High performance engineering polymer compositions

Claim 2

A high performance engineering polymer composition comprising a wholly aromatic engineering polymer having aromatic rings forming the main chain of the polymer and devoid of methylene groups in said main chain, and a polymeric polyvalent metal aromatic polycarboxylate, as a high temperature additive in an effective amount for extending said engineering polymer while substantially maintaining or improving its engineering properties, said polymeric carboxylate being dispersible, non-migratable, non-extractable, and heat stable at temperatures for processing said engineering polymer.

Claim 3

The composition of claim 1 wherein said polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate, polyarylate, liquid crystal polymer, polyarylethersulfone, polyarylsulfone, and polyarylether ketone, and blends thereof.

Claim 4

The composition of claim 1 wherein the aromatic polycarboxylate group of said polymeric polycarboxylate is selected from the group consisting of terephthalate, isophthalate, trimellitate, pyromellitate, trimesate and 2,6-naphthelene dicarboxylate.

Claim 5

The composition of claim 1 wherein said polyvalent metal of said polymeric polycarboxylate is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc and aluminum.

Claim 6

The composition of claim 4 wherein the polymeric polycarboxylate is calcium terephthalate.

Claim 7

The composition of claim 1 wherein the polymeric carboxylate is dispersed in said engineering polymer in a particulate form having an aspect ratio of at least about 5:1.

Claim 8

The composition of claim 6 wherein the particle size of said particulate form is less than about 100 mesh.

Claim 9

The composition of claim 6 wherein the aspect ratio is on the order of about 5:1 to about 20:1.

Claim 10

The composition of claim 1 wherein said polymeric polycarboxylate is contained in an amount of from about 10 to about 50% by volume.

Claim 11

A heat stable moisture-resistant thermoplastic engineering polymer composition comprising a wholly aromatic thermoplastic engineering polymer having aromatic rings forming the main chain of the polymer and devoid of methylene groups in said main chain, said polymer selected from the group of polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polyarylate, liquid crystal polymer, polyarylethersulfone, polyarylsulfone, polycarbonate, and polyarylether ketone, and blends thereof, an anhydrous polymeric polyvalent metal aromatic polycarboxylate having an aromatic polycarboxylate group selected from the group consisting of terephthalate, isophthalate, trimellitate, pyromellitate and trimesate and polyvalent metal of said polymeric carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium, strontium, barium, zinc and aluminum, said polymeric carboxylate contained as a high temperature additive in an effective amount for extending said engineering polymer while substantially maintaining or improving its engineering properties and said polymeric carboxylate being dispersible, non-migratable, non-extractable and heat stable at processing temperatures of said engineering polymer.

Claim 12

A heat stable moisture-resistant thermoplastic engineering polymer composition comprising a wholly aromatic thermoplastic engineering polymer having aromatic rings forming the main chain of the polymer and devoid of methylene groups in said main chain, said polymer selected from the group of polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polyarylate, liquid crystal polymer, polyarylethersulfone, polyarylsulfone, polycarbonate, and polyarylether ketone, and blends thereof, an anhydrous polymeric polyvalent metal aromatic polycarboxylate having an aromatic polycarboxylate group selected from the group consisting of terephthalate, isophthalate, trimellitate, pyromellitate and trimesate and polyvalent metal of said polymeric carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium, strontium, barium, zinc and aluminum, said polymeric carboxylate contained as a high temperature additive in an effective amount for extending said engineering polymer while substantially maintaining or improving its engineering properties and said polymeric carboxylate being dispersible, non-migratable, non-extractable and heat stable at processing temperatures of said engineering polymer.

Claim 13

The composition of claim 10 wherein said polymeric carboxylate is calcium terephthalate.

Claim 14

A heat stable moisture-resistant thermoplastic engineering polymer composition comprising a wholly aromatic thermoplastic engineering polymer having aromatic rings forming the main chain of the polymer and devoid of methylene groups in said main chain, said polymer selected from the group of polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polyarylate, liquid crystal polymer, polyarylethersulfone, polyarylsulfone, polycarbonate, and polyarylether ketone, and blends thereof, an anhydrous polymeric polyvalent metal aromatic polycarboxylate, said polymeric carboxylate contained as a high temperature additive in an effective amount for extending said engineering polymer while substantially maintaining or improving its engineering properties and said polymeric carboxylate being dispersible, non-migratable, non-extractable and heat stable at processing temperatures of said engineering polymer, wherein said polymeric carboxylate is contained in an amount of at least about 10% by volume.

