Abstract: A dynamically vulcanized alloy containing an elastomer and a thermoplastic resin is prepared by a process wherein supercritical fluid is injected into the thermoplastic elastomeric material as the material is mixed in an extruder. The material is mixed under conditions such that the thermoplastic elastomeric material is dynamically vulcanized wherein the elastomer forms a discontinuous dispersed of small particles in a continuous phase of the thermoplastic resin. The DVA material may then be directly formed into film or sheets by the use of at least one set of rolls located adjacent to the extruder outlet.

Abstract: A process for producing thermoplastic vulcanizates, the process comprising (i) dynamically vulcanizing a rubber with a curative in a first stage, where the rubber is within a blend that includes the rubber, a thermoplastic resin, and the curative, where said step of dynamically vulcanizing occurs at a temperature at or above the melting point of the thermoplastic resin, where said step of dynamically vulcanizing employs a peroxide curative, and where said rubber includes polymeric units deriving from 5-vinyl-2-norbornene, (ii) continuing said step of dynamically vulcanizing to cause phase inversion of the blend to thereby convert the thermoplastic resin into a continuous phase, (iii) maintaining the blend at or above the melting point of the thermoplastic resin after the phase inversion, and (iv) introducing molten thermoplastic resin into the blend in a second stage, where said step of introducing molten thermoplastic resin occurs after phase inversion but before the blend is cooled to a temperature below th

Abstract: A process for preparing a thermoplastic vulcanizate, the process comprising: charging a reactor with an olefinic copolymer rubber, where the olefinic copolymer rubber is characterized by a multimodal molecular weight, an average branching index of greater than 0.8, includes less than 10 parts by weight oil per 100 parts by weight rubber, includes less than 1 parts by weight non-rubber particulate, per 100 parts by weight rubber, and is in the form of granules having a particle size less than 8 mm; charging the reactor, contemporaneously or sequentially with respect to the rubber, with a thermoplastic resin, an oil, and a cure system; melt mixing the rubber, the thermoplastic resin, the oil, and the cure system; and dynamically vulcanizing the rubber.

Abstract: A thermoplastic vulcanizate comprising a dynamically cured rubber, where the rubber is peroxide cured, and a thermoplastic phase, where at least 10% by weight of the thermoplastic phase includes an ultrahigh molecular weight plastic, where the ultrahigh molecular weight plastic is characterized by a Mw that is greater than 0.8×106 g/mole.

Abstract: A dynamically vulcanized alloy containing an elastomer and a thermoplastic resin is prepared by a process wherein supercritical fluid is injected into the thermoplastic elastomeric material as the material is mixed in an extruder. The material is mixed under conditions such that the thermoplastic elastomeric material is dynamically vulcanized wherein the elastomer forms a discontinuous dispersed of small particles in a continuous phase of the thermoplastic resin. The DVA material may then be directly formed into film or sheets by the use of at least one set of rolls located adjacent to the extruder outlet.

Abstract: A thermoplastic vulcanizate comprising a dynamically cured rubber, and from about 20 to about 400 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin per 100 parts by weight rubber, where said thermoplastic resin includes at least 0.1 percent by weight and less than 5.0 percent by weight, based upon the entire weight of said thermoplastic resin, of a long-chain branched polyolefin, with the remainder of said thermoplastic resin including a non-long-chain branched thermoplastic resin, where said long-chain branched polyolefin includes one or more polymers or copolymers having a viscosity average branching index <gN>vis of less than 0.9 and deriving from monomer selected from the group consisting of ethylene and mono-?-olefins, and where said non-long-chain thermoplastic resin includes one or more polymers or copolymers having a viscosity average branching index <gN>vis of 0.9 or more.

Abstract: A method for preparing a nanoclay-filled thermoplastic vulcanizate, the method comprising introducing an olefinic thermoplastic vulcanizate, a functionalized thermoplastic resin, and a surface-modified nanoclay, where the blending takes place at a temperature above the melt temperature of the thermoplastic vulcanizate but below the temperature at which the surface-modified nanoclay degrades.

Abstract: A process for preparing a thermoplastic vulcanizate, the process comprising: charging a reactor with an olefinic copolymer rubber, where the olefinic copolymer rubber is characterized by a multimodal molecular weight, an average branching index of greater than 0.8, includes less than 10 parts by weight oil per 100 parts by weight rubber, includes less than 1 parts by weight non-rubber particulate, per 100 parts by weight rubber, and is in the form of granules having a particle size less than 8 mm; charging the reactor, contemporaneously or sequentially with respect to the rubber, with a thermoplastic resin, an oil, and a cure system; melt mixing the rubber, the thermoplastic resin, the oil, and the cure system; and dynamically vulcanizing the rubber.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a multimodal polymer composition comprising 45 to 75 wt % of a first polymer fraction, 25 to 55 wt % of a second polymer fraction, and from 10-50 phr of an extender oil. The multimodal polymer composition has an overall Mooney viscosity of less than 90 ML(1+4@125° C.), and each polymer fraction comprises an ethylene, C3-C10 alpha-olefin, non-conjugated diene polymer, wherein the first polymer fraction has a Mooney viscosity of greater than or equal to about 150 ML(1+4@125° C.), the second polymer fraction has a Mooney viscosity from about 20 to about 120 ML(1+4@125° C.). A process for making the multimodal polymer composition comprising a process utilizing two or more reactors in series is also disclosed.

