Polymer-ceramic composite housings and housing components for portable electronic devices

Abstract

Housing parts for a portable electronic devices, and methods of molding such housing parts for portable electronic devices. Such housing parts comprise: a housing component comprising ceramic particles in a polymer matrix, the ceramic particles comprising from 50% to 90% by volume of the housing component, and the polymer matrix comprising from 10% to 50% by volume of the housing component; the ceramic particles have a Dv50 of from 50 nanometers to 100 micrometers; the ceramic particles are substantially free of agglomeration; the housing component has a relative density greater than 90%; and the housing component is configured to cover a portion of a portable electronic device. The present methods of molding such housing parts comprise: disposing polymer-ceramic core-shell particles in a working portion of a cavity in a mold, each of the core-shell particles comprising a ceramic core comprising a particle of a ceramic, and a polymer shell around the core, the shell comprising a polymer, where the ceramic cores comprise from 50% to 90% by volume of the powder, and the polymer shells comprising from 10% to 50% by volume of the powder; heating the mold to a first temperature that exceeds a melting temperature (Tm) of the first polymer; subjecting the powder in the mold to a first pressure while maintaining the temperature of the mold to or above the first temperature to define a housing component in which the ceramic particles are substantially free of agglomeration; cooling the housing component to a temperature below the Tg or Tm of the first polymer; and removing the housing component from the mold. In such housing parts and methods, the ceramic particles comprise AIO, FeO, FeO, ZnO, ZrO, SiO, and/or a combination of any two or more of these ceramics; and the polymer comprises PPE, PPS, PC copolymers, PEI, PEI copolymers, PPSU, PAES, PES, PAEK, PBT, PP, PE, semi-crystalline PI, or semi-crystalline polyamide.