Polyphenylene Ether and Blends

D. F. Aycock and S.-P. Ting. Functionalized polyphenylene ethers and blends with polyamides. US Patent 5 069 818, assigned to General Electric Company (Selkirk, NY), December 3,1991. 

Polyphenylene ether and blends, see High-temperature polymers... 

MABS polymers (methyl methacrylate-acrylonitrile-butadiene-styrene) together with blends composed of polyphenylene ether and impact-resistant polystyrene (PPE/PS-I) also form part of the styrenic copolymer product range. Figure 2.1 provides an overview of the different classes of products and trade names. A characteristic property is their amorphous nature, i.e. high dimensional stability and largely constant mechanical properties to just below the glass transition temperature, Tg. 

Similar blends and also blends containing additionally polyphenylene ether and glass fibres are described in EP 767 211 [19]. 

Blend families, i.e., blends of polyphenylene ether (PPE), blends of polyesters (PEST), blends of polycarbonate of bisphenol-A (PC), tend to be appropriate for certain types of apphcations which require the special attributes of the major blend component. For this reason, it is possible to group blend families together under the major resin component and to list the types of applications that have been commercialized. 

Immiscible blends containing a polyolefin, an unfuncticaialized polyphenylene ether and a functionalized st3rene copolymer, have been compatibilized through cross-Unked... 

Polyaramide and Par/PET blends were sold by Amoco with high heat resistance and impact strength. Celanese introduced the polyoxymethylene (POM)/PBT and POM/thermoplastic urethane (TPU) blends. Polyphenylene ether polyamide blends (PPE)/PA blends were prepared by GE Plastics with good solvent and heat resistance. 

Amorphous polyamides, preferably copolyamides from iso- and terephthalic acid with hexamethylene diamine have gained importance as components in polymer blends with polycarbonate, polyphenylene ether and/or functionalized elastomers, and also with the semi-crystalline polyamides 6 and 66. These copolyamides increase the chemical resistance of polycarbonate or polyphenylene ether and reduce stress-cracking sensitivity to concentrated zinc chloride solution in polyamide 6 and 66. Moreover, these copolyamides provide for improved compatibility. 

Polymer blends can be subdivided into two kinds those of compatible and those of incompatible polymers. Real compatibility is an exception (see 9.1) an example is PS with PPE (polyphenylene ether, also called PPO, polyphenylene oxide). These two polymers can be blended with each other on such a small scale that it really looks like molecular miscibility. This blend shows, therefore, only one single glass transition. 

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