Chloro-substituted polyetherimides having improved relative thermal index

Abstract

A polyetherimide having an OH content that is greater than 0 and equal or less than 100 ppm; and a chlorine content that is greater than 0 ppm is disclosed herein. A method for preparing the polyetherimide is also disclosed.

1 . A polymer comprising a polyetherimide having an OH content that is greater than 0 and less than or equal to 100 parts per million by weight (ppm) and a chlorine content that is greater than 0 ppm. 
     
     
         2 . The polyetherimide of  claim 1 , wherein the polyetherimide comprises structural unit of Formula (I): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein R and R′ can be a linear or cyclic C 2  to C 20  alkyl group or a substituted or unsubstituted C 6  to C 30  aryl group and n has a value of 1 to 40. 
       
     
     
         3 . The polyetherimide of  claim 1 , wherein chlorine content is present in an amount greater than 0 to 4,000 ppm. 
     
     
         4 . The polyetherimide of  claim 1 , wherein the polyetherimide has a flame retardant rating of V0 at 1.5 mm. 
     
     
         5 . The polyetherimide of  claim 3 , wherein the polyetherimide has a flame retardant rating of V0 at 0.8 mm. 
     
     
         6 . The polyetherimide of  claim 1 , having the structural unit of Formula (III): 
       
         
           
           
               
               
           
         
         wherein n is an integer having a value of 1 to 40. 
       
     
     
         7 . A composition comprising the polyetherimide of  claim 6 , and an additional polymer. 
     
     
         8 . The composition of  claim 7 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polycarbonates, polyolefins, polysulfones, polyphenylene sulfides, polyetheretherketones, polyethersulfones, polyamides, polyamideimides, polyimides other than the polyetherimide of  claim 1 , and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         9 . A composition comprising the polyetherimide of  claim 1  and an additional polymer. 
     
     
         10 . The composition of  claim 9 , wherein the polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyesters, polycarbonates, polyolefins, polysulfones, polyphenylene sulfides, polyetheretherketones, polyethersulfones, polyamides, polyamideimides, polyimides other than the polyetherimide of  claim 1 , and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         11 . A method for preparing the polyetherimide of  claim 1 , which comprises contacting, in o-dichlorobenzene or anisole as diluent, substantially equimolar amounts of a disodium salt of a dihydroxy compound of formula HO—R′—OH, and a slurry of a bisimide, in the presence of a catalytically active amount of a phase transfer catalyst, thereby polymerizing the bisimide and the disodium salt;
 wherein the bisimide and the disodium salt are polymerized in the presence of a base selected from the group consisting of alkali metal carbonates, alkyl hydrides, alkali metal hydroxides, alkali metal phosphates, alkali metal bicarbonates, alkali metal acetates, and combinations thereof; 
 wherein said slurry of bisimide comprises the reaction product of a mixture comprising a diamine of formula H 2 N—R—NH 2 ; chlorophthalic anhydride; and o-dichlorobenzene or anisole; and an optional imidization catalyst, said mixture having a solids content of greater than or equal to about 5% by weight; 
 wherein the base is added in an amount that is sufficient to produce the polyetherimide of  claim 1 . 
 
     
     
         12 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the bisimide is made by reacting chlorophthalic anhydride and excess amount of diamine or a stoichoimetric amount of diamine. 
     
     
         13 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the method further comprises adding a capping agent and capping amine groups. 
     
     
         14 . The method of  claim 13 , wherein the capping agent is selected from the group consisting of chlorophthalic anhydrides, phthalic anhydrides, substituted phthalic anhydrides, alkyl anhydrides, cyclic alkyl anhydrides, substituted aryl anhdrides, acyl alkyl halides, acyl aryl halides, aldehydes, ketones, esters, isocyanates, chloroformates, sulfonyl chlorides, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the disodium salt has excess sodium hydroxide and is caustic rich. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the base is K 3 PO 4 . 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 16 , wherein the K 3 PO 4  is added in the form of solid or an aqueous solution. 
     
     
         18 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the K 3 PO 4  is added in an aqueous solution and the K 3 PO 4  is dried with bisphenol A disodium salt or 1,3-bis[N-(4-chlorophthalimido)]benzene prior to addition to the slurry. 
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 17 , wherein the K 3 PO 4  is added as a solid. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the K 3 PO 4  added has a particle size of greater than 0 to 400 microns. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 19 , wherein the K 3 PO 4  added has a particle size ranging greater than 0 to less than 75 microns. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 11 , wherein the disodium salt is a bisphenol A disodium salt, the bisimide slurry is a slurry of 1,3-bis[N-(4-chlorophthalimido)]benzene, and the phase transfer catalyst is hexaalkylguanidinium chloride wherein said slurry of 1,3-bis[N-(4-chlorophthalimido)]benzene comprises the reaction product of a mixture comprising m-phenylenediamine; 4-chlorophthalic anhydride; and o-dichlorobenzene or anisole; and an optional imidization catalyst, said mixture having a solids content of greater than or equal to about 5% by weight. 
     
     
         24 . An article comprising the polyetherimide of  claim 1 .