Impact-resistant poly(phenylene oxide) compositions comprising encapsulated filler material

Claim 1

An impact-resistant poly(phenylene oxide) composition comprising: (a) a matrix comprising poly(phenylene oxide) or a mixture of poly(phenylene oxide) and a styrene-based polymer, which is a polymer having at least 25 mol % of the polymer units derived from a compound having the formula: ##STR3## wherein R is hydrogen, a lower alkyl group, or a halogen, and Z is hydrogen, a lower alkyl group, chlorine, or vinyl and p is an integer from 1 to 5, and (b) dispersed in said matrix, a dispersed phase comprising a synthetic resin and a particulate inorganic filler, said synthetic resin dispersed phase substantially completely surrounding said each filler particle or aggregate thereof and being selected from the group consisting of (i) a crystalline olefin polymer phase comprising a functional derivative of a crystalline olefin polymer containing functional groups having an affinity for both said inorganic filler and a blend of said functional derivative of a crystalline olefin polymer with an underivatized crystalline olefin polymer, and, interposed between said crystalline olefin polymer phase and said matrix, a crystalline or elastomeric hydrogenated styrene-conjugated diene polymer, and (ii) a crystalline hydrogenated styrene-conjugated diene polymer phase comprising a functional derivative of a hydrogenated styrene-conjugated diene polymer containing functional groups having an affinity for both said inorganic filler and a blend of said functional derivative of a hydrogenated styrene-conjugated diene polymer with an underivatized crystalline hydrogenated styrene-conjugated diene polymer.