Process for preparing thermoplastic vulcanizates

US6277916A · kind A · utility

Assignee

• THE DOW CHEMICAL COMPANY · US

Inventors

• Robert H. Terbrueggen · South Pasadena, US
• Ray E. Drumright · Midland, US
• Thoi H. Ho · Lake Jackson, US

Key dates

• Filing date: Feb 25, 1999
• Grant date: Aug 21, 2001
• Expiry date: Feb 25, 2019

Classification

• Technology area (CPC C): Chemistry; Metallurgy
• CPC primary: C08F2810/20
• WIPO field: Macromolecular chemistry, polymers
• WIPO sector: Chemistry

Abstract

This invention includes a process for forming a thermoplastic vulcanizate comprising: (a) admixing a C--H insertion curing agent with at least one elastomeric phase polymer to form a first admixture; (b) admixing at least one non-elastomeric polyolefin with the first admixture to form a second admixture; and (c) heating the second admixture to a temperature at least the decomposition temperature of the curing agent to crosslink the elastomeric phase while mixing the admixture to an extent sufficient to result in the formation of a thermoplastic material, hereinafter referred to as a thermoplastic vulcanizate, and optionally including an additional step (d) of shaping the resulting thermoplastic vulcanizate, especially by heating and foaming or molding the TPV. The C--H insertion curing agent is preferably selected from alkyl and aryl azides (R--N.sub.3), acyl azides (R--C(O)N.sub.3), azidoformates (R--O--C(O)--N.sub.3), sulfonyl azides (R--SO.sub.2 --N.sub.3), phosphoryl azides ((RO).sub.2 --(PO)--N.sub.3), phosphinic azides (R.sub.2 --P(O)--N.sub.3) and silyl azides (R.sub.3 --Si--N.sub.3), with poly(sulfonyl azide) most preferred. Additionally, the invention includes a thermoplas…