Abstract: A thermoplastic ionomer blend or alloy exhibiting advantageous properties upon molding or extrusion and/or thermoforming, consisting essentially of the following components: A. about 15 to 85 parts by weight of a thermoplastic copolymer containing about 91 to 80 weight percent of alpha-olefin units and about 9 to 20 weight percent of alpha, beta-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid units said carboxylic acid units being about 20 to 90 percent neutralized with metal ions, preferably zinc, B. about 10 to 80 parts by weight of a rubber, preferably a thermoplastic elastomer selected from the group consisting of (a) crosslinked ethylene-propylene-diene copolymers and equivalent polyolefin copolymers such as ethylene-butene, hexene, or octene, (b) acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymers, (c) styrene-butadiene copolymers, and (d) styrene acrylonitrile graft-crosslinked butadiene rubbers, and C.

Abstract: Solid, unvulcanized neoprene pieces are packed in thermoplastic bags compatible with neoprene; the bags are closed by means of a compatible synthetic polymer stitch, coated on one of their large surfaces with a hot melt adhesive for easy stacking on a pallet, and are delivered directly to rubber compounding equipment, where the bags are shredded, while neoprene is being compounded. In this manner, opening and emptying of kraft paper bags is avoided. Typical thermoplastic bags are made of low density polyethylene and the thread of polyvinyl alcohol.