Patent ID: 7550534
Filing Date: 2009-06-23
Classification: C08L

Abstract:
1. A method of preparing a thermoplastic composition, comprising: melt kneading a thermoplastic vulcanizate and a first hydrogenated block copolymer of an alkenyl aromatic compound and a conjugated diene to form a vulcanizate-copolymer blend; and melt kneading the vulcanizate-copolymer blend, a poly(arylene ether), and a second hydrogenated block copolymer of an alkenyl aromatic compound and a conjugated diene; wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises a crystalline or semi-crystalline thermoplastic polyolefin; and a dynamically partially vulcanized rubber selected from ethylene-propylene copolymers, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymers, styrene butadiene rubber, nitrile butadiene rubber, isobutene-isoprene rubber, styrene-(ethylene-styrene)-butadiene block copolymers, butyl rubber, isobutylene-p-methylstyrene copolymers, brominated isobutylene-p-methylstyrene copolymers, natural rubber, and combinations thereof; wherein the first hydrogenated block copolymer and the second hydrogenated block copolymer are each independently a styrene-(ethylene-butylene)-styrene triblock copolymer; wherein the poly(arylene ether) comprises 2,6-dimethyl-1,4-phenylene ether units; wherein the vulcanizate-copolymer blend comprises a dispersed phase having a mean particle size, measured along a major axis, of about 0.1 to about 3 micrometers; and wherein the thermoplastic composition comprises a dispersed phase having a mean particle size, measured along a major axis, of about 1 to about 3 micrometers.