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Claims  |
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What is claimed is:
1. A resin composition having an electromagnetic wave shielding effect,
comprising:
35 to 90 wt % of a copolymer of an ethylenic unsaturated nitrile, a diene
rubber and an aromatic vinyl compound or a mixture of said copolymer with
another copolymer of an ethylenic unsaturated nitrile and an aromatic
vinyl compound;
1 to 25 wt % of a plasticizer;
5 to 40 wt % of carbon fibers, said carbon fibers being selected from the
group consisting of carbonized polyacrylonitrile fibers, carbonized pitch
fibers, carbonized phenolic compound fibers and mixtures thereof; and
2 to 30 wt % of carbon black.
2. The resin composition according to claim 1, wherein said ethylenic
unsaturated nitrile is selected from the group consisting of
acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, ethacrylonitrile and methyl
methacrylonitrile, said diene rubber is selected from the group consisting
of butadiene, isoprene, 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene, 1-chloro-1,3-butadiene,
piperylene and mixtures thereof, and said aromatic vinyl compound is
selected from the group consisting of styrene, .alpha.-methylstyrene,
vinyltoluene, divinylbenzene, chlorostyrene and mixtures thereof.
3. The resin composition according to claim 1, wherein said copolymer of
said ethylenic unsaturated nitrile, said diene rubber and said aromatic
vinyl compound is a graft copolymer prepared by graft-copolymerizing 20 to
75 parts by weight of a diene rubber or a diene-containing polymer
containing not less than 50 wt % of diene rubber with 80 to 25 parts by
weight of a mixture of an ethylenic unsaturated nitrile and an aromatic
vinyl compound.
4. The resin composition according to claim 1, wherein said composition is
a mixture of 25 to 99 parts by weight of said copolymer of said ethylenic
unsaturated nitrile, said diene rubber and said aromatic vinyl compound
and 1 to 75 parts by weight of said another copolymer of the ethylenic
unsaturated nitrile and the aromatic vinyl compound.
5. The resin composition according to claim 1, wherein said plasticizer is
selected from the group consisting of phthalic acid esters, fatty acid
esters, epoxides, phosphoric acid esters, ethers, polyesters and
chlorinated plasticizers.
6. The resin composition according to claim 5, wherein said phthalic acid
esters are one or more of dibutyl phthalate and di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate;
said fatty acid esters are one or more of di-2-ethylhexyl adipate, dibutyl
sebacate, di-2-ethylhexyl sebacate and di-2-ethylhexyl azelate; said
epoxides are one or more of epoxidized fatty acid monoesters, epoxidized
soybean oil and epoxydized linseed oil; said phosphoric acid esters are
one or more of tricresyl phosphate, tri-2-ethylhexyl phosphate and
tributoxyethyl phosphate; said ethers are one or more of triethyleneglycol
di-2-ethyl butylate, dibutylcarbitol adipate and dibutylcarbitol formal;
said polyesters are one or more of adipic acid polyesters, sebacic acid
polyesters and azelaic acid polyesters; and said chlorinated plasticizers
are one or more of chlorinated aliphatic esters and chlorinated paraffins.
7. The resin composition according to claim 1, wherein said plasticizer is
selected from the group consisting of flame-retarding plasticizers of
phosphoric acid derivatives and ethylene/propylene terpolymers.
8. The resin composition according to claim 7, wherein said flame retarding
plasticizers are selected from the group consisting of tri(2-ethylhexyl)
phosphate, 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate, tributoxyethyl phosphate,
triphenyl phosphate, cresyl diphenyl phosphate, isodecyl diphenyl
phosphate, tricresyl phosphate, trixylenyl phosphate, mixed aryl
phosphates, phenyl/isopropyl phenyl phosphate, mixed triaryl phosphates
and tris(chloroethyl) phosphate.
9. The resin composition according to claim 7, wherein said terpolymer has
a composition containing 50 to 80 mol % of ethylene, 20 to 50 mol % of
propylene and 0.5 to 10 mol % of an unsaturated compound having a double
bond.
10. The resin composition according to claim 9, wherein said unsaturated
compound is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-hexadiene,
dicyclopentadiee and ethylidene norbornene.
