Flame-retardant polyester composition

1. A composition consisting of, based on total weight of the composition:

a. from about 20 to about 90 weight percent of a polyester; from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of a nitrogen-containing flame retardant selected from the group consisting of triazines, guanidines, cyanurates, isocyanurates, and mixtures thereof;

b. from 1 to 30 weight percent of a phosphinate, diphosphinate and/or a polymer derived from a phosphinate or diphosphinate;

c. from about 10 to about 60 weight percent of a reinforcing filler selected from the group consisting of silica, talc, mica, carbon black, carbon fiber, aramide fiber, glass fiber, and combinations thereof;

d. from 0.1 to about 15 percent by weight, of a polyetherimide, where the polyetherimide contains only polyetherimide units; and

e. optionally, an additive selected from the group consisting of anti-dripping agent, non-reinforcing filler, stabilizer, mold release agent, plasticizer, dye, pigment, anti-oxidant, and combinations thereof;

wherein a 1.5 mm thick sample molded from the composition has a UL94 flammability rating of V0.

2. The composition of claim 1 wherein said phosphinate or diphosphinates have the formula (I) [(R 1 )(R 2 )(PO)—O] m − M m + and formula II [(O—POR 1 )(R 3 )(POR 2 —O)] n 2 M x m+ , and/or a polymer comprising formulas I or II, where R 1 and R 2 are identical or different and are H, C 1 -C 6 -alkyl, linear or branched, and/or aryl; R 3 is C 1 -C 10 -alkylene, linear or branched, C 6 -C 10 -arylene, -alkylarylene or -arylalkylene; M is a metal selected from the group consisting of magnesium, calcium, aluminum and zinc, m is 1, 2 or 3; n is 1, 2, or 3; x is 1 or 2.

3. The composition of claim 1 wherein the phosphinate is selected from the group consisting of aluminum diethylphosphinate, zinc diethylphosphinate, calcium hypophosphite, aluminum hypophosphite, and combinations thereof.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyetherimide has not more than about 85% weight loss at 400-500° C. upon heating under nitrogen using a thermogravimetric analysis (TGA) at a heating rate of 20° C. per minute.

5. The composition of claim 1 wherein the nitrogen-containing flame retardant is selected from the group consisting of melamine cyanurate, melamine polyphosphate, melamine pyrophosphate and mixtures thereof.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the molded sample has a thickness of 1.5 mm.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the molded sample has a thickness of 0.8 mm.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein a sample molded from the composition retains higher than 80% of its initial tensile strength after aging one week at 140° C. when measured in accordance with ISO 527.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyester is present in an amount from about 25 to about 90 percent by weight.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyester is present in an amount from about 30 to about 90 percent by weight.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen-containing flame retardant is present in an amount from about 5 to about 25 percent by weight.

12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the nitrogen-containing flame retardant is present in an amount from about 8 to about 25 percent by weight.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the phosphinate or diphosphinate is present in an amount from 3 to 20 percent by weight.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the phosphinate or diphosphinate is present in an amount from 3 to 15 percent by weight.

15. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises about 20 to about 60 weight percent of the reinforcing filler.

16. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyester is derived from a glycol component, and an acid component consisting of at least about 70 mole % terephthalic acid or polyester-forming derivatives thereof and up to about 30 mole % of another acid selected from the group consisting of isophthalic acid, 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, 2,7-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, 1,5-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, 4,4′-diphenyl dicarboxylic acid, 4,4-diphenoxyethanedicarboxylic acid, sebacic acid, adipic acid, and combinations thereof.

17. The composition of claim 16 , wherein the glycol component contains a mixture of tetramethylene glycol and up to 30 mole % of another glycol selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol, trimethylene glycol, 2-methyl-1,3-propane glycol, hexamethylene glycol, decamethylene glycol, cyclohexane dimethanol, neopentylene glycol, and combinations thereof.

18. A method of forming an article, comprising shaping by extruding, injection molding or transfer molding the composition of claim 1 to form the article.

19. A method of forming a composition, comprising melt blending the components of the composition of claim 1 .

20. An article comprising the composition of claim 1 .

21. The article of claim 20 , wherein the article is an extruded or injection molded article.

22. The article of claim 20 , in the form of an electric or electronic part.

23. The article of claim 22 , wherein the electronic part is a connector, circuit breaker or power plug.

24. The composition of claim 1 , wherein a 0.8 mm thick sample molded from the composition has a UL94 flammability rating of V0.

25. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the anti-dripping agent is a fluorine-containing polymer present in an amount of about 0.02 to about 2 weight percent, based on the total weight of the composition.

26. A composition consisting of, based on total weight of the composition:

a. from about 25 to about 90 weight percent of a polyester derived from terephthalic acid or polyester-forming derivatives thereof, and a glycol component;

b. from about 1 to about 25 weight percent of melamine cyanurate;

c. from 1 to 30 weight percent of a phosphinate or diphosphinates and/or their polymers;

d. from about 10 to about 60 weight percent of a reinforcing filler selected from the group consisting of silica, talc, mica, carbon black, carbon fiber, aramide fiber, glass fiber, and combinations thereof;

e. from 0.1 to about 15 percent by weight of a polyetherimide wherein the polyetherimide contains only polyetherimide units; and

f. optionally, an additive selected from the group consisting of anti-dripping agent, non-reinforcing filler, stabilizer, mold release agent, plasticizer, dye, pigment, anti-oxidant, and a combination thereof;

wherein a 1.5 mm or a 0.8 mm thick sample of the molded composition has a UL94 flammability rating of V0.

27. The composition of claim 26 , wherein the polyester is poly(butylene terephthalate).