Poly (arylene sulfide) composition for molding articles.

The Field of Invention

0001The invention is related to poly(arylene sulfide) molding compositions. It is further related to fiber-reinforced poly(arylene sulfide) molding compositions. It also is related to poly(arylene sulfide) molded articles having improved crack resistance.

Background of the Invention

0002Reinforced poly(arylene sulfide) compositions are highly suitable for molding into objects which require strength, high temperature stability and chemical resistance. When glass or carbon-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide is molded into a large thick-walled object, such as a gasoline tank, internal cracking of the walls is sometimes encountered. The problem can be countered somewhat by using high molecular weight, low melt flow rate, linear poly(p-phenylene sulfide). Crack-inhibiting additives such as the ethylene polymers described in U.S. 4,544,700 have been used in reinforced polyphenylene sulfide molding compositions. The problem of internal cracking in thick-walled parts, however, has not been consistently resolved. A factor in the choice of crack-inhibiting additives is the additives must not have a substantial adverse effect on the mechanical, physical or chemical properties of the molded article and must not, as a rule, significantly decrease the melt flow rate of the molding compositions.

0003It is therefore an object of the invention to provide poly(arylene sulfide) molding compositions. It is a further object of the invention to provide fiber-reinforced-poly(arylene sulfide) molding compositions. It is also an objective of the invention to provide poly(arylene sulfide) molded articles having improved cracking resistance.

Summary of the Invention

0004According to the invention a composition is provided comprising a poly(arylene sulfide), a sulfone polymer and a reinforcing material such as glass fibers. The relative amounts are those effective to produce a moldable composition. Such a composition will generally contain about 16 to about 45 weight percent of the poly(arylene sulfide) component, about 16 to about 45 weight percent of the sulfone polymer, and about 25 to about 60 weight percent of the reinforcing material. The invention compositions are useful as molding compositions for thick-walled articles.

Detailed Description of the Invention

0005The inventive composition contains an arylene sulfide polymer. There are various types and grades of arylene sulfide polymers which are suitable for use in the invention, the choice of which will depend upon the desired end use of the composition. A reinforced poly(arylene sulfide) molding composition will generally contain from about 16 to about 45, preferably from about 20 to about 30, weight percent poly(arylene sulfide), based on the total weight of the composition.

0006For use in reinforced molding compositions, the preferred poly(arylene sulfide)s are polyphenylene sulfides, PPS, having recurring phenylene sulfide units, and most preferred are poly(p-phenylene sulfide)s having at least 50 mole percent of the recurring p-phenylene sulfide units with only hydrogen atoms present on the phenylene ring and having been made by the optional addition of a minor amount of a polyhalobenzene compound having more than two halogen substituents per molecule to the polymerization mixture. Even more preferred are poly (phenylene sulfide)s containing at least 90 mole percent of unsubstituted pheynlene units and having a melt flow rate of less than 400 g/10 minutes, as measured by ASTM D-1238, Procedure B using a 5kg weight at 600°F through a 0.0825 inch diameter orificie and an inherent viscosity greater than 0.25 dl/g at 206°C in 1-chloronaphthalene with 0.4g polymer per 100 ml solution using a Cannon-Fenske No. 5- viscometer built into a tetrahydronaphthalene vapor bath that maintains the measurement temperature. Such poly(p-phenylene sulfide)s can be prepared according to the process of U.S. Patent 3,919,177 or 4,038,262 or 4,282,347, incorporated herewith by reference, with optional minor amount of a branching agent such as trichlorobenzene to achieve the desired melt flow rate. Highly suitable poly(arylene sulfide)s are commercially available as RYTON® polyphenylene sulfide (PPS) resins (Philips Petroleum Company) of melt flow rate from about 50 to about 700 g/10 minutes as desired.

