Electron beam inter-curing of plastic and elastomer blends
View Patent ↗Two-phase or single-phase admixtures of a plastic and an elastomer, two or more thermoplastics, or two or more elastomers are irradiated (preferably with electron beam radiation) to cross-link the thermoplastic and, in the case of elastomer and thermoplastic admixtures, generate bi-modal molecules having moieties derived from both the elastomer and the thermoplastic.
1. A composition comprising:
(a) a continuous phase comprising thermoplastic polymer; and
(b) a dispersed phase comprising vulcanized elastomer portions dispersed in said continuous phase; wherein
(c) said thermoplastic polymer comprises an amorphous phase and crystalline portions;
(d) said continuous phase has a melting point;
(e) said continuous phase has crosslinked molecules of said thermoplastic polymer; and
(f) crosslinkages between said crosslinked molecules are in said amorphous phase of said thermoplastic polymer.
2. A composition according to claim 1 wherein said continuous phase and said dispersed phase are inter-bonded by at least one inter-bonding molecule corresponding to the formula
AD
wherein A is from a free radical polymeric derivative derived from said elastomer of said dispersed phase, said elastomeric moiety having a collective atomic weight of from about 350 to about 10,000,000, and D is from a free radical polymeric derivative of a thermoplastic molecule from said continuous phase, said thermoplastic molecule having a molecular weight of from about 120 to about 10,000,000.
3. A composition according to claim 1 wherein said vulcanized elastomer portions comprise tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene/vinylidene fluoride terpolymer fluoroelastomer.
4. A composition according to claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic polymer comprises ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer.
5. A composition according to claim 1
wherein said vulcanized elastomer portions comprise tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene/vinylidene fluoride terpolymer fluoroelastomer; and
wherein said thermoplastic polymer comprises ethylene tetrafluoroethylene copolymer.
6. A composition according to claim 1 wherein said thermoplastic polymer is halogenated plastic and said elastomer portions comprise tetrafluoroethylene/hexafluoropropylene/vinylidene fluoride terpolymer fluoroelastomer.
7. A composition according to claim 1 wherein each elastomer portion of said elastomer portions has a cross-sectional diameter from about 0.1 microns to about 100 microns.
8. A composition according to claim 1 wherein said dispersed phase comprises from about 20 weight percent to about 90 weight percent of said composition.