11. The resin composition according claim 1 wherein each of said carbon
fibers has a length of 0.5 to 20 mm and a diameter of 3 to 25.mu. and said
carbon fibers have a bundle count of 1,000 to 20,000.
12. The resin composition according to claim 1, further comprising 0.5 to
10 wt % of an alkylamine antistatic agent.
13. The resin composition according to claim 12, wherein said alkylamine
antistatic agent is an amine compound having hydroxyethyl groups and
represented by the following formula of:
##STR2##
wherein R.sub.1 is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms,
and m and n are integers of 1 to 10.
14. The resin composition according to claim 13, wherein said amine
compound is selected from the group consisting of N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)
tallow amine, polyoxyethylene lauryl amine and fatty acid esters of
polyoxyethylene lauryl amine.
15. The resin composition according to claim 1, further comprising 2 to 35
wt % of a halogen-containing organic flame retarder and 0.4 to 21 wt % of
an auxiliary flame-retarding agent, the amount of added auxiliary
flame-retarding agent being 6/10 to 2/10 of the weight of said
halogen-containing organic flame retarder.
16. The resin composition according to claim 15 wherein said
halogen-containing organic flame retarder is selected from the group
consisting of chlorinated paraffins, tetrabromobisphenol-A and oligomers
thereof, decabromobiphenyl ethers, hexabromobiphenyl ethers,
pentabromobiphenyl ethers, pentabromotoluene, pentabromoethylbenzene,
hexabromobenzene, pentabromophenol, tribromophenol derivatives,
perchloropentanecyclodecane, hexabromocyclododecane,
tris(2,3-dibromopropyl-1)-isocyanurate, tetrabromobisphenol-S and
derivatives thereof, 1,2-bis(2,3,4,5,6-pentabromophenoxy)ethane,
1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane, brominated styrene oligomers,
2,2-bis-(4-(2,3-dibromopropyl)-3,5-dibromophenoxy)propane,
tetrachlorophthalic anhydride, tetrabromophthalic anhydride and mixture
thereof.
17. The resin composition according to claim 15, wherein said auxiliary
flame-retarding agent is selected from the group consisting of antimony
trioxide, sodium antimonate, zinc borate, and oxides and sulfides of
zirconium and molybdenum.
18. The resin composition according to claim 1, further comprising any one
or more of antioxidants, internal and external lubricants, and
stabilizers. |
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Claims  |
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Description  |
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BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a resin composition having an
electromagnetic wave shielding effect, and more particularly to a resin
composition for shielding the transmission of electromagnetic waves
thereby to prevent disorders or trouble caused by electromagnetic waves.
2. Prior Art
In conventional systems, electronic instruments, such as business machines,
electronic computers and television receivers, generate electromagnetic
waves by themselves to cause malfunctions and/or noises in neighboring
electronic instruments.
On the other hand, the electronic instruments are affected by the
electromagnetic waves emitted from the adjacent electronic instruments,
leading to malfunction thereof or generation of noises therefrom.
Trouble caused by the electromagnetic waves have been obviated to some
extent when the housings of such electronic instruments are made of metal
plates or aluminum die castings which can shield the transmission of
electromagnetic waves.
However, plastic materials have been predominantly used for the housings of
electronic instruments in recent years, because of the merits that they
are easily molded to have various designs and that they are light in
weight.
However, the plastic materials are generally poor in conductivity and have
substantially no electromagnetic wave shielding effect. It is, thus,
necessary to process the plastics materials to provide them with
electromagnetic wave shielding effect when they are used for the housing
of electronic instruments.
Particularly, in recent years, radiation of electromagnetic waves has been
severely prohibited by domestic and foreign regulations. Under these
circumstances, there is an increasing demand for plastic materials
provided with electromagnetic wave shielding effects.
Various methods for providing the plastic materials with the
electromagnetic wave shielding effect have hitherto been investigated, the
known methods including application of an aluminum foil or a conductive
tape, flame spraying with molten zinc, coating with a conductive paint,
metal plating on the plastic materials, vacuum evaporation coating,
spattering ion plating and molding a conductive plastic material
containing a conductive filler.
