Thermoplastic compositions of polyetheretherketones having improved tribological material properties and use thereof

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12516178-B2
Application number	US-202118006595-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Jul 9, 2021
Priority date	Jul 28, 2020
Publication date	Jan 6, 2026
Grant date	Jan 6, 2026

Abstract

A thermoplastic component may include a matrix component (A) and a filler component (B). The matrix component (A) may include a polyetheretherketone and the filler component (B) may include inorganic particles and carbon-containing particles. The overall composition may include equal or different portions, as filler component (B), of hydrophobic silicon dioxide, carbon fibres, titanium dioxide particles, graphite particles, and a particulate lubricant selected from divalent metallic sulfides and alkaline earth metal sulfates.

First claim

The invention claimed is:

1 . A thermoplastic composition, comprising:
(A) a matrix component comprising polyetheretherketones; and (B) a filler component, wherein a content of the polyetheretherketones is from 30 to 95 wt. % based on a total weight of the thermoplastic composition, and wherein the polyetheretherketone comprises a structural element of the following formula (I):

having Melt Volume-flow Rate (MVR) of from 10 to 90 cm 3 /10 min determined at 400° C., load 2.16 kg, in a capillary having a length of 8 mm and a diameter of 2.095 mm, inlet angle 180°, and
wherein the filler component (B) comprises from 5 to 70 wt. % of inorganic and carbon-containing particles based on a total weight of the thermoplastic composition, and comprises, based on a total weight of the thermoplastic composition,
from 1 to 20 wt. % of hydrophobic silicon dioxide,
from 1 to 20 wt. % of carbon fibers,
from 1 to 20 wt. % of titanium dioxide particles,
from 1 to 20 wt. % of graphite particles, and
from 1 to 20 wt. % of a particulate lubricant comprising a divalent metallic sulfide and/or alkaline earth metal sulfate,
wherein the total weight of the thermoplastic composition is 100 wt. %,
wherein the thermoplastic composition is suitable for at least one lubricant-free tribological application, and
wherein the hydrophobic silicon dioxide has a particle size distribution D50 of from 2 to 5 m, and a D100 of less than 150 μm, the particle size distribution having been determined according to ISO 13320 with dry-dispersed particles.

2 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising, as the filler component (B),
from 2 to 20 wt. % of the hydrophobic silicon dioxide, from 2 to 20 wt. % of the carbon fibers, from 1 to 15 wt. % of the particulate lubricant, from 2 to 20 wt. % of the graphite particles, and from 1 to 15 wt. % of the titanium dioxide particles, and wherein the total weight of the thermoplastic composition is 100 wt. %.

3 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising
from 30 to 81 wt. % of the polyetheretherketones comprising the polyetheretherketone structural element of the formula (I), from 5 to 15 wt. % of the hydrophobic silicon dioxide, from 2 to 8 wt. % of the particulate lubricant, from 5 to 15 wt. % of the graphite particles, from 2 to 8 wt. % of the titanium dioxide particles, and from 5 to 15 wt. % of the carbon fibers, wherein the total weight of the thermoplastic composition is 100 wt. %.

4 . The composition of claim 1 , comprising
from 30 to 73.5 wt. % of polyetheretherketones comprising the polyetheretherketone structural element of the formula (I), from 7.5 to 12.5 wt. % of the hydrophobic silicon dioxide, from 2 to 8 wt. % of the particulate lubricant, from 7.5 to 12.5 wt. % of the graphite particles, from 2 to 8 wt. % of the titanium dioxide particles, and from 7.5 to 12.3 wt. % of the carbon fibers, wherein the total weight of the thermoplastic composition is 100 wt. %.

5 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the carbon fibers have a fiber length of from 15 to 555 μm.

6 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the hydrophobic silicon dioxide has a carbon content of from 1 to 2 wt. % determined according to ISO 3262-20, based on the silicon dioxide.

7 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the titanium dioxide particles have a bimodal particle size distribution.

8 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the graphite particles have a particle size distribution D50 of from 5 to 15 μm, and a D100 of less than 50 μm, the particle size distribution having been determined according to ISO 13320 with dry-dispersed particles.

9 . The composition of claim 1 , wherein the particulate lubricant is ZnS and has a particle size distribution having a D 50 of from 500 to 1000 nm and a D 90 of less than 20 μm.

10 . A process for producing the thermoplastic composition of claim 1 , the process comprising:
(i) producing a first masterbatch by mixing, in an extruder, of polyetheretherketone containing structural elements of the formula (I):

with hydrophobic silicon dioxide at an elevated temperature, and at a vacuum pressure of from 1000 to 5 mbar absolute, to obtain the first masterbatch;
feeding the first masterbatch into a base feed, and
feeding carbon fibers in downstream to obtain the thermoplastic composition.

11 . The process of claim 10 , wherein the first masterbatch is produced at a vacuum pressure of from 300 to 100 mbar absolute.

12 . The process of claim 10 , wherein
(i) the elevated temperature is from 380 to 450° C., and/or (ii) a second masterbatch is produced at a temperature of from 380 to 450° C., in an extruder, and/or (iii) the thermoplastic composition is produced at a temperature of from 380 to 450° C.

13 . A process for producing a shaped article, the process comprising:
(a) injection molding comprising one- to multi-component injection molding, (b) fused deposition modelling or fused filament fabrication, (c) pressing, (d) extruding and/or co-extruding, optionally with calendering or film blowing, and/or (e) material-removing, the thermoplastic material of claim 1 .

14 . A process for influencing tribology, the process comprising:
contacting with a machine element the thermoplastic material of claim 1 as component in at least one lubricant-free tribological application.

15 . The process of claim 10 , wherein the hydrophobic silicon dioxide comprises hydrophobic fumed silicon dioxide.

Assignees

• Evonik Operations Gmbh

Inventors

• Kuhmann Karl
• Linemann Reinhard
• Sandhusen Joscha
• Lorenz Frank
• Schiemann Vera
• Schlarb Alois K
• Josch Lena
• Busse Michael
• Lin Leyu

Classifications

• C08K2201/005

  Additives being defined by their particle size in general · CPC title

• C08K2201/004

  Additives being defined by their length · CPC title

• C08K2003/3045

  Sulfates · CPC title

• C08K2003/3018

  of magnesium, calcium, strontium or barium · CPC title

• C08K2003/3009

  Sulfides · CPC title