Abstract: A method for preparing a thermoplastic vulcanizate, the method comprising introducing an elastomer and a thermoplastic resin to a reaction extruder, where the elastomer is not prepared by gas-phase polymerization methods, and where less than 75 parts by weight oil, per 100 parts by weight elastomer, is added to the extruder with the elastomer, introducing a curative to the extruder after said step of introducing an elastomer, introducing an oil to the extruder after said step of introducing an elastomer but before or together with said step of introducing a curative, and introducing an oil to the extruder after said step of introducing a curative.

Abstract: A process for producing thermoplastic vulcanizates, the process comprising (i) dynamically vulcanizing a rubber with a curative in a first stage, where the rubber is within a blend that includes the rubber, a thermoplastic resin, and the curative, where said step of dynamically vulcanizing occurs at a temperature at or above the melting point of the thermoplastic resin, where said step of dynamically vulcanizing employs a peroxide curative, and where said rubber includes polymeric units deriving from 5-vinyl-2-norbornene, (ii) continuing said step of dynamically vulcanizing to cause phase inversion of the blend to thereby convert the thermoplastic resin into a continuous phase, (iii) maintaining the blend at or above the melting point of the thermoplastic resin after the phase inversion, and (iv) introducing molten thermoplastic resin into the blend in a second stage, where said step of introducing molten thermoplastic resin occurs after phase inversion but before the blend is cooled to a temperature below th

Abstract: A process for producing thermoplastic vulcanizates, the process comprising (i) dynamically vulcanizing a rubber with a curative in a first stage, where the rubber is within a blend that includes the rubber, a thermoplastic resin, and the curative, where said step of dynamically vulcanizing occurs at a temperature at or above the melting point of the thermoplastic resin, where said step of dynamically vulcanizing employs a peroxide curative, and where said rubber includes polymeric units deriving from 5-vinyl-2-norbornene, (ii) continuing said step of dynamically vulcanizing to cause phase inversion of the blend to thereby convert the thermoplastic resin into a continuous phase, (iii) maintaining the blend at or above the melting point of the thermoplastic resin after the phase inversion, and (iv) introducing molten thermoplastic resin into the blend in a second stage, where said step of introducing molten thermoplastic resin occurs after phase inversion but before the blend is cooled to a temperature below th

Abstract: A thermoplastic vulcanizate comprising a dynamically cured rubber, where the rubber is peroxide cured, and a thermoplastic phase, where at least 10% by weight of the thermoplastic phase includes an ultrahigh molecular weight plastic, where the ultrahigh molecular weight plastic is characterized by a Mw that is greater than 0.8×106 g/mole.

Abstract: Disclosed herein is a multimodal polymer composition comprising 45 to 75 wt % of a first polymer fraction, 25 to 55 wt % of a second polymer fraction, and from 10-50 phr of an extender oil. The multimodal polymer composition has an overall Mooney viscosity of less than 90 ML(1+4@125° C.), and each polymer fraction comprises an ethylene, C3-C10 alpha-olefin, non-conjugated diene polymer, wherein the first polymer fraction has a Mooney viscosity of greater than or equal to about 150 ML(1+4@125° C.), the second polymer fraction has a Mooney viscosity from about 20 to about 120 ML(1+4@125° C.). A process for making the multimodal polymer composition comprising a process utilizing two or more reactors in series is also disclosed.

Abstract: A cross-linked or at least partially cross-linked thermoplastic elastomeric composition formed of from 10 to 90 percent of a first polymeric material comprised of ethylene, &agr;-olefin and optionally a non-conjugated diene, and 90 to 10 percent of a second olefin polymeric material, wherein at least one of the first or second polymeric materials is at least partially the product of a metallocene polymerization reaction.

Abstract: The invention relates to novel Thermoplastic Olefin compositions comprising polypropylene, and ethylene-alpha olefin elastomer and a compatabilizer comprising an ethylene-propylene copolymer having a propylene content of greater than 80 weight percent. The ethylene-propylene copolymer compatabilizer imparts a greater degree of compatibility between the polypropylene and elastomer phases yielding improved physical properties.