Patent ID: 8487033

Claim:
A thermoplastic vulcanizate composition comprising: a thermoplastic component, an elastomeric component that is in the form of a fully-cured rubber dispersed in said thermoplastic component, wherein the rubber is an ethylene-propylene-diene copolymer and wherein the thermoplastic component includes polypropylene or a propylene-based copolymer, and at least one particulate composition dispersed with said thermoplastic component, said elastomeric component, or both said thermoplastic and said elastomeric component; said particulate composition comprising: a carrier medium, and a particulate material having a thickness in one direction of less than about 50 angstroms and is dispersed in the carrier medium, wherein the particulate material is a clay selected from the group consisting of natural or synthetic phyllosilicate, smectic clay, montmorillonite, nontronite, beidellite, volkonskoite, laponite, hectorite, saponite, sauconite, magadite, kenyaite, stevensite, vermiculite, halloysite, aluminate oxides, hydrotalcite, and combinations thereof, and wherein the at least one particulate composition comprises from about 0.1 to about 65 weight percent clay, based upon the total weight of the particulate composition wherein the particulate composition is selected from the group consisting of lithium simple and complex soap greases, calcium simple and complex soap greases, sodium simple and complex greases, aluminum simple and complex greases, barium simple and complex greases and polyurea greases.