Thermoformable polyaryletherketone sheet

• US 4,996,287 A
• Filed: 12/13/1988
• Issued: 02/26/1991
• Est. Priority Date: 12/13/1988
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Fiberite, Inc. (Syensqo SA)
• Original Assignee: E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Company (Corteva, Inc.)
• Inventors: Bloom, Joy S.
• Primary Examiner(s): Kight, III, John
• Assistant Examiner(s): Hightower, P. Hampton
• Application Number:
  US07/283,695
• Time in Patent Office: 805 Days
• Field of Search: 528/125, 528/126, 528/128
• US Class Current: 528/125
• CPC Class Codes: C08G 61/127 derived from carbon dioxide, carbonyl halide, carboxylic acids or their derivatives
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2371/00 Characterised by the use of polyethers obtained by reactions forming an ether link in the main chain; Derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 5/18 Manufacture of films or sheets

Abstract

A thermoformable polyaryletherketone sheet of a thickness of about 625-5000 micrometers, having repeating units derived from diphenyl ether and terephthalyl and isophthalyl groups, especially a polyetherketoneketone in which the terephthalyl to isophthalyl isomer ratio is about 70:30 to 0:100, especially 60:40 to 50:50, which thermoformable sheet has a crystallinity of 5% of less, can be fabricated into three-dimensional articles such as, e.g., panels and ducts for aircraft interiors having good formability and mold replication.

Claims

1. A polyaryletherketone sheet having a thickness of about 625 to 5000 micrometers, wherein the polyaryletherketone has a crystallinity of less than about 5% and consists essentially of repeating units selected from the group represented by the following formulas I, II, or III:

##STR3## wherein Ph is either the 1,4-phenylene or the 1,3-phenylene group provided that the 1,4-phenylene to 1,3 phenylene isomer ratio is 70;

30 to 0;

100.

2. A sheet of claim 1 wherein the polyaryletherketone is a polyetherketoneketone having a repeating unit represented by formula I.

3. A sheet of claim 2, wherein the 1,4-phenylene to 1,3-phenylene isomer ratio is about 70:

30 to 0;

100, and the sheet thickness is about 625-1250 micrometers.

4. A sheet of claim 2, wherein the 1,4-phenylene to 1,3-phenylene isomer ratio is at most 60:

40.

5. A sheet of claim 4, wherein the 1,4-phenylene to 1,3-phenylene isomer ratio is about 60:

40 to 50;

50, and the sheet thickness is about 625-2000 micrometers.

6. A sheet of claim 1, which contains non-nucleating fillers in an amount of up to 50 weight percent of the sheet composition.

7. A sheet of claim 4, which contains non-nucleating fillers in an amount of up to 50 weight percent of the sheet composition.

8. A sheet of claim 7, wherein up to 5% of the sheet composition is an inorganic fibrous filler.

9. A process for fabricating a polyaryletherketone sheet having a thickness of about 625 to 5000 micrometers, wherein the polyaryletherketone has a crystallinity of less than about 5% and consists essentially of repeating units selected from the group represented by the following formulas I, II, or III:

##STR4## wherein Ph is either the 1,4-phenylene or the 1,3-phenylene group provided that the 1,4-phenylene to 1,3 phenylene isomer ratio is 70;

30 to 0;

100, said process comprising the steps of

(a) heating the polyaryletherketone to a suitable processing temperature above its melting point,

(b) forming the molten polymer into a sheet, and

(c) quenching the sheet at a rate such that the quench time between the melt processing temperature and the lowest temperature at which significant crystallization occurs is at most equal to the shortest crystallization half-time multiplied by 10/maximum crystallinity, wherein the shortest crystallization half-time is defined as the shortest amount of time it takes a copolyetheketone sample to reach the crystallization exotherm maximum, as determined by differential scanning calorimetry, and maximum crystallinity is determined for a given polyaryletherketone by X-ray crystallography.

10. The process of claim 9, wherein the polyaryletherketone is a polyetherketoneketone having repeating units of formula I.

11. A process of claim 10, wherein the 1,4-phenylene to 1,3-phenylene isomer ratio is about 70:

30 to 0;

100, and the sheet thickness is about 625-1250 micrometers.

12. A process of claim 10 wherein the 1,4-phenylene to 1,3-phenylene isomer ratio is at most 60:

40.

13. A process of claim 12 wherein the 1,4-phenylene to 1,3-phenylene isomer ratio is about 60:

40 to 50;

50, and the sheet thickness is about 625-2000 micrometers.

14. A process of claim 9 wherein the sheet fabrication temperature is about 10°

C.-50°

C. above the polyaryletherketone melting point.

15. A process of claim 14, wherein the fabricated sheet is quenched on one or more rolls maintained in the temperature range of about 110°

C. to just above the glass transition temperature of the polyaryletherketone.

16. A process of claim 15, wherein the polyaryletherketone is a polyetherketoneketone having a repeating unit of formula I.

17. An amorphous three-dimensional panel or duct made of a polyaryletherketone by the process of claim 9.

18. An amorphous three-dimensional panel or duct made of polyaryletherketone by the process of claim 13.

19. An amorphous three-dimensional panel or duct thermoformed of a polyaryletherketone sheet having a wall thickness of about 625 to 5000 micrometers, wherein the polyaryletherketone has a crystallinity of less than about 5% and consists essentially of repeating units selected from the group represented by the following formulas I, II, or III:

##STR5## wherein Ph is either the 1,4-phenylene or the 1,3-phenylene group provided that the 1,4-phenylene to 1,3 phenylene isomer ratio is 70;

30 to 0;

100.

20. An amorphous three-dimensional panel or duct of claim 19 made of a polyaryletherketone consisting essentially of repeating units represented by formula I, wherein the 1,4-phenylene to 1,3-phenylene isomer ratio is about 60:

40/50;

50, and the wall thickness of the panel or duct is about 625-2000 micrometers.