Weatherable and flame-resistant thermoplastic vulcanizates and methods for making them

1. A weatherable, flame-resistant thermoplastic vulcanizate composition comprising:

i. a thermoplastic matrix; and

ii. dispersed within said matrix, an at least partially cured rubber, a flame retardant, and carbon black,

wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition comprises from about 10 to about 30 wt. % thermoplastic resin, based on the weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate, and from about 10 to 25 wt. % of the rubber, based on the weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate;

wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition comprises from about 10 to about 50 wt. % of the flame retardant, based on the weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate, where the flame retardant comprises a halogenated hydrocarbon and a metal oxide; and

wherein the composition is substantially devoid of UV stabilizer and antioxidants other than carbon black.

2. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the rubber is cured to an extent where less than 5% by weight of the rubber is extractable by cyclohexane at 23° C.

3. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the halogenated hydrocarbon is a brominated hydrocarbon and the metal oxide is antimony trioxide.

4. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the flame retardant further includes a char forming material.

5. The composition of claim 4 , wherein the char forming material is zinc borate hydrate.

6. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the rubber is an at least partially cured poly(ethylene-propylene-diene)terpolymer.

7. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic resin includes polypropylene.

8. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic matrix includes a first polypropylene characterized by a melt index (ASTM D-1238, 2.16 kg @ 190° C.) of less than 1.0 dg/min and a second polypropylene characterized by a melt index (ASTM D-1238, 2.16 kg @ 190° C.) greater than 10 dg/min.

9. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate is characterized by a Shore A hardness of greater than 60 and less than 90.

10. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate satisfies the requirements of UL94V0.

11. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate satisfies the requirements of UL94V1.

12. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate satisfies the requirements of UL94V2.

13. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate satisfies the requirements of UL746CF1.

14. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate further comprises an extender.

15. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate further comprises a polysiloxane.

16. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate includes from about 10 to about 25 wt. % of said rubber, from about 10 to about 25 wt. % of said thermoplastic resin, from about 25 to about 38 wt. % of said flame retardant, and from about 2.0 to about 6.0 wt. % of said carbon black, all amounts based on the weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate.

17. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate includes from about 12 to about 20 wt. % of said rubber, from about 12 to about 20 wt. % of said thermoplastic resin, from about 28 to about 35 wt. % of said flame retardant, and from about 2.5 to about 4.0 wt. % of said carbon black, all amounts based on the weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate.

18. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises at least 25 wt. % and less than 35 wt. %, based upon the entire weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate, of the flame retardant and wherein the flame retardant comprises a halogenated hydrocarbon (x), a metal oxide (y), and a char-forming material (z), where the amount of the halogenated hydrocarbon (x) is from about 2 to about 7 wt. % based upon the entire weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate, the amount of the metal oxide is from two times to five times the amount of the halogenated hydrocarbon (x), and the amount of the char-forming compound is about 8 to about 25 wt. % based upon the entire weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate.

19. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the flame retardant further comprises a char-forming compound, wherein the halogenated hydrocarbon is decabromodiphenylethane, the metal oxide is antimony trioxide, and the char-forming compound is zinc borate hydrate.

20. A method for producing a weatherable, flame-resistant thermoplastic vulcanizate, the method comprising:

i. dynamically vulcanizing a rubber within a molten blend that includes the rubber, a thermoplastic resin, optionally an extender, optionally carbon black, and optionally an inert filler other than carbon black, where the molten blend is substantially devoid of flame retardants, to thereby produce a thermoplastic vulcanizate;

ii. after said step of dynamically vulcanizing, blending said thermoplastic vulcanizate while in its molten state with a flame retardant and optionally with carbon black, where the flame retardant includes decabromodiphenylethane, antimony trioxide, and zinc borate hydrate, with the proviso that said step of dynamically vulcanizing takes place with carbon black in the molten blend or said step of blending includes blending the thermoplastic vulcanizate with carbon black, to thereby produce a thermoplastic vulcanizate having weatherability and flame resistance; and

iii. extruding the thermoplastic vulcanizate, wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate comprises from about 10 to about 30 wt. % of thermoplastic resin, from about 10 to 25 wt. % of rubber, and from about 10 to about 50 wt. % of flame retardant, based on the weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate, and wherein the composition is substantially devoid of UV stabilizer and antioxidants other than carbon black.

21. The composition of claim 1 , wherein the amount of the flame retardant is from about 22 wt. % to about 35 wt. %, based upon the entire weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, wherein the flame retardant includes a halogenated hydrocarbon, a metal oxide and a char-forming material, and where the amount of the halogenated hydrocarbon is from about 9 to about 17.7 wt. % based upon the entire weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, the amount of the metal oxide is from about 3.0 to about 5.9 wt. % based upon the entire weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition, and the amount of the char-forming compound is about 10.0 to about 19.2 wt. % based upon the entire weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition.

22. A weatherable, flame-resistant thermoplastic vulcanizate composition comprising an at least partially cured rubber dispersed in a thermoplastic matrix, wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition comprises:

(i) from about 10 to about 40 wt. % thermoplastic resin, based on the weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition;

(ii) from about 10 to about 25 wt. % rubber, based on the weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition;

(iii) from about 1.5 to about 6.0 wt. % carbon black, based on the weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition;

(iv) from about 10 wt. % to about 50 wt. % flame retardant, based on the weight of the thermoplastic vulcanizate composition;

(v) clay;

(vi) oil; and

(vii) less than 2 wt. % of UV stabilizers and antioxidants other than carbon black, and wherein the thermoplastic vulcanizate has a Shore A hardness of at least 50.