However, the method of application of an aluminum foil or a conductive tape
for the provision of electromagnetic wave shielding effect is not used
practically, since it has the disadvantages that extreme skill is required
and that it is not suited for housings having complicated shapes.
The method of flame spraying with molten zinc and the method of coating
with a conductive paint have been predominantly used at the present time.
However, these methods have the disadvantages that the thickness of the
lining or coating becomes uneven when the housing has a complicated shape
and that the adhesiveness of the lining or coating to the substrate is
insufficient, which results in exfoliation of the conductive layer,
leading to the loss of the electromagnetic wave shielding effect or even
causing a risk of fire.
Although the durability and adhesiveness of the metal plated on the
plastics materials are satisfactory, only few kinds of plastic materials
can be plated with metals and the articles to be plated are limited to
those of small dimensions.
Satisfactory electromagnetic wave shielding effect can be provided by metal
evaporation techniques including vacuum evaporation coating, spattering
and ion plating. However, these techniques have not been applied for
commercial scale production, since they require expensive apparatuses and
skillful operations.
Contrary to the aforementioned methods wherein conductive layers are formed
on the surfaces of molded plastic materials to provide the electromagnetic
wave shielding effect, the molded products made of a composite conductive
plastics material containing a conductive filler mixed and dispersed in a
matrix plastic material is averted from the impairment of electromagnetic
wave shielding effect or from the risk of fire caused by exfoliation of
conductive layer.
However, the known conductive plastic molded articles have the
disadvantages that satisfactory electromagnetic wave shielding effect
cannot be obtained unless a large amount of conductive filler is added to
the matrix plastic material, and that the physical properties of the
resultant plastic material are deteriorated or the appearance of the
molded article is impaired with serious increase in cost as the quantity
of the filler added to the matrix plastic material is increased.
Particularly, as the amount of added conductive filler is increased, the
dispersibility of the filler is lowered to result in uneven dispersion
thereof. Especially when carbon fibers are used for the conductive filler,
the fibers are broken during the kneading step to lower the
electromagnetic wave shielding effect. If some part of the expensive
carbon fibers is replaced by another inexpensive conductive filler in
order to decrease the content of the carbon fibers, the fibrous and
pulverized fillers present in the mixed condition become hardly dispersed
in the matrix resin, leading to deterioration of moldability of the
plastic material and deterioration of the properties of the molded
articles. If the resultant plastic material is molded at a higher
temperature in order to improve the moldability thereof, the matrix resin
is decomposed or otherwise damaged so that the physical properties and the
appearance of the molded articles are deteriorated and the coloring
property of the resin becomes poor.
OBJECTS AND SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
An object of this invention is to provide a resin composition having
improved electromagnetic wave shielding effect, comprising a resin
ingredient and carbon fibers which are uniformly dispersed in the resin
ingredient and are not substantially broken or cut at the step of mixing
and dispersing them.
Another object of this invention is to provide a resin composition having
improved electromagnetic wave shielding effect and having improved
fluidity and excellent moldability.
A further object of this invention is to provide a resin composition having
improved electromagnetic wave shielding effect, which can be molded at a
reasonably low melting temperature to avoid deterioration of physical
properties, appearance and coloring property of the matrix resin.
A still further object of this invention is to provide a resin composition
having improved electromagnetic wave shielding effect, which has a
flame-retarding property and is improved in thermal and mechanical
properties.
Yet a further object of this invention is to provide a resin composition,
which has an extremely high electromagnetic wave shielding effect and may
be colored freely.
The above and other objects of this invention will become apparent from the
following description.
The resin composition having an electromagnetic wave shielding effect,
according to the present invention, comprises 35 to 90 wt % of a
compolymer of an ethylenic unsaturated nitrile, a diene rubber and an
aromatic vinyl compound or a mixture of said copolymer with another
copolymer of ethylenic unsaturated nitrile and an aromatic vinyl compound;
1 to 25 wt % of a plasticizer; and 5 to 40 wt % of carbon fibers.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING
The single Figure appended to the specification is a schematic illustration
showing the tester for the determination of the electromagnetic wave
shielding effect of the plastic molded article made of the resin
composition according to the invention.
DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will be described in detail hereinbelow.
