OVERMOLDED PLASTIC ARTICLES, USES THEREOF, METHOD OF MAKING

1 . A metal-plastic assembly [assembly (MP)] comprising:

a metal insert, having a surface; and

a plastic component, in contact with at least a part of said surface of said metal insert, wherein the plastic component is made from a polymer composition [composition (C)] comprising:

at least one polymer selected from the group consisting of a polyamide polymer [polymer (PA)] and a polyarylene sulphide polymer [polymer (PAS)]; and

flat glass fibers [Fibers (FGF)],

wherein:

the assembly (MP) is an insulated busbar, and wherein the metal insert is a metallic strip or a bar;

or

the assembly (MP) is a compressor wheel assembly comprising:

a metal tubular insert having a shaft bore extending from an inlet end to an outlet end opposed to the inlet end, and including at least one engagement member for engaging a rotatable shaft;

a compressor wheel member made of the polymer composition (C) molded on to the tubular insert, and having a blade array;

or

the assembly (MP) is a plastic bracket of a three-dimensional shape for use as mounting fixtures;

or

the assembly (MP) is a part of a stator component or a rotor component for an electrical motor.

2 . The assembly (MP) of claim 1 , wherein the composition (C) further comprises a toughener in an amount of greater than 1 wt. % and less than 30 wt. %, based on the total weight of the composition (C).

3 . The assembly (MP) of claim 1 , wherein the metal of the metal insert is any of bronze, aluminum, an aluminum alloy, a brass alloy, zinc, copper, a copper alloy, lead, a stainless steel, a carbon steel and a galvanised steel.

4 . The assembly (MP) of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition (C) is a polyamide-based composition wherein polymer (PA) is present in a total amount of greater than 30 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymer composition (C); and/or in a total amount of less than 95 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymer composition (C).

5 . The assembly of claim 4 , wherein the polymer (PA) of the polymer composition (C) comprises recurring units (R PA ) derived from polycondensation of a diamine and a diacid of formula (AABB) below, and/or units derived from polycondensation of an aminoacid or lactam, of formula (AB) below:

wherein R H is hydrogen or a hydrocarbon group; and R AB , R BB , R AA , equal to or different from each other, are divalent hydrocarbon groups, possibly including one or more than one heteroatom,

wherein

recurring units (I) and (II) of the polyamide (PA) are the condensation product of at least one mixture selected from:

mixtures (M1) comprising at least a diacid [acid (DA)](or derivative thereof) and at least a diamine [amine (NN)](or derivatives thereof);

mixtures (M2) comprising at least a lactam [lactam (L)];

mixtures (M3) comprising at least an aminocarboxylic acid [aminoacid (AN)]; and

combinations thereof.

6 . The assembly (MP) of claim 5 , wherein said acid (DA) is selected from the group consisting of:

an aromatic dicarboxylic acid comprising two reactive carboxylic acid groups [acid (AR)], which is selected from phthalic acids, including isophthalic acid (IA), and terephthalic acid (TA); 2,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid 2,4-pyridinedicarboxylic acid, 3,5-pyridinedicarboxylic acid, 2,2-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)propane, bis(4-carboxyphenyl)methane, 2,2-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane, 2,2-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)ketone, 4,4′-bis(4-carboxyphenyl)sulfone, 2,2-bis(3-carboxyphenyl)propane, bis(3-carboxyphenyl)methane, 2,2-bis(3-carboxyphenyl)hexafluoropropane, 2,2-bis(3-carboxyphenyl)ketone, bis(3-carboxyphenoxy)benzene, naphthalene dicarboxylic acids, including 2,6-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, 2,7-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, 1,4-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, 2,3-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid, 1,8-naphthalene dicarboxylic acid and biphenyl-4,4′-dicarboxylic acid, and

an aliphatic dicarboxylic acid comprising two reactive carboxylic acid groups [acid (AL)], which is selected from the group consisting of oxalic acid (HOOC—COOH), malonic acid (HOOC—CH 2 —COOH), succinic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 2 —COOH], glutaric acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 3 —COOH], 2,2-dimethyl-glutaric acid [HOOC—C(CH 3 ) 2 —(CH 2 ) 2 —COOH], adipic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 4 —COOH], 2,4,4-trimethyl-adipic acid [HOOC—CH(CH 3 )—CH 2 —C(CH 3 ) 2 — CH 2 —COOH], pimelic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 5 —COOH], suberic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 6 —COOH], azelaic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 7 —COOH], sebacic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 8 —COOH], undecanedioic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 9 —COOH], dodecandioic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 10 —COOH], tridecanedioic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 11 —COOH], tetradecandioic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 12 —COOH], octadecandioic acid [HOOC—(CH 2 ) 16 —COOH], and cycloaliphatic-group containing acids, in particular 1,4-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acid, 1,3-cyclohexane dicarboxylic acids, as cis or trans diastereoisomers, possibly in admixture;

and/or

wherein the amine (NN) is selected from the group consisting of aliphatic diamines (NNa), aromatic diamines (NNar) and mixtures thereof, wherein:

said aliphatic diamines (NNa) may be or include aliphatic alkylene diamines (NNaa), having 2 to 18 carbon atoms and/or maybe or include a cycloaliphatic diamine, i.e. a diamine comprising a cycloaliphatic group having 2 to 18 carbon atoms [amine (NNca)].

