Hybrid materials employing PPE/polystyrene/curable epoxy mixtures

Abstract

A curable melt blended composition and a method of making the composition by melt blending a thermoplastic polymer comprising polyphenylene ether (PPE) polymer and a polystyrene polymer, preferably high impact polystyrene (HIPS), and optionally a compatiblizer, with an uncured epoxy component, comprising a curable epoxy and an epoxy curing agent, at a temperature greater than 150° C. and without addition of solvent wherein the epoxy component of the resulting curable melt blended composition remains substantially uncured.

1 . A composition obtained wherein energy is applied so as to cure an epoxy component in a curable melt blended composition comprising: 
 a) 60 to 99.9 weight percent of a thermoplastic polymer comprising 
 1) 1-99 weight percent of polyphenylene ether (PPE) polymer, and  
 2) 1-99 weight percent of a polystyrene polymer; and  
   b) 0.1 to 40 weight percent of an epoxy component, which is substantially uncured, comprising 
 1) a curable epoxy, and  
 2) an effective amount of curing agent for said curable epoxy.