Polymeric molecular composites

Claim 2

A polymeric molecular composite comprising, based on the total weight of said composite, a mixture of about 30 to 60 weight percent of an aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer dispersed in about 70 to 40 weight percent of a continuous flexible coil-like thermoplastic polymer matrix, said coil-like thermoplastic polymer being a polyamide having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR4## wherein x is 4 or 8, ##STR5## wherein x' is 5 or 6, and ##STR6## wherein n is an integer having a value such that the coil-like polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 1 to about 5 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C., and said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer comprising repeating units having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR7## wherein X is NH, Nφ, φ, S, where φ is phenyl, and Ar is ##STR8## and n' is an integer having a value such that the rigid rod polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 10 to 40 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C.

Claim 3

The polymeric composite of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprises about 30 percent of the rigid rod polymer and about 70 weight percent of the flexible coil-like thermoplastic matrix.

Claim 4

The polymeric composite of claim 1 wherein the mixture comprises about 40 weight percent of the rigid rod polymer and about 60 weight percent of the flexible coil-like thermoplastic matrix.

Claim 5

The polymeric molecular composite of claim 1 wherein said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer is poly-para-phenylenebenzobisthiazole.

Claim 6

A laminate comprised of layers of a polymeric molecular composite comprising a mixture of about 30 to 60 weight percent of an aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer dispersed in about 70 to 40 weight percent of a continuous flexible coil-like thermoplastic polymer matrix, based on the total weight of said composite, said coil-like thermoplastic polymer being a polyamide having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR9## wherein x is 4 or 8, ##STR10## wherein x' is 5 or 6, and ##STR11## wherein n is an integer having a value such that the coil-like polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 1 to about 5 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C., and said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer comprising repeating units having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR12## wherein X is NH, Nφ, φ, S, where φ is phenyl, and Ar is ##STR13## and n' is an integer having a value such that the rigid rod polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 10 to 40 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C.

Claim 7

A laminate comprised of layers of a polymeric molecular composite comprising a mixture of about 30 to 60 weight percent of an aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer dispersed in about 70 to 40 weight percent of a continuous flexible coil-like thermoplastic polymer matrix, based on the total weight of said composite, said coil-like thermoplastic polymer being a polyamide having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR9## wherein x is 4 or 8, ##STR10## wherein x' is 5 or 6, and ##STR11## wherein n is an integer having a value such that the coil-like polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 1 to about 5 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C., and said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer comprising repeating units having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR12## wherein X is NH, Nφ, φ, S, where φ is phenyl, and Ar is ##STR13## and n' is an integer having a value such that the rigid rod polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 10 to 40 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C.

Claim 8

The laminate of claim 5 wherein the coil-like thermoplastic polymer comprises repeating units having a structural formula consisting of ##STR14## wherein x is 4 or 8.

Claim 9

The laminate of claim 5 wherein said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer is polyparaphenylenebenzobisthazole.

Claim 10

A process for the preparation of a composite film or fiber comprising the steps of: (i) dissolving an aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer and a flexible coil-like thermoplastic polymer in a common solvent at a concentration less than the critical concentration point of the solution; (ii) extruding the solution resulting from step (i) into a liquid bath for removing said solvent; (iii) collecting the extruded film or fiber resulting from step (ii) and washing said extruded film or fiber in a liquid bath to remove further solvent; (iv) drying the wet film or fiber from step (iii) at a temperature of less than about 30° C.; (v) hot forming the dry film or fiber by passing the same through an oven at a temperature above the Tg of the composite; and (vi) cooling the composite at ambient temperature, said composite comprising about 30 to 60 weight percent of said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer and about 70 to 40 weight percent of said flexible coil-like thermoplastic polymer, based on the total weight percent of said composite, and said coil-like thermoplastic polymer being a polyamide having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR15## wherein x is 4 or 8, ##STR16## wherein x' is 5 or 6, and ##STR17## wherein n is an integer having a value such that the coil-like polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 1 to about 5 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C., and said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer comprising repeating units having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR18## wherein X is NH, Nφ, φ, S, where φ is phenyl and Ar is ##STR19## and where n' is an integer having a value such that the rigid rod polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 10 to 40 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C.

Claim 11

A process for the preparation of a composite film or fiber comprising the steps of: (i) dissolving an aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer and a flexible coil-like thermoplastic polymer in a common solvent at a concentration less than the critical concentration point of the solution; (ii) extruding the solution resulting from step (i) into a liquid bath for removing said solvent; (iii) collecting the extruded film or fiber resulting from step (ii) and washing said extruded film or fiber in a liquid bath to remove further solvent; (iv) drying the wet film or fiber from step (iii) at a temperature of less than about 30° C.; (v) hot forming the dry film or fiber by passing the same through an oven at a temperature above the Tg of the composite; and (vi) cooling the composite at ambient temperature, said composite comprising about 30 to 60 weight percent of said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer and about 70 to 40 weight percent of said flexible coil-like thermoplastic polymer, based on the total weight percent of said composite, and said coil-like thermoplastic polymer being a polyamide having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR15## wherein x is 4 or 8, ##STR16## wherein x' is 5 or 6, and ##STR17## wherein n is an integer having a value such that the coil-like polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 1 to about 5 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C., and said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer comprising repeating units having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR18## wherein X is NH, Nφ, φ, S, where φ is phenyl and Ar is ##STR19## and where n' is an integer having a value such that the rigid rod polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 10 to 40 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C.

Claim 12

The process of claim 8 wherein, in step (i) thereof, the aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer and the flexible coil-like thermoplastic polymer are at a concentration of about 0.1 to about 1% less than the critical concentration point of the solution.

Claim 13

The process of claim 8 wherein said liquid bath in step (ii) is deionized water.

Claim 14

The process of claim 8 wherein the solvent is removed in step (iii) to a concentration of less than about 2-3% of the film or fiber.

Claim 15

The process of claim 8 wherein said common solvent in step (i) is methanesulfonic acid.

Claim 16

A polymeric molecular composite prepared by the process of claim 8.

Claim 17

A polymeric molecular composite as in claim 1 wherein said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer comprises repeating units having a structural formula selected from the group consisting of ##STR20## wherein X is NH, Nφ, φ, S, where φ is phenyl, and Ar is ##STR21## and wherein n is an integer having a value such that the rigid rod polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of at least 5 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C., and the flexible coil-like thermoplastic polymer comprises repeating units having a structure selected from the group consisting of ##STR22## wherein x is 4 or 8, ##STR23## wherein x' is 5 or 6, and ##STR24## wherein n' is an integer having a value such that the coil-like polymer has an intrinsic viscosity of about 1 to about 5 dl/g as determined in methanesulfonic acid at 30° C.

Claim 18

A polymeric molecular composite as in claim 14 wherein said coil-like thermoplastic polymer has the structural formula ##STR25##

Claim 19

A polymeric molecular composite as in claim 14 wherein said coil-like thermoplastic polymer has the structural formula ##STR26##

Claim 20

The laminate of claim 7 wherein said coil-like thermoplastic polymer has the structural formula ##STR27##

Claim 21

The laminate of claim 7 wherein said coil-like thermoplastic polymer has the structural formula ##STR28##

Claim 22

The composite of claim 13 wherein said aromatic heterocyclic rigid rod polymer is poly-para-phenylenebenzobisthiazole.