Low molecular weight polyphenylene ether prepared without solvents
AssigneePolyOne Corporation
InventorRoger W. AVAKIAN
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Abstract
Low molecular weight polyphenylene ether (PPE) is made from higher molecular weight PPE without using solvents by extruding the higher molecular weight PPE with a phenolic modifier and a redistribution catalyst. The low molecular weight PPE has a Mw/Mn polydispersity greater than about 2 and a Mn ranging from about 10,000 to about 20,000.
Claims20
A method of reducing number average molecular weight of a high molecular weight polyphenylene ether polymer from a number average molecular weight of from about 34,000 to about 53,000 grams/mole to a number average molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 20,000 grams/mole, comprising the steps of:
- (a) introducing the high polymer weight polyphenylene ether polymer, a phenolic modifier, and a redistribution catalyst into the throat of a polymer melt-mixing extruder and
- (b) propelling the high molecular weight polyphenylene ether polymer, the phenolic modifier, and redistribution catalyst at a sufficient temperature to melt the high molecular weight polymer and for a sufficient duration in the extruder to permit the phenolic modifier to break the high molecular weight polyphenylene ether polymer into a low molecular weight polyphenylene ether having a number average molecular weight of from about 10,000 to about 20,000 grams/mole,
- wherein no solvent is present in step (a) or step (b), and
- wherein the low molecular weight polyphenylene ether has a polydispersity (Mw/Mn) of greater than about 2.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.