The matrix resin for the resin composition having an electromagnetic wave
shielding effect, according to the present invention, is a copolymer of an
ethylenic unsaturated nitrile, a diene rubber and an aromatic vinyl
compound or a mixture thereof with another copolymer of an ethylenic
unsaturated nitrile and an aromatic vinyl compound.
The ethylenic unsaturated nitrile used in the invention includes, for
example, acrylonitrile, methacrylonitrile, ethacrylonitrile and methyl
methacrylonitrile. The particularly preferred are acrylonitrile and
methacrylonitrile.
The diene rubber used in the invention includes one or more of conjugated
1,3-dienes, such as butadiene, isoprene, 2-chloro-1,3-butadiene,
1-chloro-1,3-butadiene and piperylene, which form rubbery polymers, the
particularly preferred being butadiene.
The aromatic vinyl compound used in the invention includes, for example,
styrene, .alpha.-methylstyrene, vinyltoluene, divinylbenzene and
chlorostyrene, which may be used singly or in combination. A favorable
result can be obtained, in the present invention, when styrene is used
singly as the aromatic vinyl compound.
A more favorable result may be obtained when the copolymer of the ethylenic
unsaturated nitrile, the diene rubber and the aromatic vinyl compound is a
graft copolymer prepared by graft-copolymerizing 20 to 75 parts,
preferably 20 to 60 parts, by weight of a diene rubber or a
diene-containing polymer containing not less than 50 wt % of diene rubber
with 80 to 25 parts, preferably 80 to 40 parts, by weight of a mixture of
an ethylenic unsaturated nitrile and an aromatic vinyl compound.
If a mixture of a copolymer of ethylenic unsaturated nitrile, a diene
rubber and an aromatic vinyl compound with another copolymer of an
ethyleneic unsaturated nitrile and an aromatic vinyl compound is used, the
mixing ratio of the former to the latter may range within 25 to 99 parts
by weight of the former to 1 to 75 parts by weight of the latter,
preferably within 35 to 65 parts by weight of the former to 65 to 35 parts
by weight of the latter. If the mixing ratio is out of the aforementioned
range, the moldability and the properties of the resultant composition are
deteriorated. The process for the preparation of the copolymers and the
mixture thereof are well-known in the art, and disclosed, for example, in
the specification of Japanese Patent Publication No. 37675/1976. The
description of the prior publication referred to above will be
incorporated herein as a reference.
Specific examples of the plasticizers used in the composition of the
invention include phthalic acid esters, such as dibutyl phthalate and
di-2-ethylhexyl phthalate; fatty acid esters, such as di-2-ethylhexyl
adipate, dibutyl sebacate, di-2-ethylhexyl sebacate and di-2-ethylhexyl
azelate; epoxides, such as epoxidized fatty acid monoesters, epoxidized
soybean oil and epoxidized linseed oil; phosphoric acid esters, such as
tricresyl phosphate, tri-2-ethylhexyl phosphate and tributoxyethyl
phosphate; ethers, such as triethyleneglycol di-2-ethyl butylate,
dibutylcarbitol adipate and dibutylcarbitol formal; polyesters, such as
adipic acid polyesters, sebacic acid polyesters and azelaic acid
polyesters; and chlorinated plasticizers, such as chlorinated aliphatic
esters and chlorinated paraffins. Particularly preferred plasticizers are
phthalic acid esters, phosphoric acid esters and fatty acid esters.
When it is desired to provide the resin composition of the present
invention with the flame-retarding property, a plasticizer selected from
phosphoric acid derivatives and ethylene/propylene terpolymers is used.
Specific examples of the flame-retarding plasticizers of phosphoric acid
derivatives are tri(2-ethylhexyl) phosphate, 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl
phosphate, tributoxyethyl phosphate, triphenyl phosphate, cresyl diphenyl
phosphate, isodecyl diphenyl phosphate, tricresyl phosphate, trixylenyl
phosphate, mixed aryl phosphates, phenyl/isopropyl phenyl phosphate, mixed
triaryl phosphates and tris(chloroethyl) phosphate. Particularly preferred
results can be obtained by using 2-ethylhexyl diphenyl phosphate and
tricresyl phosphate singly or in combination.
