Thermoplastic molding compounds based on functionalized polyphenylene ethers and polyamides

Claim 1

A thermoplastic molding compound, comprising: (i) 5-90 parts by weight of a polyphenylene ether having the structure: ##STR12## wherein R 1 , R 3 , R 5 and R 7 , independently, are selected from the group consisting of phenyl, benzyl, and C 1-10 straight-chain or branched alkyl groups; or R 1 and R 5 are hydrogen and R 3 and R 7 are a C 4-10 tertiary alkyl group, R 2 , R 4 , R 6 and R 8 are, independently, selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and C 1-10 alkyl groups; n is 10-200; and X is ##STR13## wherein R is a single C--C bond or a C 1--12 divalent aliphatic group and R', R" and R'" are, independently, hydrogen, C 1-10 alkyl groups, or C 1-10 alkyl groups which are substituted with one or more hydroxyl groups; and (ii) 95-10 parts by weight of a polyamide, wherein said polyphenylene ether is prepared by oxidatively coupling a phenol having the structure ##STR14## in the presence of a small quantity of a functionalized phenol having the structure ##STR15## wherein R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , R 4 , R 5 , R 6 , R 7 , R 8 and X are as defined above.