Flame retardant polymer composition

1. A composition comprising:

a rubber modified vinyl resin;

a polyphenylene ether resin;

a cyclic phosphate ester compound represented by Formula (I):

wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 20 alkyl, substituted C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 1 -C 20 alkenyl, substituted C 1 -C 20 alkenyl, C 1 -C 20 alkynyl, substituted C 1 -C 20 alkynyl, C 6 -C 30 aryl, substituted C 6 -C 30 aryl, C 6 -C 30 arylalkyl, substituted C 6 -C 30 arylalkyl, C 1 -C 30 heteroalkyl, substituted C 1 -C 30 heteroalkyl, C 6 -C 30 heteroaryl, substituted C 6 -C 30 heteroaryl, C 6 -C 30 hetero arylalkyl, and substituted C 6 -C 30 hetero arylalkyl; and

wherein x is an integer of 0 to 1;

and optionally an aromatic phosphate ester compound;

and polytetrafluroethylene,

wherein the particle size of the rubber particles in the rubber modified vinyl resin is in the range from about 0.1 to about 6.0 μm (z-average).

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the rubber modified vinyl resin is about 20 to about 90 parts by weight, the polyphenylene ether resin is about 10 to about 80 parts by weight, the cyclic phosphate ester compound is about 0.1 to about 30 parts by weight based on the rubber modified vinyl resin and the polyphenylene ether resin totaling 100 parts by weight, and the aromatic phosphate ester is about 0 to about 25 parts by weight based on the rubber modified vinyl resin and the polyphenylene ether resin totaling 100 parts by weight.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the aromatic phosphate ester compound is represented by the following formula (II):

wherein R is independently hydrogen or C 1-4 alkyl;

wherein X is derived from a compound comprising two hydroxyaryl groups; and

wherein n is an integer of 0, 1, 2, 3, or 4.

4. The composition of claim 3 , wherein the compound comprising two hydroxyaryl groups is selected from the group consisting of resorcinol, hydroquinone, bisphenol-A, and combinations thereof.

5. The composition of claim 3 , wherein X comprises an arylene or multiple aryl groups.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the rubber modified vinyl resin is a rubber modified styrenic resin.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the rubber modified vinyl resin comprises copolymer having a repeating unit of at least two selected from a rubber, an aromatic mono-alkenyl monomer, and an alkyl ester monomer.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the polyphenylene ether resin is selected from the group consisting of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene)ether, poly(2,6-diethyl-1,4-phenylene)ether, poly(2,6-dipropyl-1,4-phenylene)ether, poly(2-methyl-6-ethyl-1,4-phenylene)ether, poly(2-methyl-6-propyl-1,4-phenylene) ether, poly(2-ethyl-6-propyl-1,4-phenylene) ether, poly(2,6-diphenyl-1,4-phenylene) ether, copolymer of poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene) ether and poly(2,3,6-trimethyl-1,4-phenylene) ether, poly(2,3,5-triethyl-1,4-phenylene) ether and copolymers thereof.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein said cyclic phosphate ester compound is methyl-bis (5-ethyl-2-methyl-1,3,2-dioxaphorinan-5-yl) methyl methyl phosphonic acid ester P-oxide or methyl-bis(5-ethyl-2-methyl-1,3,2-dioxaphorinan-5-yl) phosphonic acid ester P,P′-dioxide.

10. The composition of claim 1 , formed in a shaped article.

11. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the article has a flame retardancy of V-0 when a specimen of the article is tested under the standard UL-94VB (⅛″).

12. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the article has a Vicat Softening Temperature of greater than or equal to about 86° C. when a specimen of the article is tested under the standard ASTM D-1525 under a 5 kg load.

13. The composition of claim 10 , wherein the article has a Vicat Softening Temperature greater than or equal to about 92° C. when a specimen of the article is tested under the standard ASTM D-1525 under a 5 kg load.

14. A composition comprising:

a rubber modified vinyl resin;

a polyphenylene ether resin;

a cyclic phosphate ester compound represented by Formula (I):

wherein R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 are independently selected from the group consisting of C 1 -C 20 alkyl, substituted C 1 -C 20 alkyl, C 1 -C 20 alkenyl, substituted C 1 -C 20 alkenyl, C 1 -C 20 alkynyl, substituted C 1 -C 20 alkynyl, C 6 -C 30 aryl, substituted C 6 -C 30 aryl, C 6 -C 30 arylalkyl, substituted C 6 -C 30 arylalkyl, C 1 -C 30 heteroalkyl, substituted C 1 -C 30 heteroalkyl, C 6 -C 30 heteroaryl, substituted C 6 -C 30 heteroaryl, C 6 -C 30 hetero arylalkyl, and substituted C 6 -C 30 hetero arylalkyl; and

wherein x is an integer of 0 to 1;

and 0 parts of aromatic phosphate ester compound;

wherein the particle size of the rubber particles in the vinyl resin is in the range from about 0.1 to about 6.0 μm (z-average).