The best flame-retarding property may be obtained by using the
ethylene/propylene terpolymer as the plasticizer in the resin composition
of the invention. The ethylene/propylene terpolymer used as the
plasticizer include copolymers of ethylene and propylene polymerized with
a small amount of unsaturated compound as the third component. The
terpolymer may be composed to 50 to 80 mol % of ethylene, 20 to 50 mol %
of propylene and 0.5 to 10 mol % of an unsaturated third compound, and the
most preferable composition contains 60 to 70 mol % of ethylene, 30 to 40
mol % of propylene and 0.5 to 5 mol % of an unsaturated third compound.
Dienes and/or trienes may be generally used as the third unsaturated
compound, inter alia 1,4-hexadiene, dicyclopentadiene and ethylidene
norbornene are particularly preferred because of their excellent
copolymerizability and low cost.
The content of the plasticizer in the resin composition of the invention
may range within 1 to 25 wt %, preferably within 2 to 15 wt %. If the
content of the plasticizer is less than 1 wt %, the viscosity of the
molten resin composition at the kneading step becomes so high as to cause
breakdown of the carbon fibers and to result in insufficient dispersion of
the fibers, thereby to lower the electromagnetic wave shielding effect and
to deteriorate the moldability of the resultant resin composition. On the
contrary, if the content of the plasticizer is more than 25 wt %, the
physical properties including the resistance to heat of the resin
composition are lowered and the molded products become sticky due to
bleeding of the plasticizer. When the flame-retarding plasticizer is used,
satisfactory flame-retarding effect cannot be expected if the content
thereof is less than 1 wt %. When a phosphoric acid derivative is used as
the flame-retarding plasticizer, particularly preferable content thereof
ranges within 2 to 8 wt %. On the other hand, when the ethylene/propylene
terpolymer is used as the plasticizer, particularly preferable content
thereof ranges within 5 to 10 wt %.
One or a mixture of two or more of carbonized polyacrylonitrile fibers,
carbonized pitch fibers and carbonized phenolic compound fibers may be
used in the resin composition of the invention. Superior electromagnetic
wave shielding effect can be attained by using the carbonized
polyacrylonitrile fibers singly.
It is desirable that the length of individual carbon fiber be preferably in
the range of from 0.5 to 20 mm, most preferably in the range of from 2 to
10 mm. If the length of individual fiber is less than 0.5 mm, the
conductivity of the resin composition is lowered to an unsatisfactory
level due to excessively small aspect ratio of the fibers. On the
contrary, if the length of individual fiber is longer than 20 mm, the
fluidity of the resin composition is extremely lowered to deteriorate the
moldability thereof significantly with attendant deterioration of the
appearance and mechanical properties of the molded products. In addition,
the conductivity of the resin composition is rather lowered, since the
fibers are not evenly dispersed throughout the composition. The carbon
fibers may preferably have the diameters ranging within 3 to 25.mu., more
preferably within 5 to 12.mu.. The fibers are apt to be broken under the
shearing action at the kneading step to lessen the aspect ratio of the
fibers or to be entangled with each other to form fiber balls to lessen
the dispersibility thereof, resulting in unsatisfactory conductivity of
the resin composition, if the diameter of individual fibers is less than
3.mu.. On the contrary, if the diameter of individual fibers is more than
25.mu., the conductivity of the resin composition becomes unsatisfactory
since the aspect ratio of the fibers is too small. The bundle count of the
carbon fibers may range preferably within 1,000 to 20,000, more preferably
within 3,000 to 15,000. If the bundle count is less than 1,000, the
bundled fibers are apt to be entangled with each other to form fiber balls
to lessen the dispersibility thereof and to result in unsatisfactory
conductivity of the resultant resin composition. On the contrary, if the
bundle count is more than 20,000, the fiber bundles cannot be cloven
effectively even by the shearing action at the kneading step, leading to
uneven dispersion of the fibers to result in inferior conductivity of the
resin composition.
When it is desired to provide the resin composition with especially high
conductivity thereby to improve the electromagnetic shielding effect,
carbon fibers with metallized surfaces may be used as the carbon fibers
added to the matrix resin. Such carbon fibers may be produced by coating
the surfaces of the carbon fibers with a metal; such as Ni, Cu or Al, by
the plating, vacuum evaporation coating or spattering processes.
