90-100% by weight of the alkenyl aromatic monomer has reacted, the rubbery interpolymer being comprised of particles having a median diameter less than about two microns; and (c) a selectively hydrogenated elastomeric block copolymer of the A-B-A type, wherein terminal blocks A are a polymerized vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and center block B is a polymerized conjugated diene.

Claim 3

The molding composition of claim 1 wherein the alkenyl aromatic resin is modified with a rubbery interpolymer of ethylene, an alpha-olefin, and a polyene.

Claim 4

The molding composition of claim 2 wherein the alpha-olefin is propylene.

Claim 5

The molding composition of claim 1 wherein the rubbery interpolymer comprises 10-90 mole percent of ethylene, 10-90 mole percent of an alpha-olefin having 3-16 carbon atoms, and 0.1-12 mole percent of a polyene that is a non-conjugated cyclic or open-chain diene having 5-20 carbon atoms.

Claim 6

The molding composition of claim 4 wherein the alpha-olefin is propylene.

Claim 7

The molding composition of claim 4 wherein the polyphenylene ether resin is selected from the compounds 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 and is at least 50, and each Q is a monovalent substituent selected from the group consisting of 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, hydrocarbonoxy radicals, and the halohydrocarbonoxy radicals having at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenyl nucleus.

Claim 8

The molding composition of claim 1 wherein the alkenyl aromatic resin is prepared from a monomer selected from the group consisting of styrene, α-methylstyrene, bromostyrene, chlorostyrene, divinylbenzene, and vinyltoluene.

Claim 9

The molding composition of claim 1 wherein in the A-B-A block copolymer (c), the vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon of terminal blocks A is selected from the group consisting of styrene, α-methyl styrene, vinyltoluene, vinyl xylene, and vinyl naphthalene and the conjugated diene of center block B is selected from the group consisting of butadiene, 2-methyl-1,3-butadiene, 1,3-pentadiene, and 2,3-dimethylbutadiene.

Claim 10

The molding composition of claim 1 wherein the A-B-A block copolymer (c), each of terminal blocks A has an average molecular weight of from about 4,000 to about 115,000 and center block B has an average molecular weight of from about 20,000 to about 450,000.

Claim 11

The molding composition of claim 1 wherein the average unsaturation of center block B has been reduced to less than 20% of its original value.

Claim 12

The molding composition of claim 1 wherein the composition includes a reinforcing amount of an inorganic reinforcing filler.

Claim 13

The molding composition of claim 11 wherein the compositions includes from 10 to 50% by weight of fibrous glass filaments, based on the total weight of the composition.

Claim 14

The molding composition of claim 1 wherein the composition includes a flame-retardant amount of a flame-retardant additive.

Claim 15

The molding composition of claim 13 wherein the flame retardant is a halogenated organic compound, a halogenated organic compound in admixture with an antimony compound, elemental phosphorus, a phosphorus compound, compounds containing phosphorus-nitrogen bonds, or a mixture of two or more of the foregoing.

Claim 16

A thermoplastic molding composition comprising: (a) from 80 to 65% by weight of a polyphenylene ether resin; (b) from 20 to 80% by weight of an alkenyl aromatic resin that is modified with a rubbery interpolymer which comprises 10-90 mole percent of ethylene, 10-90 mole percent of an alpha-olefin having 3-10 carbon atoms, and 0.1-12 mole percent of a polyene that is a non-conjugated cyclic or open-chain diene having 5-10 carbon atoms, by polymerizing alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of the rubbery interpolymer until 90-100% by weight of the alkenyl aromatic monomer has reacted, the rubbery interpolymer being comprised of particles having a median diameter less than about two microns; and (c) from about 1 to 20% by weight of a selectively hydrogenated elastomeric block copolymer of the A-B-A type, wherein terminal blocks A are polymerized vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons and center block B is a polymerized conjugated diene.

Claim 17

A thermoplastic molding composition comprising: (a) from 80 to 65% by weight of a polyphenylene ether resin; (b) from 20 to 80% by weight of an alkenyl aromatic resin that is modified with a rubbery interpolymer which comprises 10-90 mole percent of ethylene, 10-90 mole percent of an alpha-olefin having 3-10 carbon atoms, and 0.1-12 mole percent of a polyene that is a non-conjugated cyclic or open-chain diene having 5-10 carbon atoms, by polymerizing alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of the rubbery interpolymer until 90-100% by weight of the alkenyl aromatic monomer has reacted, the rubbery interpolymer being comprised of particles having a median diameter less than about two microns; and (c) from about 1 to 20% by weight of a selectively hydrogenated elastomeric block copolymer of the A-B-A type, wherein terminal blocks A are polymerized vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons and center block B is a polymerized conjugated diene.

Claim 18

The molding composition of claim 15 wherein the polyphenylene ether resin is poly(2,6-dimethyl-phenylene) ether.

Claim 19

The molding composition of claim 15 wherein the alpha-olefin is propylene.

Claim 20

The molding composition of claim 15 wherein the alkenyl aromatic resin is styrene and said rubbery interpolymer is present between about 4% and about 25% by weight of styrene and rubbery interpolymer combined.

Claim 21

The molding composition of claim 15 wherein the rubbery interpolymer comprises 10-90 mole percent of ethylene, 10-90 mole percent of propylene, and 0.1-12 mole percent of 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene.