7 . The assembly (MP) of claim 6 , wherein the polyamide (PA) is selected from the group consisting of:

(A1) semi-aromatic polyamides comprising, units which are the condensation product of mixtures comprising:

the at least an aromatic diacid, and derivatives thereof, possibly in combination with the aliphatic dicarboxylic acid and derivatives thereof; and

the at least an aliphatic diamine [amine (NNa)] and derivatives thereof;

(A2) semi-aromatic polyamides comprising, recurring units which are the condensation products of mixtures comprising:

the at least one aliphatic diacid and derivatives thereof, and

the at least one aromatic diamine, and derivatives thereof,

and wherein:

(1) the polyamide (PA) of type (A1) is preferably selected from the group consisting of:

polyamides comprising, units which are the condensation product of mixtures of 1,6-diaminohexane and terephthalic acid, possibly in combination with isophthalic acid, that is to say resulting polycondensation product being a polyamide 6T or a polyamide 6T/6I;

(ii) polyamides comprising, units which are the condensation product of mixtures of 1,6-diaminohexane, 1,10-decamethylenediamine, and, possibly, 1,3-bis-(aminomethyl)-cyclohexane, and terephthalic acid, that is to say resulting polycondensation product being a polyamide 6T/10T or a polyamide 6T/10T/BACT

(iii) polyamides comprising, units which are the condensation product of mixtures of 1,6-diaminohexane, adipic acid and terephthalic acid, possibly in combination with isophthalic acid, that is to say resulting polycondensation product being a polyamide 6T/66 or a polyamide 6T/6I/66;

(iv) polyamides comprising, units which are the condensation product of mixtures of 1,6-diaminohexane, 1,3-bis-(aminomethyl)-cyclohexane (BAC), 1,4-cyclohexanedicarboxylic acid (cis, trans or cis/trans mixtures) (CHDA), terephthalic acid, and that is to say resulting polycondensation product being a polyamide 6T/BACT/6CHDA/BACCHDA, and

(2) the polyamide of type (A2) is a polyamide comprising, units which are the condensation product of mixtures of m-xylenediamine (MXDA) and adipic acid, that is to say resulting polycondensation product being a polyamide MXD6.

8 . The assembly (MP) of claim 1 , wherein the polymer composition (C) is a poly(arylene sulphide)-based composition wherein the polymer (PAS) is present in a total amount of greater than 30 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymer composition (C), and/or the polymer (PAS) is present in a total amount of less than 95 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymer composition (C).

9 . The assembly (MP) of claim 8 , wherein the polymer (PAS) comprises recurring units (R PAS1 ) represented by the following formula:

wherein

—Ar 1 — is selected from the group of formulae consisting of:

wherein:

R, at each instance, is independently selected from the group consisting of a C 1 -C 12 alkyl group, a C 7 -C 24 alkylaryl group, a C 7 -C 24 aralkyl group, a C 6 -C 24 arylene group, and a C 6 -C 18 aryloxy group;

T is selected from the group consisting of a bond, —CO—, —SO 2 —, —O—, —C(CH 3 ) 2 —, —C(CF 3 ) 2 —, phenyl and —CH 2 —;

i, at each instance, is an independently selected integer from 0 to 4;

j, at each instance, is an independently selected integer from 0 to 3.

10 . The assembly (MP) of claim 9 , wherein the polymer (PAS) is a polymer (PPS) having units (R PAS1 ) of formula:

and which optionally comprise units of any of formulae:

with the further condition that when polymer (PPS) further comprises units (R PPS-m ) and/or (R PPS-o ), the total concentration of recurring units (R PSS-m ) and/or (R PSS-o ) in the polymer (PPS) is at most 10 mol %, based on total amount of units (R PPS ), (R PPS-m ) and (R PPS-o ).

11 . The assembly (MP) of claim 1 , wherein the flat glass fibers have a non-circular cross section selected from an elliptical section, oblong-circular section, rectangle section, a section in which half rounds are connected to both short sides of a rectangle, and cocoon section; and/or wherein the flat glass fibers have an aspect ratio, being the ratio between the cross-sectional longest dimension and the cross-sectional shortest dimensions, of from 1.0 to 10.

12 . The assembly (MP) of claim 1 , wherein the metal insert of the assembly (MP) comprise areas of its surface not covered by the plastic component.

13 . A method of making the assembly (MP) of claim 1 , said method comprising assembling the metal insert and the plastic component.

14 . The method of claim 13 , wherein the method comprises:

Step 1—a step of placing a pre-molded metal insert is placed into a mold; and

Step 2—a step of molding the polymer composition (C) in said mold comprising the pre-molded metal insert.

15 . A method comprising incorporating the assembly (MP) of claim 1 in an automotive component for automotive applications.

16 . The method of claim 15 , wherein the automotive application is an e-mobility application.

17 . The assembly (MP) of claim 9 , wherein Ar 1 — is represented by any of the following formulae:

18 . The assembly (MP) of claim 17 , wherein Ar 1 — is represented by any of formulae (a-1), (a-2) and (a-3), and where i is zero.