The content of the carbon fibers in the resin composition should range
within 5 to 40 wt %, preferably 10 to 25 wt %. If the content thereof is
less than 5 wt %, substantial electromagnetic wave shielding effect cannot
be provided. On the contrary, if the content thereof exceeds 40 wt %, the
resultant resin composition is hardly molded through extrusion or
injection molding and the physical properties of the molded products are
deteriorated.
In the present invention, a conductive carbon black may be added to the
composition in addition to the aforementioned carbon fibers. Specific
examples of the conductive carbon black include furnace black, channel
black and the like such as S.C.F. (Super Conductive Furnace) black, E.C.F.
(Electric Conductive Furnace) black, a by-product black such as "Ketchen
Black" available from Nippon E. C. Co., Ltd. and acetylene black. It is
preferred that the carbon black satisfies at least one of the following
features of:
(1) having highly developed structure;
(2) having small particle size;
(3) having large specific surface area;
(4) Containing only a small amount of impurities which capture electrons;
and
(5) having high degree of graphitization.
The preferable quantity of the carbon black added to the composition varies
depending on the kind of the carbon black used, particularly on the
specific surface area thereof, and may range within 2 to 30 wt %, more
preferably 3 to 15 wt %. If the added amount of the carbon black is less
than 2 wt %, the volume resistivity of the molded product becomes uneven
to result in inferior electromagnetic wave shielding effect. On the
contrary, if the added amount of the carbon black exceeds 30 wt %, the
resin composition is hardly molded by extrusion or injection molding and
the physical properties of the molded product become inferior.
An alkylamine antistatic agent may also be added to the resin composition.
Preferable antistatic agents are amine compounds having hydroxyethyl
groups and represented by the following formula of:
##STR1##
wherein R.sub.1 is an alkyl or alkenyl group having 8 to 22 carbon atoms,
and m and n are integers of 1 to 10.
The compounds set forth above are well-known in the art, and it is
preferred to use those represented by the aforementioned formula wherein
2.ltoreq.m+n.ltoreq.10.
Representative amine compounds having hydroxyethyl groups are
N,N-bis(hydroxyethyl) tallow amine, polyoxyethylene lauryl amine and fatty
acid esters of polyoxyethylene lauryl amine. Amongst them,
N,N-bis(hydroxyethyl) tallow amine is the most preferred.
The amount of the added alkyl amine antistatic agent may range within 0.5
to 10 wt %, preferably 1 to 5 wt %. The effect of lowering the volume
resistivity of the molded product cannot be expected when the added amount
of alkyl amine antistatic agent is less than 0.5 wt % so that the
electromagnetic wave shielding effect is not improved. On the contrary, if
the amount of the added alkyl amine antistatic agent is more than 10 wt %,
the resin composition is excessively lubricated to affect adversely the
dispersibility of the carbon fibers at the compounding step so that the
resin composition becomes hardly molded through extrusion or injection
molding with attendant undesirable results that the physical properties
and the electromagnetic wave shielding effect of the molded product become
inferior.
A halogen-containing organic flame retarder and an auxiliary
flame-retarding agent may also be added to provide the resin composition
with potent resistance to catching fire. Specific examples of
halogen-containing organic flame retarder include chlorinated paraffins,
tetrabromobisphenol-A and oligomers thereof, decabromobiphenyl ethers,
hexabromobiphenyl ethers, pentabromobiphenyl ethers, pentabromotoluene,
pentabromoethylbenzene, hexabromobenzene, pentabromophenol, tribromophenol
derivatives, perchloropentanecyclodecane, hexabromocyclododecane,
tris(2,3-dibromopropyl-1)-isocyanurate, tetrabromobisphenol-S and
derivatives thereof, 1,2-bis(2,3,4,5,6-pentabromophenoxy)ethane,
1,2-bis(2,4,6-tribromophenoxy)ethane, brominated styrene oligomers,
2,2-bis-(4(2,3-dibromopropyl)-3,5-dibromophenoxy)propane,
tetrachlorophthalic anhydride and tetrabromophthalic anhydride.
