Abrasion resistant electrical wire

1. An electrical wire comprising:

a conductor; and

a covering disposed over the conductor wherein the covering comprises a thermoplastic composition and the thermoplastic composition comprises:

(i) a poly(arylene ether);

(ii) a polyolefin;

(iii) a block copolymer; and

(iv) a flame retardant

wherein the electrical wire has an abrasion resistance of greater than 100 cycles, as determined by the scrape abrasion specification of ISO 6722 using a 7 Newton load, a needle having a 0.45 millimeter diameters, and an electrical wire having a conductor with a cross sectional area of 0.22 square millimeters and a covering with a thickness of 0.2 millimeters, and

wherein the thermoplastic composition has a tensile elongation at break greater than 30% as determined by ASTM D638-03 using a Type I specimen and a speed of 50 millimeters per minute, and a flexural modulus less than 1800 Megapascals (Mpa) as determined by ASTM D790-03 using a speed of 1.27 millimeters per minute.

2. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition is essentially free of an alkenyl aromatic resin.

3. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises a continuous polyolefin phase and a dispersed poly(arylene ether) phase.

4. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the poly(arylene ether) is present in an amount of 35 to 50 weight percent, the polyolefin is present in an amount of 25 to 40 weight percent, and the block copolymer is present in an amount of 7 to 20 weight percent, based on the combined weight of the poly(arylene ether), polyolefin, block copolymer and flame retardant.

5. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin comprises polypropylene, high density polyethylene or a combination of polypropylene and high density polyethylene.

6. The electrical wire of claim 5 , wherein the polypropylene comprises a polypropylene homopolymer, a polypropylene copolymer or a combination of a polypropylene homopolymer and a polypropylene copolymer.

7. The electrical wire of claim 5 , wherein the high density polyethylene comprises homo polyethylene, a polyethylene copolymer or a combination of homo polyethylene and a polyethylene copolymer.

8. The electrical wire of claim 5 , wherein the polypropylene has a melt flow rate of 0.4 grams per 10 minutes to 15 grams per 10 minutes when determined according to ASTM D1238 using powdered or pelletized polypropylene, a load of 2.16 kilograms and a temperature of 230° C.

9. The electrical wire of claim 5 , wherein the high density polyethylene has a melt flow rate of 0.29 grams per 10 minutes to 15 grams per 10 minutes when determined according to ASTM D1238 using either powdered or pelletized high density polyethylene, a load of 2.16 kilograms and a temperature of 190° C.

10. The electrical wire of claim 5 , wherein the polypropylene has a melting temperature greater than or equal to 134° C.

11. The electrical wire of claim 5 , wherein the high density polyethylene has a melting temperature greater than or equal to 124° C.

12. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer comprises a diblock copolymer and a triblock copolymer.

13. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the flame retardant comprises an organic phosphate ester.

14. The electrical wire of claim 13 , wherein the organic phosphate ester comprises a bis-aryl phosphate having the Formula III:

wherein R, R 5 and R 6 are independently an alkyl group having 1 to 5 carbons and R 1 –R 4 are independently an alkyl, aryl, arylalkyl or alkylaryl group having 1 to 10 carbons; n is an integer equal to 1 to 25; and s1 and s2 are independently an integer equal to 0 to 2.

15. The electrical wire of claim 13 , wherein the thermoplastic composition has a phosphorus content of 0.8 to 1.2 weight percent based on the combined weight of poly(arylene ether), polyolefin, block copolymer and organic phosphate ester.

16. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition further comprises one or more additives selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, fillers having an average particle size less than or equal to 10 micrometers, reinforcing agents having an average particle size less than or equal to 10 micrometers, silicates, TiO 2 , fibers, glass fibers, glass spheres, calcium carbonate, talc, mica, mold release agents, UV absorbers, stabilizers, light stabilizers, lubricants, plasticizers, pigments, dyes, colorants, anti-static agents, blowing agents, foaming agents, metal deactivators, and combinations comprising one or more of the foregoing additives.

17. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the poly(arylene ether) comprises a capped poly(arylene ether).

18. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition is substantially free of visible particulate impurities.

19. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition is substantially free of particulate impurities greater than 15 micrometers.

20. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the poly(arylene ether) has an initial intrinsic viscosity greater than or equal to 0.35 deciliter per gram as measured in chloroform at 25° C.

21. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the abrasion resistance is greater than or equal to 150 cycles.

22. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the tensile elongation is greater than or equal to 40%.

23. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer comprises at least one block (A) and at least one block (B) and block (B) is a controlled distribution copolymer.

24. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the polyolefin is present in an amount by weight and the poly(arylene ether) is present in an amount by weight and the amount by weight of the polyolefin is less than the amount by weight of the poly(arylene ether).

25. The electrical wire of claim 1 , wherein the block copolymer comprises:

a first block copolymer having an aryl alkylene content greater than or equal to 50 weight percent based on the total weight of the first block copolymer; and

a second block copolymer having an aryl alkylene content having an aryl alkylene content less than 50 weight percent based on the total weight of the second copolymer.

26. An electrical wire comprising:

a conductor; and

a covering disposed over the conductor wherein the covering comprises a thermoplastic composition and the thermoplastic composition consists essentially of:

(i) poly(arylene ether) having an initial intrinsic viscosity greater than 0.35 dl/g, as measured in chloroform at 25° C.;

(ii) a polypropylene having a melting temperature greater than or equal to 145° C. and a melt flow rate of 0.4 to 15;

(iii) a bis-aryl phosphate and

(iv) a combination of two block copolymers having different aryl alkylene contents wherein a first block copolymer has an aryl alkylene content greater than or equal to 50 weight percent based on the total weight of the first block copolymer and a second block copolymer has an aryl alkylene content less than 50 weight percent based on the total weight of the second block copolymer

wherein the electrical wire has an abrasion resistance of greater than 100 cycles, as determined by the scrape abrasion specification of ISO 6722 using a 7 Newton load, a needle having a 0.45 millimeter diameters, and an electrical wire having a conductor with a cross sectional area of 0.22 square millimeters and a covering with a thickness of 0.2 millimeters, and

wherein the thermoplastic composition has a tensile elongation at break greater than 30%, as determined by ASTM D638-03 using a Type I specimen and a speed of 50 millimeters per minute, and a flexural modulus less than 1800 Megapascals (Mpa) as determined by ASTM D790-03 using a speed of 1.27 millimeters per minute.

27. An electrical wire comprising:

a conductor; and

a covering disposed over the conductor wherein the covering comprises a thermoplastic composition and the thermoplastic composition consists essentially of:

(i) 40 to 55 weight percent of a poly(arylene ether);

(ii) 25 to 35 weight percent of a polyolefin;

(iii) 7 to 12 weight percent of a block copolymer; and

(iv) 8 to 12 weight percent of a flame retardant wherein the weight percents are based on the combined weight of the poly(arylene ether), the polyolefin, the block copolymer, and the flame retardant

wherein the electrical wire has an abrasion resistance of greater than 100 cycles, as determined by the scrape abrasion specification of ISO 6722 using a 7 Newton load, a needle having a 0.45 millimeter diameters, and an electrical wire having a conductor with a cross sectional area of 0.22 square millimeters and a covering with a thickness of 0.2 millimeters, and

wherein the thermoplastic composition has a tensile elongation at break greater than 30%, as determined by ASTM D638-03 using a Type I specimen and a speed of 50 millimeters per minute, and a flexural modulus less than 1800 Megapascals (Mpa) as determined by ASTM D790-03 using a speed of 1.27 millimeters per minute.