Cross-linkable polymer compositions

1. A method of cross-linking or chain extending a polymeric material in a shaped article, wherein the shaped article comprises a polymer composition comprising the polymeric material, the method comprising:

heating the shaped article in at least one heating step in which the shaped article is heated in air from a first temperature T 1 to a second temperature T 2 >T 1 , such that the Tg of the polymeric material which is the mid-point glass transition temperature (Tg) of the polymeric material as measured by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) (first heat) heating at 20° C/min from 40° C. to 300° C. at any time during the heating step increases during such heating step, wherein:

the first temperature T 1 is greater than or equal to Tg (i) -20° C. and less than Tg (i) +5° C., said Tg (i) being the glass transition temperature of the polymeric material before such heating step,

the second temperature T2 is greater than Tg (t) -20° C. and less than or equal to Tg (t) +5° C., said Tg (t) being the glass transition temperature of the polymeric material subsequent to such associated heating step, and

further wherein the polymeric material comprises a silane-modified poly(arylene ether) polymer (Si-PAE) of formula (I):

wherein:

Q is independently selected from the group consisting of a sulfone group [—S(═O) 2 —] and a ketone group [—C(═O)—];

T, equal to each other, is selected from the group consisting of a bond, —CH 2 —;

—O—; —SO 2 —; —S—; —C(O)—; —C(CH 3 ) 2 —; —C(CF 3 ) 2 —; —C(═CCl 2 )—;

—C(CH 3 )(CH 2 CH 2 COOH)—; —N═N—; —R a C═CR b —, where each R a and R b , independently of one another, is a hydrogen or a C 1 -C 12 -alkyl, C 1 -C 12 -alkoxy, or C 6 -C 18 -aryl group; —(CH 2 ) p — and —(CF 2 ) p — with p being an integer from 1 to 6; an aliphatic divalent group, linear or branched, of up to 6 carbon atoms; and combinations thereof;

n is an integer ranging from 2 to 100;

each R 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, a quaternary ammonium, an epoxy, a norbornene, an acrylate, an olefin, a silane, and a group E;

each i is independently selected from an integer ranging from 0 to 4;

each E is independently selected from the group consisting of moieties of formula (II) :

wherein:

each Z is independently selected from the group consisting of an alkyl, an alkoxy, and an —OH group, provided that at last one of Z is an alkoxy or an —OH group;

L is selected from the group consisting of a bond, an alkyl, an aryl, and an arylalkyl, wherein the alkyl, aryl, and arylalkyl are optionally substituted with one or more heteroatoms; and

Y is a selected from the group consisting of a —CH 2 — and a —(C═O)NH— group.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

the first temperature T 1 is greater than or equal to Tg (i) -10° C. and less than Tg (i) +2° C., said Tg (i) being the glass transition temperature of the polymeric material before such heating step,

the second temperature T 2 is greater than Tg (t) -10° C. and less than or equal to Tg (t) +2° C., said Tq (t) being the glass transition temperature of the polymeric material subsequent to such associated heating step.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

Z are independently selected from the group consisting of methyl, methoxy, and ethoxy groups, and

Y is a —CH 2 — group.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein each E is independently selected from the group consisting of :

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein each E represents a group of formula:

—CH 2 CH 2 CH 2 —Si(OCH 3 ) 3 .

6. The method of claim 1 , wherein:

Q is a sulfone group [—S(═O) 2 —],

T is selected from the group consisting of a bond, a sulfone group [—S(═O) 2 —], and a —C(CH 3 ) 2 — group, preferably a —C(CH 3 ) 2 — group, and each i is 0.

7. The method of claim 1 , wherein the Tg increases during the heating at least 5%, relative to the Tg of the polymeric material before the heating.

8. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shaped article is heated for a total time ranging from 1 to 100 hours.

9. The method of claim 1 , wherein the polymeric material comprises at least 70 wt. % of the silane-modified poly(arylene ether) polymer (Si-PAE).

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein after the heating, at least 1 wt. % of the polymeric material is insoluble in methylene chloride as determined by immersing 1 g of the polymeric material in methylene chloride for 2 hours at 23° C. with no stirring.

11. The method of claim 1 , wherein the shaped article is free of constraints in any dimension during the heating.

12. The method of claim 1 , wherein the at least one heating step does not form bubble inclusions in the shaped article greater than 0.5 mm in diameter.

13. The method of claim 1 , comprising maintaining the temperature at which the shaped article is heated within the specified temperature range based on the increasing Tg of the polymeric material during the heating step.

14. The method of claim 1 , wherein the temperature is increased in the at least one heating step with a temperature ramp ranging from 0.5° C/h to 1.25° C/h or by stepwise temperature increases.

15. The method of claim 1 , comprising several heating steps.