0007The inventive compositions contain a sulfone polymer, preferably an aromatic polysulfone (PSO) containing at least one recurring aliphatic group in the polymer chain such as those similar to and referred to by Johnson as bisphenol A-derived polysulfones in "Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Technology", Bikales, ed., Vol. 17, 447-463 (Wiley, New York 1969) in contrast to the poly(ether-sulfones) referred to therein. As used herein aromatic polysulfones refers to the related materials of the aromatic sulfone polymers, polyarylsulfones, poly(ether-sulfones) and polysulfones. Typical of suitable aromatic polysulfones are those obtained by the reaction of a dihydric phenol of the bis(hydroxyphenyl)alkane type and a 4,4ʹ-dihalodiphenylsulfone. Aromatic polysulfones formed by the reaction of 2,2-bis(4-hydroxyphenyl) propane and 4,4ʹ-dichlorodiphenyl sulfone are most preferred. Aromatic polysulfones of this type have been generally referred to as polysulfones and were available commercially from Union Carbide Corporation under the trademarks UDEL P-1700 and UDEL P-3500, and now may be available from Amoco Chemicals, Marietta, OH. A reinforced poly(arylene sulfide) molding composition will generally contain from about 16 to about 45, preferably from about 20 to about 30, weight percent aromatic polysulfone, based on the total weight of the composition.

0008The invention compositions include a reinforcing material, such as glass fibers, carbon fibers, asbestos, and aramid fibers. Glass fibers are the preferred reinforcing material. The reinforcing materials will generally make up from about 25 to about 60 weight percent, and preferably from about 30 to about 50 weight percent, based on the total weight of the composition.

0009The inventive compositions can have a weight ratio of the poly(arylene sulfide) to the aromatic polysulfone, i.e. weight of poly(arylene sulfide) in the total composition divided by the weight of aromatic polysulfone in the total composition, in the range from greater than 2/3 to less than 3/2. The relative amounts of the two polymeric components in compositions when they are the preferred poly(p-phenylene sulfide)s and the preferred aromatic sulfones are preferably in the range from greater than 2/3 to less than 3/2.

0010The inventive compositions, optionally, can contain a minor amount of a solid ethylene polymer. The ethylene polymer, where used, will generally be present in the composition in an amount from about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the composition. More preferably the ethylene polymer will make up from about 0.2 to about 5, most preferably from about 0.25 to about 3, weight percent of the composition. Preferred are high-density, solid ethylene polymers having a density of about 0.945 to about 0.980 g/cc, preferably about 0.955 to about 0.970 g/cc as determined by ASTM D-1505. Even more preferred is a low-density ethylene polymer having a density of about 0.910 to about 0.940 g/cc, preferably about 0.910 to about 0.930 g/cc, as determined by ASTM D-1505. The low-density ethylene polymer is preferably a polymer having a melt index greater than 100 g/10 minutes, most preferably greater than about 400 g/10 minutes. The weight-average molecular weight (M_W) of the low-density polyethylene is not critical but will generally range from about 1,000 to about 20,000 with the preferred ethylene polymers having a weight-average molecular weight of about 1,000 to about 5,000.

0011The composition can contain additional optional components such as mold corrosion inhibitors, pigments, processing aids, and the like. Typically, a preferred composition will contain about 0.5 to about 2 weight percent of a mold corrosion inhibitor such as lithium carbonate or a hydrotalcite; and about 1 to about 3 weight percent of a pigment for example such as Davis Brown 6623 (Mineral Pigments Corp., Beltville, MD).

0012Poly(arylene sulfide) molding compositions are evaluated for internal cracking resistance according to the procedure published in <u style="single">Plastics Engineering</u>, April 1983, page 38 under the title "Screening Test for PPS Compounds".

0013The procedure used to prepare and to evaluate the preferred poly(arylene sulfide) compositions containing the preferred aromatic polysulfones and a reinforcing material are described herein.

0014The following examples describe the manner and process of making and using the invention. This description does not limit nor suggest any limitation on the practice of this invention as claimed.

