Modified polyphenylene ether is mainly obtained by blending polyphenylene ether and polystyrene.

Applications

1. Low density, easy to process, heat deformation temperature is 90-175бц, there are products of different specifications, good dimensional stability, suitable for manufacturing boxes, chassis and precision parts of office equipment, household appliances, computers, etc.;

2. The dielectric constant and dielectric loss tangent of MPPO are the lowest among the five major general engineering plastics: coil skeleton, tube seat, control shaft, transformer shielding sleeve, relay box, insulating support, color TV line output transformer (FBT); (not affected by temperature and high wave number, especially high temperature resistance, suitable for making electrical insulation parts used in humid and loaded conditions)

3. MPPO is resistant to water and It has good hot water resistance and is suitable for making water meters, water pumps, and yarn tubes for textile mills (it needs to be resistant to boiling and have a long service life);

4. Lithium-ion battery market: mobile phones, portable computers, high-performance cameras, camcorders, etc. all need lithium-ion batteries (the packaging materials for organic electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries used ABS or PC in the past, and MPPO has better performance than the former two);

5. MPPO automotive industry: instruments, protective bars, PPO and PA alloys, especially high impact-resistant specifications and varieties are used for exterior parts;

6. Chemical industry: corrosion-resistant equipment;

7. Replace stainless steel and other metals: medical equipment, hot water storage tanks, exhaust fans.

After modification, compared with polyphenylene ether, it has a lower melt viscosity, is easier to inject, is less likely to produce stress cracking after molding, and is cheaper. Its market price can compete with ABS resin and is widely used to replace various mechanical parts and pipes made of bronze or brass.

Preparation or Source

Mainly obtained by blending polyphenylene ether and polystyrene.

[Main Manufacturers]

Asahi Kasei Plastics Singapore (APS) is a subsidiary of Asahi Kasei. The company's 48,000 tons/year modified polyphenylene ether (mPPE) plant on Jurong Island, Singapore, was put into operation in early 2003. Polyxylenol Singapore (a joint venture between APS and Mitsubishi Gas Chemical) also started construction of a 30,000 tons/year polyphenylene ether powder plant locally at the same time. Asahi Kasei is the second mPPE producer after GE Plastics. The world's top five mPPE producers are: GE Plastics 308,000 tons/year, Asahi Kasei 83,000 tons/year, BASF 26,000 tons/year, Mitsubishi Engineering Plastics 10,000 tons/year, and Degussa 6,000 tons/year.

Specialty Grades

Specialty grades include a range of non-glass filled products, foamable grades for increased rigidity and dimensional stability, foamable grades for microwave food packaging, sprayable and electroplated grades for telecommunications and devices, high modulus grades for structural components of computers and electrical equipment, and blow molded grades for housing and furniture.

A range of products based on blends of PPO and nylon has been developed, with PPO providing excellent heat resistance and toughness, and the crystalline nylon phase being resistant to oils/gasoline/solvents. The hygroscopicity and moisture increase of alloys of PPO and nylon are much lower than that of standard nylon. Compared with mineral filled nylon, PPO/nylon alloys have lower density, higher toughness, and less tool/machine wear. PPO/nylon grades are used as automotive body panels requiring paint oven temperatures of 370буF. These grades have replaced nylon in automotive applications, in parts requiring high heat and ductility as well as hardness or dimensional stability, such as wheel covers, mirror frames, joints and couplings. PPO/Nylon grades are used in liquid handling applications requiring chemical resistance, dimensional stability and heat resistance. Large parts are processed with blow molding grades of resin or made from thermoformed sheets.

Processing

Most PPO based polymer blends have excellent processing stability, so a wide range of products can be processed on most specialized equipment. Screw injection molding machinery is preferred over plunger type equipment because it provides more rapid and uniform heat. Typically, processing temperatures are between 500 and 600буF.

Extrusion grades of resin can be processed on single or twin screw equipment. Polyphenylene ether based sheet grades can be processed on vented or non-vented equipment. Extruded sheets are easily vacuum formed and have good calendering uniformity. Blow molding grades have sufficient hot strength to form large parts. Good temperature control can maintain high strength at geometric inflection points.

Applications

Polymer blends used in automobiles include major interior parts such as instrument panels and seat backs and exterior parts such as spoilers, wheel covers and mirror frames.

New technologies have improved the flow characteristics of special grades for automotive interior applications over a wide temperature range while maintaining impact and toughness. Telecommunications and commercial machinery is another major application area. Specific applications include terminal equipment housings, keyboard docks, CATV housings, appliances, portable mixers. Hair dryers and power tools. Pump chambers and impellers, as well as high-temperature tubing in contact with fluids, can be made from PPO-based alloys.

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