IMILEX-P

Imilex-P (N-Phenylmaleimide) is first commercialized by Nippon Shokubai with unique production technologies. Imilex-P is expected for various applications for its reactivity and unique properties such as radical polymerization, ion polymerization, photosensitivity and bacteriostasis.

1.Typical Properties

Item	Unit	Typical Properties
Appearance	--	Yellow Solid
Melting Point	ºC	88 - 90
Boiling Point	ºC	135 (0.48 kPa)
Solubility	--	Imilex-P shows high solubility to organic solvents, especially, to acetone, DMF, acetic acid esters, benzene, etc. Please refer to Section 6. Solubility of Imilex-P.

2.Specification

Item	Unit	Specification
Appearance	--	Yellow flake
Melting Point	ºC	≥89
Water content	Wt%	≤0.1

3. Copolymerization Reactivity

(Monomer reactivity ratios at copolymerization of Imilex-P (M1) and other vinyl monomer (M2))

M2	r1	r2	r1Xr2
Styrene	0.047	0.012	0.0006
Vinyl chloride	1.260	0.062	0.08
Methylmethacrylate	0.183	1.022	0.19

(Reference) J.Macromol.Sci.,All,267 (1977), Technology Reports of the Yamaguchi University Vol.27.,257 (1977)

4. Package

20kg Paper Bag or 800kg Big Bag

5. Regulatory information

Japan	ENCS : 5-5727
USA	TSCA : Listed SARA Title III 313 : not listed SNUR : not listed
Canada	CEPA : NDSL listed
Australia	AICS : listed
EU	EINECS: 213-382-0 CLASSIFICATION etc. : not listed on 67/548/EEC ANNEX I.
Korea	ECL : KE-28389
Switzerland	SWISS : not listed
Philippine	PICCS : Listed

Above information is as of preparation of this website. Please check latest regulatory information at your responsibility before handling Imilex-P.

6. Solubility of Imilex-P (Amount of Imilex-P soluble to 100g of solvent (25ºC))

Solvent	Solubility (g)	Solvent	Solubility (g)	Solvent	Solubility (g)
Acrylonitrile	100	Ethyl acetate	29	o-Xylene	14
DMF	51	Benzene	28	Methanol	9
Acetone	48	Styrene	21	Ethanol	5
THF	44	Toluene	18	Water	0.11
MEK	39	Butyl acetate	18

7. Typical Applications

• High HDT thermoplastic resins • Coatings, adhesives • Intermediate for pharmaceuticals and agricultural chemicals • Bactericides, Fungicides • Vulcanization of rubber • Photosensitive resins • Insulating varnishes

8. Modification of various resins

Imilex-P readily undergoes homopolymerization and copolymerization with many kinds of vinyl monomers. The polymers copolymerized with Imilex-P have excellent heat stability and characters.

Example of modification of thermoplastics.

Resin	Purpose	Application
Styrenic Polymers (ABS, ACS, AES, AAS etc.)	Improvement of thermal resistance and thermal stability	Internal trim parts of automobiles and electronic devices
PVC	Improvement of thermal resistance of PVC-ABS	Housing for TV and OA machines
PMMA	Improvement of thermal resistance	Optical disc board, optical fiber, lighting unit
Polymer Alloys	Modification of PA, PC, and PBT	Automobile parts, householding, electronic devices, OA machines
α-Olefin (Maleic anhydride- N-Phenylmaleimide copolymer)		Adhesives, coating materials, paper additives
Phenolic Resin	Improvement of thermal resistance	Thermal resistant adhesive for printed-circuit board

Comparison of Modified ABS resins.

	N-Phenylmaleimide-modified ABS	α-methylstyrene-modified ABS
Monomer	Imilex-P	α-methylstyrene
Copolymerization rate	Fast	Slow
HDT/wt%-Monomer	1.5-2.5ºC	~0.5ºC
HDT Upper Limit	Over 150ºC possible	~115ºC
Temperature of decomposition	High	Low
Melt Flow Rate	High	Low

Comparison of physical properties of N-Phenylmaleimide (Imilex-P)-modified ABS resin and α-methylstyrene type ABS at same HDT.

Property	Unit	N-Phenylmaleimide -modified ABS	α-methylstyrene-modified ABS
Heat Deflection Temp.	ºC	105	105
Izod Impact Strength (1/2",notched)	kg·cm/cm	18	12
Melt Flow Rate (220ºC/10kg load)	g/10min	10	6
Tensile Strength	kg/cm2	455	440
Flexural Strength	kg/cm2	760	720

(reference) NIKKEI NEW MATERIALS, March 9, 1992

Example of copolymerization

Initial composition in reactor	Methylethylketone Styrene t-butylperoxyoctate n-Dodecylmercaptan	25.6 wt% 6.5 wt% 0.4 wt% 0.4 wt%
Composition in dropping vessel	Methylethylketone Imilex-P Styrene	23.6 wt% 7.8 wt% 35.7 wt%

Temperature	:	85ºC
Period	:	5 hours
Atmosphere	:	Nitrogen

After the reaction, the reaction mixture is poured into plenty of methanol. Then, the copolymer is separated from the solution by filtration and dried under reduced pressure.

Properties of Imilex-P/styrene copolymer

Composition	Styrene/N-Phenylmaleimide = 70/30 (Molar ratio)
Molecular weight	Mw = 10*104 (G.P.C., Polystyrene standard) 5*104 (G.P.C., Polystyrene standard)
Glass transition temp.	165ºC (DSC)

Modification of PVC

PVC is blended with ABS resin in order to improve its low impact strength at low temperature, however, the softening temperature of the blend is still low. Imilex-P is effective for improvement of the softening temperature.

9. Handling and Hazards

(Please refer to Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for detail)

Toxicology

Skin irritation	Mild to moderately irritative Skin inflames when Imilex-P is kept contacting with skin
Eye irritation	Moderately irritative
Acute oral toxicity (LD50)	128mg/kg (rat, male), 148mg/kg (rat, female)
Mutagenicity	Negative

Handling and Protection

Read material safety data sheet (MSDS) before handling Imilex-P. Put on rubber gloves, long sleeve clothing, gas mask for organic gas and protective spectacles to avoid contact with skin, especially contact with eyes when handling Imilex-P. Take off the clothing which Imilex-P contacts after handling. If you have any question about handling Imilex-P, please contact us.

First Aid

Contact with skin: Flush with running water using a mild soap. Contact with eyes: Gently rinse with clean water for at least 15 minutes and call a physician.

Storage

Store in a warehouse at temperature lower than 40ºC. Avoid sunshine and moisture.

Please read Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) before handling.