Example 1

0015The procedure is as follows: A mixture of 858.75 grams high molecular weight polyphenylene sulfide (from Phillips Petroleum Co., melt flow rate 55 grams/10 minutes measured by ASTM D-1238, condition 315/5.0), 1200 grams of 1/8-inch chopped fiber glass (Owens Corning 497AA), 60 grams of pigment (Davis Brown No. 6623, 15 grams of corrosion inhibitor (DHT-4A hydrotalcite, Kyowa Chemical Industry Co., Ltd., Osaka, Japan), 7.5 grams of an ethylene polymer (Phillips Petroleum Co. TR885 high-density polyethylene in fluff form), and 858.75 grams of polysulfone (UDEL P-1700 from Union Carbide Corporation) was dry blended in a plastic bag. The mixture (compositions no. 3) was extruded through a Davis Standard Extruder, 1.5 inch, at 343°C with no die, 80-100 rpm, and air cooled. The extrudate was chopped into small pieces or ground into coarse powder that was dried for 2 hours at 150°C and then was injection molded at 330°C in a New Britain injection molding machine using a mold cavity temperature of 38°C to form disks 2.5 inches in diameter by 0.5 inch thick.

0016After a total of 18 disks have been molded and cooled to room temperature, 8 of the disks were cut in half parallel to the face to 0.25 inch thickness and visually examined for cracks. The cut disks were then annealed for two hours at 400°F. A second set of 8 whole disks was annealed for two hours at 400°F. After cooling, this second set of disks was cut circumferentially as before. All samples were then rated for cracking 48 hours after annealing. The number of disks that show cracks are counted and that number is reported.

0017The procedure was repeated in runs using compositions comprising polyphenylene sulfides of various grades and types, various aromatic polysulfones and various reinforcing materials. The results in Table I for glass fiber reinforced compositions indicate that the most crack-resistant compositions contained equal amounts of polyphenylene sulfide and the aromatic polysulfone UDEL P-1700 (compositions number 3 and 5). Compositions number 1 and 4 containing no aromatic polysulfone were control runs on two different types of high molecular weight PPS. Composition number 2 containing a poly(ether-sulfone), VICTREX 300 P, has a crack resistance poorer than the PPS control.

Example 2

0018A composition similar to that of number 3 in Example 1 was prepared wherein a low molecular weight polyphenylene sulfide that was cured in air to a melt flow rate of 117 g/10 min that is within the preferred range was substituted for the high molecular weight polyphenylene sulfide. The cracking resistance was no better than the control, in fact, all disks showed cracking. No corrosion inhibitor was present.

Example 3

0019The use of carbon fibers as the reinforcing material was evaluated in a composition comprising 34.5 weight percent high molecular weight polyphenylene sulfide, 34.5 weight percent UDEL P-1700 aromatic polysulfone, 1 weight percent lithium carbonate as corrosion inhibitor and 30 weight percent chopped carbon fiber (STACKPOLE CF-30). All 16 disks cracked on both sides upon removal from the mold. The cracking test was terminated with this observation.

Example 4

0020The data on compositions number 1, 2 and 3 of Example 1 demonstrate that the presence of an aromatic polysulfone in the preferred range does not significantly alter the measured properties (Table II). The physical properties of the glass fiber-reinforced polyphenylene sulfide compositions were measured on ASTM test bars that were prepared on an Arburg model 221E/150 (Polymer Machinery Corporation, Berlin, CT) at a mold temperature of 135°C, nozzle and barrel temperature at 330°C(PPS) and at 355°C(PPS/PSO).

0021The test bars of the polyphenylene sulfide compositions were heated for 2 hours at 204°C and cooled to ambient room temperature before the measurements were made. The chemical resistance evaluations were made on test bars that were prepared without the heating step. <tables id="tabl0001" num="0001"><img file="EP0266791A2_D0001.tif" /></tables><tables id="tabl0002" num="0002"><img file="EP0266791A2_D0002.tif" /></tables>