Poly(phenylene ether) fiber and method of making
View Patent ↗A fiber comprises a composition including a poly(phenylene ether) having less than or equal to 240 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and less than or equal to 800 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups, both amounts based on the weight of the poly(phenylene ether). Fiber of low denier can be formed from this composition. The fiber can be formed by melt spinning.
1. A fiber comprising a composition comprising a poly(phenylene ether),
wherein the fiber comprises hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups; and
wherein the fiber comprises greater than 0 and less than or equal to 240 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and greater than 0 to less than or equal to 800 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups, both amounts based on the weight of the poly(phenylene ether).
2. The fiber of claim 1 , having a denier of less than or equal to 10.
3. The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises about 50 to 100 weight percent of the poly(phenylene ether), and 0 to about 50 weight percent of a poly(alkenyl aromatic); and
wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the poly(phenylene ether) and the poly(alkenyl aromatic).
4. The fiber of claim 3 , wherein the composition consists of the poly(phenylene ether), the poly(alkenyl aromatic), and optionally about 0.1 to about 10 weight percent, based on the total weight of the composition, of one or more additives selected from the group consisting of stabilizers, antioxidants, mold release agents, processing aids, flame retardants, drip retardants, nucleating agents, UV blockers, dyes, pigments, anti-static agents, blowing agents, mineral oil, metal deactivators, anti-blocking agents, and conductive agents.
5. The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises less than or equal to 20 weight percent polyamide.
6. The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the composition is homogeneous.
7. The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the fiber is a solid fiber.
8. The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the composition further comprises an impact modifier, wherein the composition comprises a continuous phase comprising the poly(phenylene ether) and a disperse phase comprising the impact modifier, and wherein the disperse phase average particle size is less than or equal to 2 micrometers.
9. The fiber of claim 3 , wherein the poly(phenylene ether) comprises poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) and the poly(alkenyl aromatic) comprises atactic homopolystyrene.
10. A fiber comprising a composition comprising
about 70 to 100 weight percent of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether); and
0 to about 30 weight percent atactic homopolystyrene;
wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) and the atactic homopolystyrene;
wherein the poly(2,6-dimethyl-4-phenylene ether) comprises hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups; and
wherein the poly(2,6-dimethylphenyl-1,4-phenylene ether) comprises greater than 0 and less than 240 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and greater than 0 and less than 800 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups, both amounts based on the weight of the poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether).
11. The fiber of claim 10 , wherein the composition comprises about 90 to 100 weight percent poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) and 0 to about 10 weight percent atactic polystyrene; and
wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) and the atactic homopolystyrene.
12. A method of forming a composition comprising mixing about 50 to about 99 weight percent of a poly(phenylene ether), and about 1 to about 50 weight percent of a poly(alkenyl aromatic);
wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the poly(phenylene ether) and the poly(alkenyl aromatic);
wherein the composition comprises hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups; and
wherein the composition comprises greater than 0 and less than or equal to 240 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and greater than 0 and less than or equal to 800 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups, both amounts based on the weight of the poly(phenylene ether).
13. The method of claim 12 , wherein the composition further comprises an impact modifier, wherein the composition comprises a continuous phase comprising the poly(phenylene ether) and a disperse phase comprising the impact modifier, and wherein the disperse phase average particle size is less than or equal to 2 micrometers.
14. The method of claim 12 , wherein the poly(phenylene ether) comprises poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) and the poly(alkyl aromatic) comprises atactic homopolystyrene.
15. The method of claim 12 , wherein the method is melt blending.
16. A method of forming a fiber, comprising spinning a composition comprising a poly(phenylene ether), wherein the fiber comprises hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups; and wherein the fiber comprises greater than 0 and less than 240 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and greater than 0 and less than 800 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups, both amounts based on the weight of the poly(phenylene ether).
17. The method of claim 16 , wherein the composition comprises about 50 to 100 weight percent of the poly(phenylene ether), and 0 to about 50 weight percent of a poly(alkenyl aromatic); and
wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the poly(phenylene ether) and the poly(alkenyl aromatic).
18. The method of claim 16 , wherein the composition further comprises an impact modifier, wherein the composition comprises a continuous phase comprising the poly(phenylene ether) and a disperse phase comprises the impact modifier, and wherein the disperse phase average particle size is less than or equal to 2 micrometers.
19. The method of claim 16 , wherein the poly(phenylene ether) comprises poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) and the poly(alkyl aromatic) comprises atactic homopolystyrene.
20. The method of claim 16 , wherein the spinning comprises melt spinning.
21. A method of forming a fiber, comprising melt spinning a composition comprising
about 70 to 100 weight percent of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether); and
0 to 30 weight percent atactic homopolystyrene;
wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether) and the atactic homopolystyrene;
wherein the fiber comprises hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups; and
wherein the fiber comprises greater than 0 and less than 240 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and greater than 0 and less than 800 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups, both amounts based on the weight of the poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether).
22. The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the composition comprises about 50 to 99 weight percent of the poly(phenylene ether), and 1 to about 50 weight percent of a poly(alkenyl aromatic); and
wherein all weight percents are based on the total weight of the poly(phenylene ether) and the poly(alkenyl aromatic).
23. The fiber of claim 1 , wherein the fiber comprises 164 to 210 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with ethylene bridge groups and 319 to 615 parts per million by weight of hydroxyl groups associated with rearranged backbone groups, both amounts based on the weight of the poly(phenylene ether).
24. The fiber of claim 1 , having a denier of 3 to 10.