Patent ID: 7026412

Claim:
A process for forming a molded article comprising the steps of heating a moldable resin composition comprising: (A) a blend of two copolyether ester elastomers having acid end-groups, (A1) and (A2): (A1) with a hardness in the range 45–72 Shore D, in an amount 75–97 wt. % of the blend, and (A2) with a hardness in the range 25–40 Shore D, in an amount 3–25 wt. % of the blend; (B) a copolymer comprising from 94 to 50 wt. % of ethylene, from 5 to 35 wt. % of at least one alkyl or cycloalkyl acrylate or methacrylate, in which the alkyl or cycloalkyl group has from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and from 1 to 15 wt. % of at least one unsaturated epoxide; at least one of (C) and (D) where: (C) is a copolymer comprising from 88 to 60 wt. % of ethylene, from 11.5 to 40 wt. % of at least one alkyl or cycloalkyl acrylate or methacrylate, in which the alkyl or cycloalkyl group has from 2 to 10 carbon atoms, and from 0.5 to 6 wt. % of at least one anhydride of an unsaturated dicarboxylic acid; (D) is at least one rubbery polymer that can be dispersed finely into the composition by extrusion; (E) a calcium compound capable of reacting with acid end-groups of the copolyether ester elastomers of blend (A); and (F) one or more optional additives; wherein the resin blend (A) is present in an amount of 60–90 wt. % of the composition; copolymer (B) is present in an amount of 6–15 wt. % of the blend A; copolymer (C) when present is in an amount up to 20 wt. % of the composition, and component (D) when present is in an amount up to 20 wt. % of the composition, providing the sum of (C) and (D) is at least 2 wt. % of the composition; the calcium compound (E) is in an amount such as to provide up to 2 wt. % elemental calcium in the composition; and the optional additive(s) (F) when present is/are in an amount up to 20 wt. % of the composition, above its melting temperature, forming the composition into a desired shape, and allowing the composition to cool to form a molded article.