Abstract: An improved process for the preparation of thermoplastic elastomers by hydrosilylation crosslinking of a butyl rubber component, in which a platinum containing hydrosilylation catalyst is used. The butyl rubber component includes a copolymer of at least isobutylene and an aromatic divinyl compound such as divinylbenzene. The copolymer of at least isobutylene and divinylbenzene is significantly easier to crosslink into a substantially insoluble rubber in a thermoplastic vulcanizate than isobutylene copolymers with only unsaturated repeating units from conjugated dienes. A crosslinked rubber component is obtained in the thermoplastic elastomer composition.

Abstract: Thermoplastic elastomer compositions which have good high temperature end use and good oil swell resistance are made by blending a high melting thermoplastic polymer containing a non-polar rubber and a polar rubber. Alternatively, a high melting thermoplastic polymer containing a non-polar rubber or a polar rubber or both is blended with a polyolefin thermoplastic polymer containing a non-polar rubber, or a polar rubber, or both. The composition is dynamically vulcanized. The cured multi-component thermoplastic elastomer compositions exhibit good end use properties such as hardness, tensile strength, modulus, flexibility.

Abstract: Thermoplastic vulcanizate blends are prepared from a semi-crystalline polymer and a rubbery copolymer derived from copolymerizing at least one alpha-olefin monomer and at least one cyclic olefin copolymer. The rubbery copolymer also includes repeat units from at least one polyene monomer. The polyene monomer provides residual unsaturation for crosslinking of said rubbery copolymer. Crosslinking the rubbery copolymer of the blend generally reduces tension set, compression set and oil swell in aliphatic solvents. The cyclic olefin monomer reduces oil swell in aliphatic oils.

Abstract: A blend of a semicrystalline polyolefin, a rubbery polymer containing repeat units from norbornene, and a polymeric compatibilizer is disclosed. This composition has reduced oil swell as compared to thermoplastic vulcanizates from a semicrystalline polyolefin and hydrocarbon rubbers.

Abstract: An improved process for the preparation of thermoplastic vulcanizates from butyl rubbers by hydrosilylation crosslinking of acrylic or alkacrylic functionalized copolymers of isobutylene and paramethylstyrene is disclosed. The functionalization results in lower compression and tension set than when using conventional butyl rubbers. Other physical properties of the thermoplastic vulcanizate are improved consistent with more efficient crosslinking of the functionalized copolymer.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new block copolymers of chemically modified polyolefins and thermoplastic polyurethanes, copolyesters or copolyamides a method for the preparation of said block copolymers and their use for compatibilizing blends of polar and non-polar thermoplastic elastomers. The block copolymers according to the present invention can further be used for promoting the adhesion of thermoplastic elastomers onto various polar engineering resins.

Abstract: Desirable thermoplastic vulcanizates can be prepared from a polar engineering thermoplastic; a halogenated copolymer of p-alkylstyrene and an isomonoolefin having from 4 to 7 carbon atoms; and either an ethylene rubbery polymer or a diene based rubbery polymer or combinations thereof. The ethylene rubbery polymer desirably has at least one pendant carboxylic acid group, amine group, epoxy group, hydroxyl group or an anhydride of two carboxylic acid groups or combinations thereof. Desirable diene based rubbery polymers include epoxidized natural rubber and epoxidized homopolymers and copolymers of dienes.

Abstract: Low oil swell, processable carboxylated nitrile rubber thermoplastic vulcanizate compositions having high melting points are made utilizing a processing aid, for example, maleated polyethylene, and addition type curing agents such as bisoxazolines or bisimidazolines. The compositions generally contain polar thermoplastic high melting point crystalline polymers such as polyester as a continuous phase with the carboxylated nitrile rubber being dispersed therein.

Abstract: Dynamic vulcanizates of an engineering thermoplastic ("plastic"), e.g. a polyamide or polyester, with acrylate rubbers having dissimilar functional groups are prepared with a metal fatty acid salt in the absence of a conventional curative, provided the rubbers are molecularly intermixed. An acrylate rubber with halogen functionality ("AcrRubHal") is thus crosslinked in a single mixing stage with an acrylate rubber having carboxyl, hydroxyl or epoxy functionality ("AcrRubX") in a "plastic". Quaternary ammonium salts and tertiary amines do not function as curatives, as one might expect. But a metal fatty acid salt, preferably a metal stearate or oleate and concentrates thereof effectively crosslink the rubbers. TPVs produced without conventional curing agents are relatively "soft", but have highly desirable low temperature physical properties and oil resistance.

Abstract: This invention describes a staged process in which successive dynamic vulcanizations of plural curable rubber blend components are based on condensation reactions of a functional group (reactive site) carried by each curable rubber. The process is carried out in three stages during each of which gases evolved during the condensation reactions are removed. It is essential to form an intermediate fully dense hard blend in the second stage. This intermediate hard blend contains a relatively large amount of plastic (relative to curable rubbers) and is therefore much harder than the desired final blend. In the third stage, additional rubber and curative for uncured rubber are added to achieve the desired softness. This process, carried out in an extruder, results in fully dense pellets which are injection moulded to produce articles having essentially the same specific gravity as that of the pellets.

