PPE materials

Polyphenylene ether blends (PPE or PPO) are engineering thermoplastics that exhibit resistance to high temperatures. Because of the high glass transition temperature, which is about 210°C, PPEs are often blended with other polymers to increase processability.

Typical Applications

• household appliances
  • dishwasher
  • washing machine
• electrical applications
  • control housings
  • fiber-optic connectors

Injection Molding Processing Conditions

Drying

Recommend drying before molding for approximately 2–4 hours at 100°C [212°F]. PPEs have low levels of moisture absorption and can typically be molded as received.

Melt Temperature

240°C–320°C [464°F–608°F]. Higher temperatures are for grades with higher levels of PPE.

Mold Temperature

60°C–105°C [140°F–220°F]

Material Injection Pressure

60–150 MPa

Runners and Gates

All gates can be used but tab and fan gates are preferred.

Chemical and Physical Properties

Polyphenylene Ether (PPE-also known as PPO) is poly(2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether). PPE in its pure form is very difficult to process. To overcome this, commercially available PPEs are blended with other thermoplastic materials, such as polystyrene/high-impact polystyrene, or nylon.

A range of properties can be obtained depending on the proportion of PPE and the material with which it is blended.

Blends with nylon (PA 6/6) offer improved chemical resistance and perform well at high temperatures. The water absorption is low and the molded products have excellent dimensional stability.

Blends with polystyrene are amorphous whereas blends with nylon are crystalline. The addition of glass fibers reduces shrinkage levels to 0.2%. These materials have excellent dielectric properties and a low coefficient of thermal expansion.

The viscosity level of the blend depends on the ratio of the components in the blend; higher PPE levels increase the viscosity.