Claim 15

A heat stable moisture-resistant thermoplastic engineering polymer composition comprising a wholly aromatic thermoplastic engineering polymer having aromatic rings forming the main chain of the polymer and devoid of methylene groups in said main chain, said polymer selected from the group of polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polyarylate, liquid crystal polymer, polyarylethersulfone, polyarylsulfone, polycarbonate, and polyarylether ketone, and blends thereof, an anhydrous polymeric polyvalent metal aromatic polycarboxylate, said polymeric carboxylate contained as a high temperature additive in an effective amount for extending said engineering polymer while substantially maintaining or improving its engineering properties and said polymeric carboxylate being dispersible, non-migratable, non-extractable and heat stable at processing temperatures of said engineering polymer, wherein said polymeric carboxylate is contained in an amount of at least about 10% by volume.

Claim 16

The composition of claim 12 wherein said polymeric carboxylate is contained in an amount of from about 10 to about 50% by volume.

Claim 17

A heat stable moisture-resistant thermoplastic engineering polymer composition comprising a wholly aromatic thermoplastic engineering polymer having aromatic rings forming the main chain of the polymer and devoid of methylene groups in said main chain, said polymer selected from the group of polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polyarylate, liquid crystal polymer, polyarylethersulfone, polyarylsulfone, polycarbonate, and polyarylether ketone, and blends thereof, an anhydrous polymeric polyvalent metal aromatic polycarboxylate, said polymeric carboxylate contained as a high temperature additive in an effective amount for extending said engineering polymer while substantially maintaining or improving its engineering properties and said polymeric carboxylate being dispersible, non-migratable, non-extractable and heat stable at processing temperatures of said engineering polymer, with said polymeric polyvalent metal aromatic polycarboxylate having a 1,4-benzene dicarboxylic acid group in the polymer chain.

Claim 18

A heat stable moisture-resistant thermoplastic engineering polymer composition comprising a wholly aromatic thermoplastic engineering polymer having aromatic rings forming the main chain of the polymer and devoid of methylene groups in said main chain, said polymer selected from the group of polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polyarylate, liquid crystal polymer, polyarylethersulfone, polyarylsulfone, polycarbonate, and polyarylether ketone, and blends thereof, an anhydrous polymeric polyvalent metal aromatic polycarboxylate, said polymeric carboxylate contained as a high temperature additive in an effective amount for extending said engineering polymer while substantially maintaining or improving its engineering properties and said polymeric carboxylate being dispersible, non-migratable, non-extractable and heat stable at processing temperatures of said engineering polymer, with said polymeric polyvalent metal aromatic polycarboxylate having a 1,4-benzene dicarboxylic acid group in the polymer chain.

Claim 19

The composition of claim 14 wherein said benzene dicarboxylate group is terephthalate and the polyvalent metal is selected from the group consisting of calcium, magnesium, strontium, barium, zinc and aluminum.

Claim 20

The composition of claim 14 wherein said liquid crystal polymer is a copolymer of hydroxybenzoic acid and hydroxynaphthoic acid.

Claim 23

The method of claim 17 wherein said engineering polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyphenylene sulfide, polyphenylene oxide, polycarbonate, polyarylate, liquid crystal polymers, polyarylethersulfone, polyarylsulfone, and polyarylether ketone, and blends thereof.

Claim 24

The method of claim 17 wherein the aromatic polycarboxylate group of said polymeric carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of terephthalate, isophthalate, trimellitate, pyromellitate, trimesate and 2,6-naphthelene dicarboxylate.

Claim 25

The method of claim 17 wherein said engineering polymer is a liquid crystal co-polymer of hydroxybenzoic acid and hydroxynaphthoic acid.

Claim 26

The method of claim 17 wherein said aromatic polycarboxylate group of said polymeric polycarboxylate is selected from the group consisting of terephthalate, isophthalate, trimellitate, pyromellitate, trimsate and 2,6-naphthelene dicarboxylate and said polyvalent metal of said polymeric carboxylate is selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, strontium, barium, zinc and aluminum.

Claim 27

The method of claim 18 wherein the polymeric carboxylate is calcium terephthalate.

Claim 28

The method of claim 22 wherein the calcium terephthalate is contained in an amount of from about 10 to about 50% by volume.