Process for coating a wire or cable with polyphenylene sulfide alloy and resulting coated wire

A process for coating a wire or cable with a partially grafted polymer composition comprising the steps of:

• (I) heating the partially grafted polymer composition to form a polymer melt;
• and
• (II) extruding the partially grafted polymer melt around a wire or cable to form a coated wire or cable,
• wherein the partially grafted polymer composition comprises:
• (a) from 40% to 90% by weight polyphenylene sulfide;
• (b) from 9% to 50% by weight of a polymeric grafting agent, said grafting agent comprising a copolymer wherein for every one hundred parts by weight copolymer (i) at least 50 parts by weight are derived from ethylene comonomer;
• (ii) from 0.5 to 15 parts by weight are derived from one or more reactive comonomer selected from the group consisting of an unsaturated epoxide of 4 to 11 carbon atoms;
• an unsaturated isocyanate of 2 to 11 carbon atoms;
• an unsaturated alkoxy silane and unsaturated alkyl silane, wherein the alkoxy and the alkyl group is from 1 to 12 carbon atoms;
• and an unsaturated oxazoline;
• and (iii) from 0 to 49 parts by weight are derived from an optional third comonomer selected from the group consisting of an alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate, vinyl ether, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide, where the alkyl and ether groups are of 1 to 12 carbon atoms;
• and
• (c) from 1% to 20% by weight of an ethylene copolymer, wherein for every one hundred parts by weight ethylene copolymer (i) at least 50 parts by weight are derived from ethylene comonomer, (ii) from 1 to 35 parts by weight are derived from an acid-containing unsaturated carboxylic acid or anhydride comonomer, and (iii) from 0 to 49 parts by weight are derived from a comonomer selected from the group consisting of alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate, vinyl ether, carbon monoxide, and sulfur dioxide, and further wherein the acid groups are neutralized from 0 to 100% by a metal ion.