Patent ID: 6361730
Filing Date: 2002-03-26
Classification: C08J

Abstract:
A process for making an article having a plurality of components comprising the steps of:placing a thermoplastic elastomer component having polyamide-6 and polyether recurring structural units into a vulcanization mold; overmolding a vulcanizable elastomer component onto at least a portion of one face surface of the thermoplastic elastomer component; and vulcanizing the vulcanizable elastomer component at a temperature below the melting point of the thermoplastic elastomer component, said process being further characterized in that the vulcanizing step is carried out at a temperature within a range defined by a lower temperature limit and an upper temperature limit, wherein the lower temperature limit is the lowest temperature at which the two elastomer components adhere by themselves to one another such that, when an attempt is made to separate them, cohesive failure occurs; and wherein the upper temperature limit is the highest temperature at which the vulcanized article can be removed from the mold without plastic deformation or adhesion of the thermoplastic elastomer component to the mold.