Thermoset and polyarylsulfone resin system that forms an interpenetrating network

A polymer composition comprising a thermoset resin precursor component, a polyarylsulphone component and a fibrous filler said thermoset resin precursor component being selected from the group consisting of precursors of:

• a) a cyanate resin;
• b) an isocyanate resin;
• and
• c) mixtures of a) and b);
• said thermoset resin precursor component optionally also containing precursors selected from the group consisting of;
• d) an epoxy resin;
• e) a bismaleimide resin;
• and
• f) a phenol-formaldehyde resin
• said composition being characterized in that, on curing of said thermoset resin precursor component, each of such components are present at least partly as a continuous interpenetrating network in at least one dimension.

A polymer composition comprising a thermoset resin component and a polyarylsulphone component, each of such components being present at least partly as a continuous interpenetrating network in at least one dimension, wherein:

• a) said thermoset resin component comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of cyanate resins and isocyanate resins and mixtures thereof and, optionally, of epoxy resins, bis-maleimide resins and phenol-formaldehyde resins;
• and
• b) said polyarylsulphone component comprises at least one polyarylsulphone comprising ether-linked repeating units selected from the group consisting of:
• --(PhSO.sub.2 Ph).sub.n --
• and
• --(Ph).sub.a --
• wherein:
• Ph is phenylene
• n=1 to 2 and can be fractional;
• a=1 to 3 and can be fractional;
• and
• in --(Ph).sub.a --, when a exceeds 1, said phenylenes are linked through a single chemical bond or --CO--;
• provided that the repeating unit --(PhSO.sub.2 Ph).sub.n -- is always present in said at least one polyarylsulphone.

A polymer composition comprising a thermoset resin component and a polyarylsulphone component, each of such components being present at least partly as a continuous interpenetrating network in at least one dimension, wherein:

• a) said thermoset resin component comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of cyanate resins and isocyanate resins and mixtures thereof, and, optionally, of epoxy resins, bis-maleimide resins and phenol-formaldehyde resins;
• and
• b) said polyarylsulphone component comprises at least one polyarylsulphone consisting essentially of ether-linked repeating units selected from the group consisting of:
• --(PhSO.sub.2 Ph).sub.n --
• and
• --(Ph).sub.a --
• wherein:
• Ph is phenylene
• n=1 to 2 and can be fractional;
• a=1 to 3 and can be fractional;
• and
• in --(Ph).sub.a --, when a exceeds 1, said phenylene are linked through a single chemical bond or --CO--;
• provided that the repeating unit --(PhSO.sub.2 Ph).sub.n -- is always present in said at least one polyarylsulphone and that the relative proportions of the repeating units are such that on average at least two units --(PhSO.sub.2 Ph).sub.n -- are in sequence in each polymer chain present, said at least one polyarylsulphone having amine end groups and having a number average molecular weight in the range 2000 to 60000.

A polymer composition comprising a thermoset resin component and a polyarylsulphone component, each of such components being present at least partly as a continuous interpenetrating network in at least one dimension, wherein:

• a) said thermoset resin component comprises at least one member selected from the group consisting of cyanate resins and isocyanate resins and mixtures thereof, and, optionally, of epoxy resins, bis-maleimide resins and phenol-formaldehyde resins;
• and
• b) said polyarylsulphone component comprises at least one polyarylsulphone consisting essentially of ether-linked repeating units of formula:
• --(PhSO.sub.2 Ph).sub.n --
• and
• --(Ph).sub.a --
• wherein:
• Ph is phenylene
• n=1 to 2 and can be fractional;
• a=1 to 2 and can be fractional;
• and
• in --(Ph).sub.a --, when a exceeds 1, said phenylenes are linked through a single chemical bond;
• provided that the relative proportions of the repeating units are such that at on average at least two units --(PhSO.sub.2 Ph).sub.n -- are in sequence in each polymer chain present, said at least one polyarylsulphone having end groups of formula
• --A'--Y
• wherein;
• A' is a divalent hydrocarbon group and
• Y is a group providing active hydrogen;
• and having a number average molecular weight in the range 2000 to 60000.