Patent ID: 8426519

Claim:
A process for making a copolymer product comprising units derived from a polyethylene, a silane crosslinker and a silicone polymer, the process comprising the step of simultaneously contacting within a matrix of the polyethylene and under grafting and ring-opening and polymerization conditions, the polyethylene, the silane crosslinker and a cyclic siloxane such that the silane crosslinker grafts to the polyethylene, the cyclic siloxane polymerizes to form the silicone polymer that in turn combines with the silane-grafted polyethylene to form the copolymer product, wherein the silane crosslinker is at least one of vinyl trimethoxy silane, vinyl triethoxy silane, γ-(meth)acryloxy propyl trimethoxy silane and mixtures of two or more of these silanes.