Liquid Crystalline Polymer Composition

• US 20140264183A1
• Filed: 10/14/2013
• Published: 09/18/2014
• Est. Priority Date: 03/13/2013
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Ticona LLC (Celanese Corporation)
• Original Assignee: Ticona LLC (Celanese Corporation)
• Inventors: Kim, Young Shin
• Granted Patent: US 11,136,445 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 252/500
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 2948/92704 Temperature
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/04 Particle-shaped making granules B29B9/00
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/05 Filamentary, e.g. strands
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/2886 of fibrous, filamentary or filling materials, e.g. thin fibrous reinforcements or fillers
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/345 Extrusion nozzles comprising two or more adjacently arranged ports, for simultaneously extruding multiple strands, e.g. for pelletising
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/40 using two or more parallel screws or at least two parallel non-intermeshing screws, e.g. twin screw extruders
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/625 characterised by the ratio of the threaded length of the screw to its outside diameter [L/D ratio]
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/67 having incorporated mixing devices not provided for in groups B29C48/52 - B29C48/66
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/767 through a degassing opening of a barrel
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/919 using a bath, e.g. extruding into an open bath to coagulate or cool the material
• CPC Class Codes: B29C 48/92 Measuring, controlling or regulating
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/10 characterised by the additives used in the polymer mixture
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/34 Silicon-containing compounds
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/346 Clay
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 3/40 Glass
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/092 Polycarboxylic acids
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/13 Phenols; Phenolates
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 7/02 Fibres or whiskers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/03 the dicarboxylic acids and dihydroxy compounds having the carboxyl- and the hydroxy groups directly linked to aromatic rings
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/3809 Polyesters; Polyester derivatives, e.g. polyamides
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/52 : characterised by components which are not liquid crystals, e.g. additives with special physical aspect: solvents, solid particles
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 19/54 : Additives having no specific mesophase characterised by their chemical composition
• CPC Class Codes: C09K 2019/521 : Inorganic solid particles
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/20 : Conductive material dispersed in non-conductive organic material organic macromolecular compounds or compositions C08
• CPC Class Codes: H01B 1/24 : the conductive material comprising carbon-silicon compounds, carbon or silicon
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/1372 : Randomly noninterengaged or randomly contacting fibers, filaments, particles, or flakes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/266 : of base or substrate
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/269 : including synthetic resin or polymer layer or component

Abstract

A compact camera module that contains a generally planar base on which is mounted a lens barrel is provided. The base, barrel, or both are molded from a polymer composition that includes a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer and a plurality of mineral fibers (also known as “whisker”). The mineral fibers have a median width of from about 1 to about 35 micrometers and constitute from about 5 wt % to about 60 wt % of the polymer composition.

Claims

1. A polymer composition that comprises a functional aromatic compound and plurality of mineral fibers embedded within a thermotropic liquid crystalline polymer matrix, wherein the mineral fibers have a median width of from about 1 to about 35 micrometers and constitute from about 5 wt. % to about 60 wt. % of the polymer composition.

2. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystalline polymer matrix constitutes from about 25 wt. % to about 95 wt. % of the composition.

3. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the liquid crystalline polymer matrix includes a polymer that contains aromatic ester repeating units.

4. The polymer composition of claim 3, wherein the aromatic ester repeating units are aromatic dicarboxylic acid repeating units, aromatic hydroxycarboxylic acid repeating units, aromatic diol repeating units, or a combination thereof.

5. The polymer composition of claim 3, wherein the polymer has a total amount of repeating units derived from naphthenic hydroxycarboxylic and/or naphthenic dicarboxylic acids of more than about 10 mol. %.

6. The polymer composition of claim 3, wherein the polymer contains repeating units derived from 4-hydroxybenzoic acid, terephthalic acid, hydroquinone, 4,4′

-biphenol, 6-hydroxy-2-naphthoic acid, 2,6-naphthelene dicarboxylic acid, or a combination thereof.

7. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein at least about 60% by volume of the mineral fibers have a diameter of from about 1 to about 35 micrometers.

8. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the mineral fibers have an aspect ratio of from about 1 to about 50.

9. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the mineral fibers have a median width of from about 3 to about 15 micrometers.

10. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the mineral fibers include fibers derived from a silicate.

11. The polymer composition of claim 10, wherein the silicate is an inosilicate.

12. The polymer composition of claim 11, wherein the inosilicate includes wollastonite.

13. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the functional aromatic compound has the general structure provided below in Formula (I):

14. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the functional aromatic compound includes a phenolic compound, diphenolic compound, naphthenic compound, or a combination thereof.

15. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the functional aromatic compound includes an aromatic diol.

16. The polymer composition of claim 15, wherein the aromatic diol is 4,4′

-biphenol.

17. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the functional aromatic compound includes an aromatic carboxylic acid.

18. The polymer composition of claim 17, wherein the aromatic carboxylic acid is 2,6-naphthelene dicarboxylic acid.

19. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein functional aromatic compounds constitute from about 0.001 wt. % to about 5 wt. % of the polymer composition.

20. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the composition further includes at least one non-aromatic functional compound.

21. The polymer composition of claim 20, wherein the non-aromatic functional compound is a hydrate.

22. The polymer composition of claim 1, further comprising a conductive filler, glass filler, clay mineral, or a combination thereof.

23. The polymer composition of claim 1, wherein the composition has a melt viscosity of from about 0.1 to about 80 Pa-s, as determined in accordance with ISO Test No. 11443 at a shear rate of 1000 seconds⁻

1 and temperature that is 15°

C. above the melting temperature of the composition.

24. An electrical connector comprising a molded part, the molded part comprising the polymer composition of claim 1.