Liquid crystalline polymer blends and molded articles therefrom

• US 5,492,946 A
• Filed: 07/28/1994
• Issued: 02/20/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 06/04/1990
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Solvay Advanced Polymers LLC (Solvac SA)
• Original Assignee: Amoco Corporation (BP PLC)
• Inventors: Huspeni, Paul J., Nelson, Roger W., Petry, John F., Dunkle, Steven R.
• Primary Examiner(s): Short, Patricia A.
• Application Number:
  US08/281,920
• Time in Patent Office: 572 Days
• Field of Search: 525/444, 525/132, 524/539, 524/494, 524/12, 524/14, 524/34, 524/406, 524/413, 524/424, 524/436, 524/437, 524/439, 524/441, 524/444, 524/445, 524/449, 524/451, 524/452, 524/456
• US Class Current: 524/12
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 67/00 Compositions of polyesters obtained by reactions forming a carboxylic ester link in the main chain of polyester-amides C08L77/12; of polyester-imides C08L79/08; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• 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: C08L 67/04 Polyesters derived from hydroxycarboxylic acids, e.g. lactones C08L67/06 takes precedence

Abstract

A molded article having improved weld line strength, fabricated from a polymer blend composition comprising at least one liquid crystalline polymer and at least one additional polymer, wherein the composition has a crystallization rate lower than said at least one liquid crystalline polymer.

Claims

1. A polymeric blend composition comprising:

a first component which comprises a liquid crystalline polyester resin comprising the following repeating units (1), (2), (3),

     4) and (5);

##STR22## wherein the ratio of total number of units (1) to the total number of units (2) is from about 1.4;

1 to about 10;

1;

the ratio of the total number of units

     4) to the total number of units (5) is from about 3;

1 to about 21;

1; and

the ratio of the total number of units (3) to the sum of the total number of units (1) and (2) is from about 0.6;

1 to about 7;

1; and

a second polymeric component which comprises a wholly aromatic polyester comprising at least one recurring unit having the following general formula;

##STR23## wherein --Ar-- is selected from the group consisting of;

##STR24## where --X₁ -- and --X₂ -- are independently selected from the group consisting of --O-- and --CO--;

the blend exhibiting a crystallization rate which is lower than the crystallization rate of at least one of the liquid crystalline polyesters thereof; and

wherein the blend further comprises filler in an mount of from about 1 to about 70 percent by weight of the blend;

the filler comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, asbestos, graphitic carbon fibers, amorphous carbon fibers, synthetic polymeric fibers, aluminum fibers, aluminum silicate fibers, oxide of aluminum fibers, titanium fibers, magnesium fibers, rock wool fibers, steel fibers, tungsten fibers, cotton, wool, and wood cellulose fibers, calcium silicate, silica, clays, talc, mica, carbon black, titanium dioxide, wollastonite, polytetrafluoroethylene, graphite, alumina trihydrate, sodium aluminum carbonate, barium ferrite, and glass beads.

2. The blend composition of claim 1 wherein the filler comprises long chopped glass fiber exhibiting an aspect ratio, in the compounded blend, of from about 7 to about 100.

3. The blend composition of claim 1 wherein the ratio of repeating units derived from hydroquinone to repeating units derived from biphenol is from about 10:

1 to about 99;

1; and

the crystallization rate of the blend is lower than the crystallization rate of each of the liquid crystalline polyesters thereof.

4. The blend of claim 3 wherein the filler comprises long chopped glass fiber having an aspect ratio of about 10 to about 50, and wherein the fiber is present in an mount of from about 20 to about 50 percent by weight of composition.

5. A polymeric blend composition comprising:

a first component which comprises a liquid crystalline polyester resin comprising the following repeating units (1), (2), (3), (4) and (5);

##STR25## wherein the ratio of total number of units (1) to the total number of units (2) is from about 1.4;

1 to about 10;

1;

the ratio of the total number of units (4) to the total number of units (5) is from about 3;

1 to about 21;

1; and

the ratio of the total number of units (3) to the sum of the total number of units (1) and (2) is from about 0.6;

1 to about 7;

1; and

a second polymeric component which comprises repeating units (6) and (7);