Claim 22

The molding composition of claim 15 wherein the rubbery interpolymer comprises 10-90 mole percent of ethylene, 10-90 mole percent of propylene, and 0.1-12 mole percent of 1,4-hexadiene.

Claim 23

The molding composition of claim 15 wherein the rubbery interpolymer comprises 10-90 mole percent of ethylene, 10-90 mole percent of propylene, and 0.1-12 mole percent of dicyclopentadiene.

Claim 24

A thermoplastic composition comprising: (a) from 20 to 80% by weight of a polyphenylene ether resin; (b) from 20 to 80% by weight of an alkenyl aromatic resin that is modified with a rubbery interpolymer which comprises 10-90 mole percent of ethylene, 10-90 mole percent of an alpha-olefin having 3-10 carbon atoms, and 0.1-12 mole percent of a polyene that is a non-conjugated cyclic or open-chain diene having 5-10 carbon atoms, by polymerizing alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of the rubbery interpolymer until 90-100% by weight of the alkenyl aromatic monomer has reacted, the rubbery interpolymer being comprised of particles having a median diameter less than about two microns; (c) from about 1 to 20% by weight of a selectively hydrogenated elastomeric block copolymer of the A-B-A type, wherein terminal blocks A are polymerized vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons and center block B is a polymerized conjugated diene; and (d) a reinforcing amount of an inorganic reinforcing filler.

Claim 25

A thermoplastic composition comprising: (a) from 20 to 80% by weight of a polyphenylene ether resin; (b) from 20 to 80% by weight of an alkenyl aromatic resin that is modified with a rubbery interpolymer which comprises 10-90 mole percent of ethylene, 10-90 mole percent of an alpha-olefin having 3-10 carbon atoms, and 0.1-12 mole percent of a polyene that is a non-conjugated cyclic or open-chain diene having 5-10 carbon atoms, by polymerizing alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of the rubbery interpolymer until 90-100% by weight of the alkenyl aromatic monomer has reacted, the rubbery interpolymer being comprised of particles having a median diameter less than about two microns; (c) from about 1 to 20% by weight of a selectively hydrogenated elastomeric block copolymer of the A-B-A type, wherein terminal blocks A are polymerized vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons and center block B is a polymerized conjugated diene; and (d) a reinforcing amount of an inorganic reinforcing filler.

Claim 26

The molding composition of claim 22 wherein the polyphenylene ether resin is poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) ether.

Claim 27

The molding composition of claim 22 wherein the alpha-olefin is propylene.

Claim 28

The molding composition of claim 22 wherein the reinforcing filler comprises from 10 to 50% fibrous glass filaments, based on the total weight of the composition.

Claim 29

A thermoplastic molding composition comprising: (a) from 20 to 80% by weight of a polyphenylene ether resin; (b) from 20 to 80% by weight of an alkenyl aromatic resin that is modified with a rubbery interpolymer which comprises 10-90 mole percent of ethylene, 10-90 mole percent of an alpha-olefin having 3-10 carbon atoms, and 0.1-12 mole percent of a polyene that is a non-conjugated cyclic or open-chain diene having 5-10 carbon atoms, by polymerizing alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of the rubbery interpolymer until 90-100% by weight of the alkenyl aromatic monomer has reacted, the rubbery interpolymer being comprised of particles having a median diameter less than about two microns; (c) from about 1 to 20% by weight of a selectively hydrogenated elastomeric block copolymer of the A-B-A type, wherein terminal blocks A are polymerized vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons and center block B is a polymerized conjugated diene; and (d) a flame-retardant amount of a flame-retardant additive.

Claim 30

A thermoplastic molding composition comprising: (a) from 20 to 80% by weight of a polyphenylene ether resin; (b) from 20 to 80% by weight of an alkenyl aromatic resin that is modified with a rubbery interpolymer which comprises 10-90 mole percent of ethylene, 10-90 mole percent of an alpha-olefin having 3-10 carbon atoms, and 0.1-12 mole percent of a polyene that is a non-conjugated cyclic or open-chain diene having 5-10 carbon atoms, by polymerizing alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of the rubbery interpolymer until 90-100% by weight of the alkenyl aromatic monomer has reacted, the rubbery interpolymer being comprised of particles having a median diameter less than about two microns; (c) from about 1 to 20% by weight of a selectively hydrogenated elastomeric block copolymer of the A-B-A type, wherein terminal blocks A are polymerized vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons and center block B is a polymerized conjugated diene; and (d) a flame-retardant amount of a flame-retardant additive.

Claim 31

The molding composition of claim 26 wherein the alpha-olefin is propylene.

Claim 32

The molding composition of claim 26 wherein the flame-retardant additive is a halogenated organic compound, a halogenated organic compound in admixture with an antimony compound, elemental phosphorus, a phosphorus compound, compounds containing phosphorus-nitrogen bonds, or a mixture of two or more of the foregoing.

Claim 33

The molding composition of claim 26 wherein the flame-retardant additive comprises a mixture of an organic bromine-containing compound with antimony oxide.

Claim 34

The molding composition of claim 26 wherein the flame-retardant additive is triphenylphosphate.

Claim 35

The molding composition of claim 26 wherein the flame-retardant additive is comprised of a mixture of triaryl phosphates wherein one or more aryl groups are substituted by one or more isopropyl groups.