The auxiliary flame-retarding agents which may be used in the resin
composition of the invention include antimony trioxide, sodium antimonate,
zinc borate, and oxides and sulfides of zirconium and molybdenum, the most
favourable result being obtained by the use of antimony trioxide.
The amount of the halogen-containing organic flame retarder added to the
resin composition varies depending on the required degree of flame
resistant property and also on the content of the flame-retarding
plasticizer, and ranges generally from 2 to 35 wt %, preferably from 5 to
25 wt %.
The flame-retarding effect becomes insufficient if the amount of the added
halogen-containing organic flame retarder is less than 2 wt %, whereas the
thermal and mechanical properties of the molded product become inferior if
the amount of added halogen-containing organic flame retarder exceeds 35
wt %.
The added amount of the auxiliary flame-retarding agent may be within 0.4
to 21 wt % and the ratio thereof to the halogen-containing organic flame
retarder should be within the range of from 6/10 to 2/10, preferably from
5/10 to 3/10. Satisfactory synergistic effect of retarding the propagation
of flame cannot be obtained if the added amount of the auxiliary
flame-retarding agent is less than 0.4 wt %, whereas the mechanical
properties of the molded product are deteriorated if the added amount of
the auxiliary flame-retarding agent exceeds 21 wt %.
If the ratio of the auxiliary flame-retarding agent to the
halogen-containing organic flame retarder is less than 2/10, synergistic
flame-retarding effect cannot be realized to result in unsatisfactory
flame-retarding function, whereas the mechanical properties of the molded
product becomes inferior if the ratio of the former to the latter exceeds
6/10.
In order to further improve the properties of the resin composition of the
invention, antioxidants, internal or external lubricants and stabilizers
may be added thereto. Antioxidants which may be added to the resin
composition of the invention include phenolic antioxidants, sulfur base
antioxidants and phosphor base antioxidants. Specific examples of the
phenolic antioxidants are 2,6-di-tert-butyl-p-cresol,
2,2'-methylenebis(4-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol), 4,4'-butylidenebis
(3-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol), 4,4'-thiobis(3-methyl-6-tert-butylphenol),
butylhydroxyanisole and
tetrakis[methylene-3(3,5-di-tert-butyl-4-hydroxyphenyl)-propionate]methane
; the specific examples of the sulfur base antioxidants are dilauryl
thiodipropionate, distearyl thiodipropionate, lauryl stearyl
thiodipropionate, dimyristyl thiodipropionate and distearyl
.beta.,.beta.'-thiodibutylate; and the specific examples of the phosphor
base antioxidants are tridecyl phosphite, diphenyl phenyl phosphite,
triphenyl phosphite and trinonylphenyl phosphite. These antioxidants may
be used singly or in combination. Decomposition or deterioration due to
oxidation of the resin composition can be prevented by adding one or more
of the aforementioned antioxidants, preferably, in an amount of 0.01 to 4
parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the resin composition.
The internal or external lubricants which may be added to the resin
composition of the invention include paraffins and hydrocarbon resins,
such as paraffin waxes, liquid paraffins, paraffin base synthetic waxes
and polyethylene waxes; fatty acids, such as stearic acid and
hydroxystearic acid; fatty acid amides, such as stearoamide,
oxystearoamide, oleyl amide, methylenebisstearoamide and
methylenebisbehenamide; fatty acid esters, such as n-butyl stearate,
methyl hydroxystearate and esters of saturated fatty acids; fatty acid
alcohols, such as higher alcohols, and esters of higher alcohols; and
partial esters of fatty acids and polyhydric alcohols, such as esters of
glycerine and fatty acids, triglyceride of hydroxystearic acid and esters
of sorbitan and fatty acids. One or a mixture of two or more of the
internal or external lubricants set forth above may be used.
The stabilizers which may be added to the resin composition of the
invention include metallic soaps, salts of inorgnic acids, organic tin
compounds and composite stabilizers. Specific examples of the metallic
soaps are zinc stearate, calcium stearate, zinc laurate and cadmium
2-ethylhexoate; examples of the salts of inorganic acids being tribasic
lead sulfate, basic lead sulfite and lead-barium compounds; examples of
the organic tin compounds being dibutyl tin laurate, dibutyl tin
dimaleate, and di-n-octyl tin maleate polymers; and examples of the
composite stabilizers are calcium-zinc base stabilizers, barium-lead base
stabilizers and cadmium-barium-zinc base stabilizers. These stabilizers
may be used singly or in combination.
