Glass-filled polymer composition comprising a poly(aryl ether sulfone), a poly(aryl ether ketone), at least one polyphenylene sulfide and glass fibers

1. A polymer composition (C1) comprising:

from 25 to 59 wt. % of at least one poly(aryl ether sulfone) (PAES);

from 1 to 35 wt. % of at least one poly(aryletherketone) (PAEK);

from 20 to 35 wt. % of at least one polyphenylsulfide (PPS); and

from 5 to 50 wt. % of glass fibers,

based on the total weight of the polymer composition (C1),

wherein the PPS comprises at least about 50 mol. % of recurring units (R PPS ) of formula (U), the mol. % being based on the total number of moles of recurring units in the PPS polymer:

wherein

R is independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, C 1 -C 12 alkyl groups, C 7 -C 24 alkylaryl groups, C 7 -C 24 aralkyl groups, C 6 -C 24 arylene groups, C 1 -C 12 alkoxy groups, and C 6 -C 18 aryloxy groups, and

i is independently zero or an integer from 1 to 4.

2. The composition (C1) of claim 1 , comprising from 1 to 15 wt. % of at least one PAEK, wherein the PAEK is poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK).

3. The composition (C1) of claim 1 , wherein the PAEK is a poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK) comprising recurring units (R PEEK ) of formula (J-A), based on the total number of moles of recurring units in the polymer:

where

R′, at each location, is independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aryl, ether, thioether, carboxylic acid, ester, amide, imide, alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfonate, alkyl sulfonate, alkali or alkaline earth metal phosphonate, alkyl phosphonate, amine and quaternary ammonium; and

j′, for each R′, is independently an integer ranging from 0 to 4.

4. The composition (C1) of claim 3 , wherein the PEEK comprises at least 50 mol. % of recurring unites (R PEEK ) of formula (J-A).

5. The composition (C1) of claim 1 , wherein the PAES is at least one polysulfone (PSU).

6. The composition (C1) of claim 5 , wherein the PSU comprises at least 60 mol. % recurring units (R PSU ) of formula (L), the mol. % being based on the total number of moles in the polymer:

where

R, at each location, is independently selected from the group consisting of a halogen, an alkyl, an alkenyl, an alkynyl, an aryl, an ether, a thioether, a carboxylic acid, an ester, an amide, an imide, an alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfonate, an alkyl sulfonate, an alkali or alkaline earth metal phosphonate, an alkyl phosphonate, an amine, and a quaternary ammonium; and

h, for each R, is independently zero or an integer ranging from 1 to 4.

7. The composition (C1) of claim 1 , further comprising one or more additional additives selected from the group consisting of ultraviolet light stabilizers, heat stabilizers, acid scavengers, antioxidants, pigments, processing aids, lubricants, flame retardants, and/or conductivity additive.

8. An article comprising the polymer composition according to claim 1 .

9. The article of claim 8 , selected from the group consisting of a pipe, a fitting, a manifold, a valve, a medical instrument or part of instrument, a medical case or tray, an aircraft interior component, a cookware, a laboratory animal cage, a laboratory equipment, and a structural part of an electronic device.

10. A method for increasing the melt flow of a polymer, comprising using a blend of at least one poly(aryl ether ketone) (PAEK) and at least one polyphenylsulfide (PPS) as a flow enhancer of a polymer composition (C2) comprising at least one poly(aryl ether sulfone) (PAES) and glass fibers, to obtain a polymer composition (C1) comprising:

from 25 to 59 wt. % of the at least one PAES,

from 5 to 50 wt. % of the glass fibers,

from 1 to 35 wt. % of the at least one PAEK and

from 20 to 35 wt. % of the at least one PPS, based on the total weight of the polymer composition (C1),

wherein the PPS comprises at least about 50 mol. % of recurring units (R PPS ) of formula (U), the mol. % being based on the total number of moles of recurring units in the PPS polymer:

wherein

R is independently selected from the group consisting of halogen, C 1 -C 12 alkyl groups, C 7 -C 24 alkylaryl groups, C 7 -C 24 aralkyl groups, C 6 -C 24 arylene groups, C 1 -C 12 alkoxy groups, and C 6 -C 18 aryloxy groups, and

i is independently zero or an integer from 1 to 4.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the PAES is selected from the group consisting of a polysulfone (PSU), a polyphenylsulfone (PPSU) and a polyethersulfone (PES).

12. The method of claim 10 , wherein the PAEK is a poly(ether ether ketone) (PEEK).

13. The composition (C1) of claim 1 , wherein i equals 0 in the recurring units (R PPS ) of formula (U).

14. The composition (C1) of claim 1 , wherein the PPS comprises at least about 80 mol. % of the recurring units (R PPS ) of the formula (U) based on the total number of moles of recurring units in the PPS polymer.

15. The composition (C1) of claim 1 , wherein the PPS comprises at least about 95 mol. % of the recurring units (R PPS ) of the formula (U) based on the total number of moles of recurring units in the PPS polymer.

16. The method of claim 10 , wherein i equals 0 in the recurring units (R PPS ) of formula (U).

17. The method of claim 10 , wherein the PPS comprises at least about 95 mol. % of the recurring units (R PPS ) of the formula (U) based on the total number of moles of recurring units in the PPS polymer.

18. The method of claim 10 , wherein the PAES is at least one polysulfone (PSU), said PSU comprising at least 60 mol. % recurring units (R PSU ) of formula (L), the mol. % being based on the total number of moles in the polymer:

where

R, at each location, is independently selected from the group consisting of a halogen, an alkyl, an alkenyl, an alkynyl, an aryl, an ether, a thioether, a carboxylic acid, an ester, an amide, an imide, an alkali or alkaline earth metal sulfonate, an alkyl sulfonate, an alkali or alkaline earth metal phosphonate, an alkyl phosphonate, an amine, and a quaternary ammonium; and

h, for each R, is independently zero or an integer ranging from 1 to 4.