Compositions of capped polyphenylene oxides and alkenyl aromatic resins

• US 4,148,843 A
• Filed: 12/23/1977
• Issued: 04/10/1979
• Est. Priority Date: 12/23/1977
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: General Electric Company
• Original Assignee: General Electric Company
• Inventors: Goossens, John C.
• Primary Examiner(s): Welsh, M. J.
• Application Number:
  US05/863,670
• Time in Patent Office: 473 Days
• Field of Search: 260/874
• US Class Current: 525/151
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 212/00 Copolymers of compounds having one or more unsaturated aliphatic radicals, each having only one carbon-to-carbon double bond, and at least one being terminated by an aromatic carbocyclic ring
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 283/08 on to polyphenylene oxides
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 65/485 Polyphenylene oxides

Abstract

There is described a process for making a composition of a capped polyphenylene oxide and an alkenyl aromatic resin which is based on the thermal polymerization of an alkenyl aromatic monomer in the presence of a capped polyphenylene oxide.

Claims

1. A process for the preparation of a composition which comprises:

(a) a polyphenylene oxide resin that is capped with a compound selected from the group consisting of acid halides, acid anhydrides and ketenes; and

(b) an alkenyl aromatic resin;

said process comprising forming a mixture of a capped polyphenylene oxide in an alkenyl aromatic monomer and thereafter heating said mixture for a sufficient period of time at an elevated temperature to form said composition.

2. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the capped polyphenylene oxide is derived from compounds of the formula:

##STR3## wherein X is a substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, chlorine, bromine and iodine, Q is a monovalent substituent selected from the group consisting of hydrocarbon radicals, halohydrocarbon radicals having at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenol nucleus;

hydrocarbonoxy radicals and halohydrocarbonoxy radicals having at least two carbon atoms between the halogen atom and the phenol nucleus;

Q'"'"' and Q" are the same as Q and in addition may be halogen, with the proviso that Q, Q'"'"' and Q" are all free of a tertiary-alpha-carbon atom.

3. A process as defined in claim 2 wherein the polyphenylene oxide is capped with a compound selected from the group consisting of acid halides, acid anhydrides and ketenes.

4. A process as defined in claim 3 wherein the alkenyl aromatic monomer is selected from compounds of the formula:

##STR4## wherein R¹ and R² are selected from the group consisting of lower alkyl or alkenyl groups of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms and hydrogen;

R³ and R⁴ are selected from the group consisting of chloro, bromo, hydrogen and lower alkyl of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms;

R⁵ and R⁶ are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and lower alkyl and alkenyl groups of from 1 to 6 carbon atoms or R⁵ and R⁶ may be concatenated together with hydrocarbyl groups to form a naphthyl group, said compounds being free of any substituent that has a tertiary carbon atom.

5. A process as defined in claim 4 wherein the composition comprises from 10-90 parts by weight of the capped polyphenylene oxide and 90-10 parts by weight of alkenyl aromatic resin.

6. A process as defined in claim 5 wherein the composition includes a reinforcing amount of a reinforcing filler.

7. A process as defined in claim 1 wherein the mixture is thermally polymerized at a temperature of from 105°

-175°

C.

8. A process for the preparation of a composition which comprises:

(a) 10-90 parts by weight of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) that is capped with a compound selected from the group consisting of acid halides, acid anhydrides and ketenes; and

(b) 90-10 parts by weight of polystyrene resin;

said process comprising forming a mixture of which consists of a capped polyphenylene oxide and styrene monomer and heating said mixture for a period of time at a temperature that is sufficient to cause the styrene monomer to polymerize and form said composition.

9. A process as defined in claim 8 wherein the capped poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene oxide) is derived from a capping agent selected from the group consisting of acid halides, acid anhydrides and ketenes.

10. A process as defined in claim 9 wherein the capping agent is phosphoryl chloride.

11. A process as defined in claim 9 wherein the capping agent is an acetate forming compound.

12. A composition which comprises:

(a) a polyphenylene oxide resin that is capped with a compound selected form the group consisting of acid halides, acid anhydrides and ketenes; and

(b) an alkenyl aromatic resin.