##STR26## wherein said units may be substituted by one or more C₁ to C₄ alkyl groups, C₁ to C₄ alkoxy groups, or halogen atoms; and

wherein the ratio of the number of units (6) to units (7) is from about 1;

9 to about 9;

1;

the blend exhibiting a crystallization rate which is lower than the crystallization rate of at least one of the liquid crystalline polyesters thereof; and

wherein the blend further comprises filler in an mount of from about 1 to about 70 percent by weight of the blend; and

the filler comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, asbestos, graphitic carbon fibers, amorphous carbon fibers, synthetic polymeric fibers, aluminum fibers, aluminum silicate fibers, oxide of aluminum fibers, titanium fibers, magnesium fibers, rock wool fibers, steel fibers, tungsten fibers, cotton, wool, and wood cellulose fibers, calcium silicate, silica, clays, talc, mica, carbon black, titanium dioxide, wollastonite, polytetrafluoroethylene, graphite, alumina trihydrate, sodium aluminum carbonate, barium ferrite, and glass beads.

6. The blend composition of claim 5 wherein the filler comprises long chopped glass fiber exhibiting an aspect ratio, in the compounded blend, of from about 7 to about 100.

7. The blend composition of claim 5 wherein the ratio of repeating units derived from hydroquinone to repeating units derived from biphenol is from about 10:

1 to about 99;

1 and the crystallization rate of the blend is lower than the crystallization rate of each of the liquid crystalline polyesters thereof.

8. The blend of claim 7 wherein the filler comprises long chopped glass fiber having an aspect ratio of about 10 to about 50, and wherein the fiber is present in an mount of from about 20 to about 50 percent by weight of composition.

9. A polymeric blend composition comprising:

a first component which comprises a liquid crystalline polyester resin comprising the following repeating units (1), (2), (3),

     4) and (5);

##STR27## wherein the ratio of total number of units (1) to the total number of units (2) is from about 1.4;

1 to about 10;

1;

the ratio of the total number of units (4) to the total number of units (5) is from about 3;

1 to about 21;

1; and

the ratio of the total number of units (3) to the sum of the total number of units (1) and (2) is from about 0.6;

1 to about 7;

1; and

a second component which comprises a liquid crystalline polyester resin different from the polyester resin of the first component;

consisting essentially of repeating units (8), (9), (10) and (11);

##STR28## where --Ar₁ -- is at least one member selected from the group consisting of;

##STR29## wherein unit (8) is derived from at least one member selected from the group consisting of terephthalic acid and isophthalic acid and the sum of the number of units (8) is approximately equal to the number of units (11);

the blend exhibiting a crystallization rate which is lower than the crystallization rate of at least one of the liquid crystalline polyesters thereof; and

wherein the blend further comprises filler in an mount of from about 1 to about 70 percent by weight of the blend; and

the filler comprises at least one material selected from the group consisting of glass fibers, asbestos, graphitic carbon fibers, amorphous carbon fibers, synthetic polymeric fibers, aluminum fibers, aluminum silicate fibers, oxide of aluminum fibers, titanium fibers, magnesium fibers, rock wool fibers, steel fibers, tungsten fibers, cotton, wool, and wood cellulose fibers, calcium silicate, silica, clays, talc, mica, carbon black, titanium dioxide, wollastonite, polytetrafluoroethylene, graphite, alumina trihydrate, sodium aluminum carbonate, barium ferrite, and glass beads.

10. The blend composition of claim 9 wherein the filler comprises long chopped glass fiber exhibiting an aspect ratio, in the compounded blend, of from about 7 to about 100.

11. The blend of claim 9 wherein unit (8) is derived from terephthalic acid;

unit (11) is derived from biphenol;

the ratio of the total number of units (9) to units (11) is from about 2;

1 to about 4;

1; and

wherein the ratio of the number of units (10) to the number of units (11) is from about 0.05;

1 to about 15;

1.

12. The blend of claim 11 wherein the filler comprises long chopped glass fiber having an aspect ratio of about 10 to about 50, and wherein the fiber is present in an mount of from about 20 to about 50 percent by weight of composition.

13. The blend composition of claim 11 wherein the first component has a ratio of repeating units derived from hydroquinone to repeating units derived from biphenol is from about 10:

1 to about 9;

1; and

the crystallization rate of the blend is lower than the crystallization rate of each of the liquid crystalline polyesters thereof.