PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF THERMOSETTING POLY(ARYLENE ETHER) COPOLYMER AND COMPOSITIONS

1 . A process for forming a capped poly(arylene ether) copolymer, the process comprising:

combining an acid catalyst and an uncapped poly(arylene ether) composition comprising an uncapped poly(arylene ether) copolymer comprising a phenolic end group ortho-substituted with a (C 1 -C 12 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 12 -hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene group to form a first reaction mixture;

reacting the (C 1 -C 12 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 12 -hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene group of the uncapped poly(arylene ether) copolymer in the presence of the acid catalyst, under conditions effective to cleave a (C 1 -C 12 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 12 -hydrocarbyl)amino group from the uncapped poly(arylene ether) copolymer, to form a second reaction mixture;

adding a nucleophilic catalyst and a capping agent to the second reaction mixture; and

reacting the capping agent and the uncapped poly(arylene ether) copolymer under conditions effective to provide a product mixture comprising the capped poly(arylene ether) copolymer.

2 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the capping agent is an anhydride capping agent, an acid halide capping agent, or a combination thereof.

3 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the acid catalyst is the corresponding acid of the capping agent.

4 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the conditions effective to cleave the (C 1 -C 12 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 12 -hydrocarbyl)amino group comprise azeotropic distillation of water from the first reaction mixture at a temperature of 70° C. to 200° C. and a pressure of 100 to 1000 kPa.

5 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the uncapped poly(arylene ether) composition is a product mixture of the reaction of a monohydric phenol, a dihydric phenol, a metal catalyst, and a (C 1 -C 12 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 12 -hydrocarbyl)amine.

6 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the capping agent comprises an anhydride, or a corresponding acid chloride, of the formula

wherein each occurrence of J is independently

wherein

R 5a is C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl optionally substituted with one or two carboxylic acid groups, each occurrence of R 6 , R 7 , and R 8 is independently hydrogen, C 1 -C 18 hydrocarbyl, C 2 -C 18 hydrocarbyloxycarbonyl, nitrile, formyl, carboxylic acid, imidate, or thiocarboxylic acid, and

each occurrence of R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , R 12 , and R 13 is independently hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 12 alkyl, C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, hydroxy, amino, or carboxylic acid.

7 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the uncapped poly(arylene ether) composition comprises an uncapped poly(phenylene ether) copolymer of the formula

wherein

Q 1a a C 1 -C 12 primary or secondary alkyl,

Q 1b is halogen, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms,

each occurrence of Q 2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, unsubstituted or substituted C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms;

each occurrence of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 is independently hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, and C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms;

z is 0 or 1;

x and y represent the relative mole ratios of the phenylene ether units; and

Y is divalent linking group of the formulas

wherein

each occurrence of R a , R b , R c , R d , and R e is independently hydrogen, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl, or C 1 -C 6 hydrocarbylene, optionally wherein R a and R b or R c and R d together are a C 4 -C 8 alkylene group; and

each occurrence of R 5 is independently Q 1a or a (C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene group, with the proviso that at least 50 parts per million by weight of the R 5 groups are (C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene groups, based on the total parts by weight of the copolymer.

8 . The process of claim 1 , wherein

the capping agent is acrylic anhydride, methacrylic anhydride, or a combination thereof; and

the uncapped poly(arylene ether) composition comprises an uncapped poly(phenylene ether) copolymer of the formula

wherein x and y represent the relative mole ratios of the phenylene ether units; and

each occurrence of R 5 is independently methyl or a di-(n-butyl)aminomethylene group, with the proviso that at least 50 parts per million by weight of the R 5 groups are di-(n-butyl)aminomethylene groups.

9 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising isolating the capped poly(arylene ether) copolymer from the product mixture.

10 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the capped poly(arylene ether) copolymer in the product mixture comprises at least 80% fewer (C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene groups than the uncapped poly(arylene ether) copolymer in the first reaction mixture, each as determined by 1 H NMR spectroscopy.

11 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the capped poly(arylene ether) copolymer has

an absolute number average molecular weight of 500 to 25,000 grams per mole, as determined by Gel Permeation Chromatography; and

an intrinsic viscosity of 0.04 to 1.5 deciliters/gram, as measured in chloroform at 25° C.

12 . A capped poly(arylene ether) copolymer made by the method of claim 1 , and having the formula:

wherein:

Q 1a a C 1 -C 12 primary or secondary alkyl,

Q 1b is halogen, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms,

each occurrence of Q 2 is independently hydrogen, halogen, unsubstituted or substituted C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, or C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms

each occurrence of R 1 , R 2 , R 3 , and R 4 is independently hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl provided that the hydrocarbyl group is not tertiary hydrocarbyl, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbylthio, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxy, and C 2 -C 12 halohydrocarbyloxy wherein at least two carbon atoms separate the halogen and oxygen atoms;

z is 0 or 1;

x and y represent the relative mole ratios of the arylene ether units;

Y is divalent linking group of the formulas

wherein each occurrence of R a , R b , R c , R d , and R e is independently hydrogen, C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl, or C 1 -C 6 hydrocarbylene, optionally wherein R a and R b or R c and R d together are a C 4 -C 8 alkylene group; and each occurrence of R 5 is independently Q 1a or a (C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene group;

wherein less than 100 parts per million by weight of the R 5 groups are (C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene groups, based on the total parts by weight of the copolymer; and

wherein each occurrence of J is independently

wherein

R 5a is C 1 -C 12 hydrocarbyl optionally substituted with one or two carboxylic acid groups, each occurrence of R 6 , R 7 , and R 8 is independently hydrogen, C 1 -C 18 hydrocarbyl, C 2 -C 18 hydrocarbyloxycarbonyl, nitrile, formyl, carboxylic acid, imidate, or thiocarboxylic acid, and

each occurrence of R 9 , R 10 , R 11 , R 12 , and R 13 is independently hydrogen, halogen, C 1 -C 12 alkyl, C 2 -C 12 alkenyl, hydroxy, amino, or carboxylic acid.

13 . A curable composition, comprising a thermosetting resin and the capped poly(arylene ether) copolymer of claim 12 .

14 . A cured composition obtained by heating the curable composition of claim 13 for a time and temperature sufficient to effect curing.

15 . An article comprising a cured composition of claim 14 .

16 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the (C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene group is a di(C 1 -C 6 -alkyl)aminomethylene group.

17 . The process of claim 1 , further comprising combining a second portion of the capping agent and the uncapped poly(arylene ether) copolymer under conditions effective to provide the acid catalyst in the first reaction mixture.

18 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the capping agent has the formula

wherein each occurrence of R 6 , R 7 , and R 8 is independently C 1 -C 18 hydrocarbyl, C 2 -C 12 hydrocarbyloxycarbonyl, nitrile, formyl, carboxylic acid, imidate, or thiocarboxylic acid.

19 . The process of claim 18 , wherein the capping agent is acetic anhydride, succinic anhydride, allyl succinic anhydride, propionic anhydride, isobutyric anhydride, isobutenyl succinic anhydride, butenyl succinic anhydride, maleic anhydride, glutaric anhydride, adipic anhydride, salicylic anhydride, phthalic anhydride, acrylic anhydride, methacrylic anhydride, 4-vinylbenzoic anhydride, a corresponding acid chloride thereof, or a combination thereof.

20 . The process of claim 1 , wherein the capped poly(arylene ether) copolymer in the product mixture comprises no (C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)(C 1 -C 6 -hydrocarbyl)aminomethylene groups as determined by 1 H NMR spectroscopy.