Plasticization of quaternary phosphonium ion containing polymers

Claim 1

A blend composition which comprises: (a) an ionomer having the general formula ##STR9## wherein C is one of a plurality of carbon atoms comprising a portion of the polymer backbone chain of carbon atoms or is in an acyclic, alicyclic or aromatic radical which is pendant to the backbone chain and wherein said C is (1) in a single polymer molecule, (2) in the same polymer molecule, (3) in different polymer molecules; A - is one or more anionic acid radicals covalently bonded to one or more of said C carbon atoms; and (F) + is selected from the group of quaternary phosphonium counterions consisting of compounds having the general formula: (PR'R''R'''R'.sup.v).sup.+ .sup.+ (PR'R''R'''--Q--R'R''R'''P).sup.+ .sup.+ (PR'R''R'''--Q--(R')P.sup.+ (R'')--Q--R'R''R'''P).sup.+ T(PR'R''R''')v.sup.+ wherein R', R", R''' and R' v are independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 to C 50 straight and branched chain acyclic, alicyclic, aryl, alkylaryl and arylalkyl radicals and substituted functional derivatives thereof; Q is selected from the group consisting of C 4 to C 40 divalent straight and branched chain alkylene cycloalkylene, arylene, dialkylene arylene radicals and substituted functional derivatives thereof and --(CHY) n --Z m --(CHY) n -- wherein Z is a heteroatom selected from the group consisting of oxygen and sulfur; m is zero or one; Y is hydrogen or said C 1 to C 50 radicals and substituted functional derivatives of said radicals; n is an integer from 1 to 10; and v is the valency of a polyvalent hydrocarbon radical T, v being 3-10, and (b) less than about 75 parts by weight of a preferential plasticizer per 100 parts of said ionomer, said preferential plasticizer has the formula: ##STR10## wherein L is a lipophilic moiety and H is a hydrophilic moiety, wherein a and b are whole numbers ranging from 1 to 4.