Any one or more of the aforementioned internal and/or external lubricants
and/or stabilizers may be added to the resin composition, preferably, in a
ratio of 0.01 to 4 parts by weight to 100 parts by weight of the resin
composition to improve the fluidity of the resin composition at the
molding step and to prevent decomposition or deterioration of the resinous
ingredient.
The process for the preparation of the resin composition of the invention
will now be described. The copolymer of an ethylenic unsaturated nitrile,
a diene rubber and an aromatic vinyl compound may be in the form of
powder, beads or pellets. The copolymer or mixture thereof with another
copolymer of an ethylenic unsaturated nitrile and an aromatic vinyl
compound is mixed with the plasticizer and the carbon fibers and
optionally with other ingredients. In order to improve the moldability of
the resin composition and to improve the properties of the molded
products, it is preferred that the ethylenic unsaturated nitrile/diene
rubber/aromatic vinyl compound copolymer be in the form of powder and the
ethylenic unsaturated nitrile/aromatic vinyl compound copolymer be in the
form of bead. In order to make uniform or homogenize the resin
composition, the mixture is mixed and kneaded using a kneader or extruder,
such as a Bumbury mixer, cokneader, single spindle extruder or double
spindle extruder. The mixture may be subjected to pre-mixing process using
a tumbler or high speed mixer prior to the mixing and kneading step.
The mixed and kneaded resin composition is then charged in a hopper of an
injection molding machine to be melted in a plasticizing cylinder of the
injection molding machine, and the molten resin composition is injected
into a mold and then cooled to be solidified. Solidified molded mass is
removed from the mold to obtain an injection molded article made of the
resin composition of the invention. Likewise, the mixed and kneaded resin
composition is charged in a hopper of an extuder to be melted in a
plasticizing cylinder of the extruder, and the molten resin composition is
extruded through a die attached to the end of the extruding cylinder to
form an extruded product made of the resin composition of the invention.
EXAMPLES OF THE INVENTION
The present invention will now be described more specifically by referring
to Examples thereof.
EXAMPLES 1 TO 8
A powder-form ABS resin (acrylonitrile/butadiene/styrene copolymer resin)
having a composition composed of 10 wt % of acrylonitrile, 50 wt % of
butadiene and 40 wt % of styrene and a bead-form AS resin
(acrylonitrile/styrene copolymer resin) having a composition composed of
30 wt % of acrylonitrile and 70 wt % of styrene were used. A plasticizer
available from Kao Soap Co., Ltd. under the Trade Name "VYNYCIZER #80" was
used as the plasticizer in the resin composition. Carbonized
polyacrylonitrile (referred to as "PAN" in the following Tables) chopped
strands (Length: 6 mm, Diameter: 7.mu. Bundle Count: 12,000) available
from Toho Rayon Co., Ltd. under the Trade Name "BESFIGHT HTAC6S" were used
as the carbon fibers. One part, by weight, for each of an antioxidant and
zinc stearate were added to 100 parts, by weight, of the resin. The
compositions are shown in Table 1. Each of the compositions was put into a
Bumbury mixer heated to 140.degree. C. to be mixed and kneaded until the
temperature of the mixture reached 190.degree. C. Immediately after the
mixture was discharged from the mixer, it was rolled through mixing
rollers to form a sheet which was cooled and then crushed into pellets.
The thus formed pellets were charged in a hopper of an 8-ounce injection
molding machine to be melted in a plasticizing cylinder of the machine,
and then injected into a mold.
The mold was one provided with a 2 mm .phi. direct gate for molding a
housing 15 cm square and having an wall thickness of 3 mm.
The thus molded products had excellent physical properties, improved
resistance to heat and improved electromagnetic wave shielding effect, as
shown in Table 1.
EXAMPLES 9 TO 11
Each of the compositions set forth in Table 1 was pelletized similarly to
Example 1, and charged in a hopper o | | |