Patent ID: 6300421
Filing Date: 2001-10-09
Classification: C08K,C08L

Abstract:
A process of preparing a composition which comprises(A) blending, and based upon 100 phr of elastomer,(1) elastomers comprised of(a) about 10 to about 100 phr of at least one low unsaturation EPDM rubber or saturated EPR rubber and(b) from zero to about 90 phr of at least one high unsaturation rubber selected from the group consisting of homopolymers and copolymers of conjugated dienes and copolymers of at least one conjugated diene with a vinyl aromatic compound selected from styrene and alpha-methylstyrene;(2) about 20 to about 200 phr of particulate reinforcement selected from at least one of the group consisting of clay, carbon black and precipitated silica;(3) about 0.5 to about 10 phr of peroxide curative for said low unsaturation rubber(s);(4) about 0.25 to about 10 phr of acrylate co-curing agent which is homogeneously dispersed within said elastomer(s); wherein said acrylate is selected from at least one of the group consisting of monoacrylate, diacrylate, triacrylate, tetraacrylate, pentaacrylate and hexaacrylate co-curing agents for peroxide curative, and mixtures thereof; and(5) about 0.05 to about 0.6 phr of elemental sulfur co-curing agent; wherein the weight ratio of said sulfur and acrylate co-curing agents to said peroxide curative is in a range of about 1/1 to about 1/30 and the weight ratio of said acrylate co-curing agent to said sulfur co-curing agent is in a range of about 2/1 to about 200/1, followed by(B) heating and curing the prepared composition at a temperature in a range of about 150.degree. C. to about 180.degree. C.;wherein said EPR is a copolymer of ethylene and propylene;wherein said EPDM is an ethylene/propylene/non-conjugated diene terpolymer and wherein said non-conjugated diene is selected from at least one of the group consisting of dicyclopentadiene, 4-hexadiene and ethylidene norbornene;wherein said peroxide is selected from at least one of dicumyl peroxide, methyl-2,5-di(t-butyl-peroxy)hexane, dibenzoyl peroxide and 2,4-dichlorobenzyl peroxide; andwherein said acrylate is selected from at least one of stearyl acrylate, stearyl methacrylate, lauryl acrylate, lauryl methacrylate, isodecyl methacrylate, 1,4-butanediol diacrylate, 1,4-butanediol dimethacrylate, tetraethylene glycol diacrylate, ethoxylated Bisphenol-A diacrylate, ethoxylated Bisphenol-A dimethacrylate, trimethyl propane triacrylate, trimethyl propane trimethacrylate, glycerol triacrylate, glycerol trimethacrylate, trimethyl ethane triacrylate, propoxylated glycerol triacrylate, ethoxylated trimetholpropane triacrylate, pentaerythreitol tetraacrylate, pentaerythritol tetramethacrylate, di-trimethylolpropane tertraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, dipentaerythritol pentaacrylate and pentaacrylate ester.