Multiconductor cable assembly and fabrication method therefor

1. A multiconductor cable assembly comprising two or more coated wires arranged in a side-by-side contiguous relation providing one or more interfacing contact areas between adjacent coated wires;

wherein each of the two or more coated wires comprises

a conductor, and

a covering comprising a thermoplastic composition comprising

20 to 50 weight percent of a poly(arylene ether),

30 to 50 weight percent of a block copolymer comprising a poly(alkenyl aromatic) block and a polyolefin block,

5 to 25 weight percent of a flame retardant, and

0 to 10 weight percent of a polyolefin;

wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the thermoplastic composition; and

wherein the thermoplastic composition exhibits a flexural modulus of 50 to 1,000 megapascals, measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D790.

2. The multiconductor cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises 1 to 10 weight percent of a polyolefin consisting of a polybutene.

3. The multiconductor cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the flame retardant is selected from the group consisting of triaryl phosphates, metal phosphinates, melamine salts, metal borate salts, metal hydroxides, and combinations thereof.

4. The multiconductor cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition excludes ethylene homopolymers and propylene homopolymers.

5. The multiconductor cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the conductor has a diameter of 0.2546 to 0.8128 millimeter.

6. The multiconductor cable assembly of claim 1 ,

wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises

20 to 40 weight percent of a poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.3 to 0.6 deciliter per gram measured at 25° C. in chloroform,

30 to 50 weight percent of a triblock copolymer selected from the group consisting of polystyrene-poly(ethylene-butylene)-polystyrene triblock copolymers, polystyrene-poly(ethylene-butylene-styrene)-polystyrene triblock copolymers, and mixtures thereof,

2 to 6 weight percent of a polybutene, and

10 to 20 weight percent of a flame retardant selected from the group consisting of triaryl phosphates, melamine polyphosphates, metal phosphinates, magnesium hydroxides, and mixtures thereof; and

wherein the thermoplastic composition exhibits

a flexural modulus of 100 to 800 megapascals, measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D790,

a tensile strength of 10 to 35 megapascals measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D638,

a tensile elongation at break of 50 to 200 percent, measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D638, and

a passing flame test rating according to UL 1581, Section 1080 measured on a test sample coated wire consisting of an AWG 28 conductor having a nominal diameter of 0.318 millimeter and a tubular covering comprising the thermoplastic composition and having a nominal outer diameter of 1.075 millimeters.

7. The multiconductor cable assembly of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic composition further exhibits a UL 94 Vertical Burning Flame Test rating of V-0 at a sample thickness of 6 millimeters.

8. A method of forming a multiconductor cable assembly, comprising

arranging two or more uncoated conductors, each having a diameter of 0.2546 to 0.8128 millimeter, in a side-by-side relationship in which the uncoated conductors are essentially parallel to each other and spaced relative to each other by a center-to-center distance of at least 1.5 times the diameter of the uncoated conductors; and

extrusion coating the two or more temperature-adjusted uncoated conductors with a thermoplastic composition having a temperature of 230 to 290° C. to form the multiconductor cable assembly;

wherein the extrusion coating is conducted at a line speed of 3 to 10 meters per minute; and

wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises

20 to 50 weight percent of a poly(arylene ether),

30 to 50 weight percent of a block copolymer comprising a poly(alkenyl aromatic) block and a polyolefin block,

5 to 25 weight percent of a flame retardant, and

0 to 10 weight percent of a polyolefin;

wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the thermoplastic composition; and

wherein the thermoplastic composition exhibits a flexural modulus of 50 to 1,000 megapascals, measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D790.

9. The method of claim 8 , further comprising adjusting the two or more uncoated conductors to a temperature of 80 to 150° C. before the extrusion coating.

10. The method of claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises 1 to 10 weight percent of a polyolefin consisting of a polybutene.

11. The method of claim 8 , wherein the flame retardant is selected from the group consisting of triaryl phosphates, metal phosphinates, melamine salts, metal borate salts, metal hydroxides, and combinations thereof.

12. The method of claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic composition excludes ethylene homopolymers and propylene homopolymers.