Abstract: The invention relates to a method to adhere a hard cellulose ester compound to a surface of a soft thermoplastic elastomer compound and shaped composite articles comprising said components.

Abstract: Phenolic resin curatives having a majority of dibenzyl ether linkages were unexpectedly found to be very effective in curing unsaturated rubbers in a blend of a crystalline polyolefin and said rubber. Their effectiveness exceeds that of conventional phenolic resins for many thermoplastic vulcanizate compositions allowing for the reformulation of the recipes with lower amounts of curatives and equivalent or superior physical properties in the resulting thermoplastic vulcanizate.

Abstract: A thermoplastic elastomer is formed from a thermoplastic polymer such as a polyester, polycarbonate, or combinations thereof or a polyamide, which polymer is melt blended with an acrylic rubber. The acrylic rubber desirably has from about 0.5 to about 5 mole percent repeat units from halogen (desirably chlorine) containing monomer. Subsequently the acrylic rubber is crosslinked with 2,5-mercapto-1,3,4-thiadiazole or a derivative thereof. Such a thermoplastic elastomer may have a compression set less than 50% making it useful in applications involving continuous use under compression.

Abstract: High elasticity foams can be prepared from a reprocessable blend of a thermoplastic vulcanizate and an elastic thermoplastic polymer. These foams can be mechanically foamed with water and can have elongations to break in excess of 250 percent. They also have recovery of that elongation also known as low permanent set.

Abstract: An improved process for the preparation of thermoplastic elastomers by hydrosilylation crosslinking, in which a platinum containing hydrosilylation catalyst is used in combination with oil which is substantially free of materials which have the chemical behavior of a Lewis base. A crosslinked rubber component is obtained in the thermoplastic elastomer composition.

Abstract: Thermoplastic elastomer compositions which have good high temperature end use and good oil swell resistance are made by blending a high melting thermoplastic polymer containing a non-polar rubber and a polar rubber. Alternatively, a high melting thermoplastic polymer containing a non-polar rubber or a polar rubber or both is blended with a polyolefin thermoplastic polymer containing a non-polar rubber, or a polar rubber, or both. The composition is dynamically vulcanized. The cured multi-component thermoplastic elastomer compositions exhibit good end use properties such as hardness, tensile strength, modulus, flexibility.

Abstract: The present invention relates to new block copolymers of chemically modified polyolefins and thermoplastic polyurethanes, copolyesters or copolyamides a method for the preparation of said block copolymers and their use for compatibilizing blends of polar and non-polar thermoplastic elastomers. The block copolymers according to the present invention can further be used for promoting the adhesion of thermoplastic elastomers onto various polar engineering resins.

Abstract: Thermoplastic elastomers having improved surface properties are provided by incorporating a copolymer of a functionalized polyolefin and a polyamide into a thermoplastic elastomer selected from(A)(a) a thermoplastic polyolefin homopolymer or copolymer, and(b) an olefinic rubber which is fully crosslinked, partially crosslinked or not crosslinked, and optionally(c) common additives;(B)(a) a block-copolymer of styrene/conjugated diene/styrene and/or its hydrogenated derivative, optionally compounded with(b) a thermoplastic polyolefin homopolymer or copolymer and/or(c) common additives and(C) any blend of (A) and (B).The invention further relates to a process of making these modified thermoplastic elastomers, their use and shaped articles comprising them.

Abstract: A thermoplastic elastomer composition has a plastic phase or matrix of an engineering thermoplastic such as an ester polymer and a crosslinked phase of self-cured acrylic rubber particles. The rubber particles are the reaction product of at least one functionalized acrylic rubber self-cured by a different functionalized acrylic rubber wherein the functional groups are generally a carboxyl, an epoxy, or hydroxyl, and the like. The composition can be dynamically vulcanized in the presence of an accelerator and desirably has a single low temperature brittle point.

Abstract: A sports ball bladder and method of manufacture which produces a sports ball in which a valve element (48) is fused to the bladder and is disposed away from a parting line (40) of a mold (34). The bladder is made by extruding a parison (64) and closing a mold cavity (42) in surrounding relation thereof. A blow needle (46) supports the valve element thereon and delivers fluid pressure to an interior area (68) of the parison. The expanding parison fills the mold cavity and impinges on the valve element. The expanded parison is cooled to solidify the thermoplastic material. The pressure in the interior area is then relieved through the blow needle and the mold is opened. To avoid thinning of the bladder adjacent to the parting line, thermoplastic material is pushed inwardly into the mold cavity from a pinch pocket (80) as the mold is closed. After the ball bladder is formed, a valve member (72) is inserted into the valve element to enable holding of the bladder in an inflated condition.