Anti-extrusion compositions for sealing and wear components

1. A method of improving extrusion- and creep-resistance of a component for use in a high temperature sealing element or seal connector, comprising,

providing a composition comprising an aromatic polymer and a crosslinking compound, and

subjecting the composition to a heat molding process to form the component and crosslink the aromatic polymer,

wherein the crosslinking compound has a structure according to formula (II) below:

wherein A is an arene moiety having a molecular weight of less than 10,000 g/mol, R 1 is selected from a group consisting of hydroxide (—OH), amine (—NH 2 ), halide, ether, ester, or amide, and x=2.0 to 6.0.

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the composition is unfilled.

3. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the aromatic polymer is selected from the group consisting of a polyarylene polymer, a polysulfone, a polyphenylene sulfide, a polyimide, a polyamide, a polyurea, a polyurethane, a polyththalamide, a polyamide-imide, an aramid, a polybenzimidazole, and blends, copolymers and derivatives thereof.

4. The method according to claim 3 , wherein the aromatic polymer is a polyarylene ether polymer including polymer repeating having units of structure according to formula (IV) below:

(—O—Ar 1 —O—Ar 2 —) m (—O—Ar 3 —O—Ar 4 —) n   (IV)

wherein Ar 1 , Ar 2 , Ar 3 and Ar 4 are identical or different aryl radicals, m is 0 to 1, and n is 1−m.

5. A sealing component formed by the method of claim 1 .

6. The sealing component according to claim 5 , wherein the composition is unfilled.

7. The sealing component according to claim 5 , wherein the sealing component is a seal back-up element, a packer element, a labyrinth seal or a dual-lip sealing component.

8. A sealing connector formed by the method of claim 1 .

9. The sealing connector formed by the method of claim 8 , wherein the composition is unfilled.

10. A method of improving extrusion- and creep-resistance of a component for use in a high temperature sealing element or seal connector, comprising,

providing a composition comprising an aromatic polymer and a crosslinking compound, and

subjecting the composition to a heat molding process to form the component and crosslink the aromatic polymer

wherein the crosslinking compound is 9,9′-(biphenyl-4,4′-diyl)bis(9H-fluoren-9-ol) and has a general structure according to formula (V):

11. A sealing component formed by the method of claim 10 .

12. The sealing component according to claim 11 , wherein the composition is unfilled.

13. The sealing component according to claim 11 , wherein the sealing component is a seal back-up element, a packer element, a labyrinth seal or a dual-lip sealing component.

14. A sealing connector formed by the method of claim 10 .

15. The sealing connector formed by the method of claim 14 , wherein the composition is unfilled.

16. A method of improving extrusion- and creep-resistance of a component for use in a high temperature sealing element or seal connector, comprising,

providing a composition comprising an aromatic polymer and a crosslinking compound, and

subjecting the composition to a heat molding process to form the component and crosslink the aromatic polymer,

further comprising a cross-linking reaction additive capable of reacting with the cross-linking compound to form a reactive intermediate in the form of an oligomer, which reactive intermediate oligomer is capable of cross-linking an organic polymer.

17. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the cross-linking reaction additive is an organic acid which may be glacial acetic acid, formic acid, and/or benzoic acid.

18. The method according to claim 16 , wherein the cross-linking reaction additive may be is an acetate compound that has a structure according to formula (III):

wherein M is a Group I or a Group II metal; and R 2 is an alkyl, aryl, or aralkyl group, wherein the alkyl group is a hydrocarbon group of 1 to about 15 carbon atoms having 0 to about 5 ester or ether groups along or in the chain of the hydrocarbon group, wherein R 2 has 0 to about 5 functional groups.

19. A sealing component formed by the method of claim 16 .

20. The sealing component according to claim 19 , wherein the composition is unfilled.

21. The sealing component according to claim 19 , wherein the sealing component is a seal back-up element, a packer element, a labyrinth seal or a dual-lip sealing component.

22. A sealing connector formed by the method of claim 16 .

23. The sealing connector formed by the method of claim 22 , wherein the composition is unfilled.