13. The method of claim 8 , wherein the uncoated conductor has a diameter of 0.2546 to 0.8128 millimeter.

14. The method of claim 8 ,

wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises

20 to 40 weight percent of a poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.3 to 0.6 deciliter per gram measured at 25° C. in chloroform,

30 to 50 weight percent of a triblock copolymer selected from the group consisting of polystyrene-poly(ethylene-butylene)-polystyrene triblock copolymers, polystyrene-poly(ethylene-butylene-styrene)-polystyrene triblock copolymers, and mixtures thereof,

2 to 6 weight percent of a polybutene, and

10 to 20 weight percent of a flame retardant selected from the group consisting of triaryl phosphates, melamine polyphosphates, metal phosphinates, magnesium hydroxides, and mixtures thereof; and

wherein the thermoplastic composition exhibits

a flexural modulus of 100 to 800 megapascals, measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D790,

a tensile strength of 10 to 35 megapascals measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D638,

a tensile elongation at break of 50 to 200 percent, measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D638, and

a passing flame test rating according to UL 1581, Section 1080 measured on a test sample coated wire consisting of an AWG 28 conductor having a nominal diameter of 0.318 millimeter and a tubular covering comprising the thermoplastic composition and having a nominal outer diameter of 1.075 millimeters.

15. The method of claim 8 , wherein the thermoplastic composition further exhibits a UL 94 Vertical Burning Flame Test rating of V-0 at a sample thickness of 6 millimeters.

16. A method of forming a multiconductor cable assembly, comprising:

arranging two or more coated wires in a side-by-side contiguous relationship to provide contact areas between adjacent coated wires;

adjusting the surface temperature of the two or more coated wires to 150 to 180° C.; and

passing the temperature-adjusted coated wires through a nip defined by two rollers to form the multiconductor cable assembly, wherein each roller independently has a surface temperature of 180 to 220° C.; and wherein the multiconductor cable assembly has a surface temperature of 145 to 210° C. as it exits the nip;

wherein the two or more coated wires each comprise a conductor having a diameter D 1 and a covering disposed on the conductor and having an outer diameter D 2 , and wherein the nip is 1.1×D 1 to 1.1×D 2 ;

wherein the passing the temperature-adjusted coated wires through a nip is conducted at a line speed of 3 to 10 meters per minute; and

wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises

20 to 50 weight percent of a poly(arylene ether),

30 to 50 weight percent of a block copolymer comprising a poly(alkenyl aromatic) block and a polyolefin block,

5 to 25 weight percent of a flame retardant, and

0 to 10 weight percent of a polyolefin,

wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the thermoplastic composition; and

wherein the thermoplastic composition exhibits a flexural modulus of 50 to 1,000 megapascals, measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D790.

17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises 1 to 10 weight percent of a polyolefin consisting of a polybutene.

18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the flame retardant is selected from the group consisting of triaryl phosphates, metal phosphinates, melamine salts, metal borate salts, metal hydroxides, and combinations thereof.

19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic composition excludes ethylene homopolymers and propylene homopolymers.

20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the coated wire comprises a conductor and a covering disposed on the conductor; wherein the conductor has a diameter of 0.2546 to 0.8128 millimeter.

21. The method of claim 16 ,

wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises

20 to 40 weight percent of a poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) having an intrinsic viscosity of 0.3 to 0.6 deciliter per gram measured at 25° C. in chloroform,

30 to 50 weight percent of a triblock copolymer selected from the group consisting of polystyrene-poly(ethylene-butylene)-polystyrene triblock copolymers, polystyrene-poly(ethylene-butylene-styrene)-polystyrene triblock copolymers, and mixtures thereof,

2 to 6 weight percent of a polybutene, and

10 to 20 weight percent of a flame retardant selected from the group consisting of triaryl phosphates, melamine polyphosphates, metal phosphinates, magnesium hydroxides, and mixtures thereof; and

wherein the thermoplastic composition exhibits

a flexural modulus of 100 to 800 megapascals, measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D790,

a tensile strength of 10 to 35 megapascals measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D638,

a tensile elongation at break of 50 to 200 percent, measured at 23° C. according to ASTM D638, and

a passing flame test rating according to UL 1581, Section 1080 measured on a test sample coated wire consisting of an AWG 28 conductor having a nominal diameter of 0.318 millimeter and a tubular covering comprising the thermoplastic composition and having a nominal outer diameter of 1.075 millimeters.

22. The method of claim 16 , wherein the thermoplastic composition further exhibits a UL 94 Vertical Burning Flame Test rating of V-0 at a sample thickness of 6 millimeters.