Peroxide-cured thermoplastic vulcanizates and process for making the same

1. A method of preparing a thermoplastic vulcanizate, the method comprising:

continuously dynamically vulcanizing, in a continuous mixing reactor:

a rubber consisting essentially of an olefinic elastomeric copolymer, and

a thermoplastic resin,

wherein the dynamic vulcanization is effected solely with a single cure system that consists of:

an organic peroxide cure agent, and

a coagent-wetted carrier consisting essentially of:

(1) a multi-functional acrylate coagent selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated glycerol triacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, bistrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol triacrylate, cyclohexane dimethanol diacrylate, ditrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, or combinations thereof, a multi-functional methacrylate coagent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, butanediol dimethacrylate, butylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, allyl methacrylate or combinations thereof, or both a multi-functional acrylate and multi-functional methacrylate coagent, and

(2) silica, silicates or a combination thereof.

2. The method of claim 1 , where the organic peroxide includes 2,5-dimethyl-2,5-di(t-butylperoxy)hexane.

3. The method of claim 1 , where the rubber consists of an olefinic elastomeric copolymer of ethylene, at least one α-olefin, and optionally at least one diene monomer.

4. The method of claim 3 , where said continously dynamically vulcanizing cures the rubber to an extent where not more than 10 weight percent of the rubber is extractable by cyclohexane at 23° C.

5. The method of claim 1 , where the silica includes precipitated silica, amorphous fumed silica, fused silica, silica gel, or mixtures thereof

6. The method of claim 1 , where said silicates are selected from the group consisting of tetracalcium aluminoferrate, tricalcium silicate, dicalcium silicate, calcium metasilicate, and mixtures thereof

7. The method of claim 1 , where said silicates are selected from the group consisting of kaolinite, montmorillonite, atapulgite, illite, bentonite, halloysite, talcum, soapstone, steatite, cerolite, magnesium talc, steatite-massive, and mixtures thereof.

8. The method of claim 1 , where the cure system consists of the peroxide and the coagent-wetted carrier.

9. The method of claim 1 , where said organic peroxide cure agent is delivered to said continuous mixing reactor together with an oil.

10. A method of preparing a thermoplastic vulcanizate, the method comprising:

continuously mixing a feed stream of a rubber and a thermoplastic within a continuous mixing reactor to form a blend;

adding a coagent carried by a carrier for the coagent to the rubber, the thermoplastic, the blend, or a combination of two or more thereof;

adding a peroxide in combination with an oil to the rubber, the thermoplastic, the blend, or a combination of two or more thereof;

continuously dynamically vulcanizing the rubber while the blend undergoes shear, where said continuously dynamically vulcanizing is effected solely with the peroxide cure agent in the presence of the coagent, and where the coagent consists essentially of (1) a multi-functional acrylate coagent selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated glycerol triacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, bistrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol triacrylate, cyclohexane dimethanol diacrylate, ditrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, or combinations thereof, a multi-functional methacrylate coagent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, butanediol dimethacrylate, butylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, allyl methacrylate or combinations thereof, or both a multi-functional acrylate and multi-functional methacrylate coagent and (2) silica, silicates, or a combination thereof.

11. The method of claim 10 , where said adding a peroxide carried by an oil includes feeding an intimate blend of peroxide and oil to the rubber, the thermoplastic resin, the blend, or a combination of two or more thereof.

12. The method of claim 11 , where the oil that carries the peroxide is a paraffinic oil.

13. The method of claim 10 , where said coagent consists of a multi-functional acrylate coagent, a multi-functional methacrylate coagent, or both a multi-functional acrylate and multi-functional methacrylate coagent.

14. The method of claim 13 , where said step of continuously dynamically vulcanizing is effected with a cure system that consists of the peroxide and a coagent selected from the group consisting of a multi-functional acrylate coagent, a multi-functional methacrylate coagent, or both a multi-functional acrylate and multi-functional methacrylate coagent.

15. The method of claim 10 , where the rubber consists of an olefinic elastomeric copolymer.

16. The method of claim 1 , where the coagent-wetted carrier consists of an intimate blend of:

(1) a liquid selected from the group consisting of a multi-functional acrylate coagent selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated glycerol triacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, bistrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol triacrylate, cyclohexane dimethanol diacrylate, ditrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, or combinations thereof, a multi-functional methacrylate coagent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, butanediol dimethacrylate, butylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, allyl methacrylate or combinations thereof, and both a multi-functional acrylate and multi-functional methacrylate coagent, and

(2) an inert silica, silicates or a combination thereof, and where the olefinic elastomeric copolymer consists essentially of a ethylene-propylene-diene rubber wherein the diene consists essentially of units deriving from 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene.

17. The method of claim 16 , where the coagent-wetted carrier includes from about 25% to about 80% by weight coagent based upon the total weight of the coagent-wetted carrier.

18. The method of claim 10 , where adding a cogent carried by the carrier of the cogent includes feeding an intimate, physical blend of a liquid coagent and an inert carrer to the rubber, the thermoplastic resin, the blend, or a combination of two or more thereof, and where the coagent consists of a multi-functional acrylate coagent selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated glycerol triacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, bistrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol triacrylate, cyclohexane dimethanol diacrylate, ditrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, or combinations thereof, a multi-functional methacrylate coagent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, butanediol dimethacrylate, butylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, allyl methacrylate or combinations thereof, and both a multi-functional acrylate and multi-functional methacrylate coagent, and where the carrier consists of silica, silicates or a combination thereof, and where the olefinic elastomeric copolymer consists essentially of a ethylene-propylene-diene rubber wherein the diene consists essentially of units deriving from 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene.

19. A method of preparing a thermoplastic vulcanizate, the method comprising:

continuously dynamically vulcanizing a rubber within a continuous mixing reactor, where the rubber is contained within a blend, where the rubber consists of an olefinic elastomeric copolymer of ethylene, propylene, and at least one diene monomer, where the diene monomer consists of 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene, and where the blend includes a thermoplastic resin including a propylene-based resin and optionally one or more of reinforcing and non-reinforcing fillers, antioxidants, stabilizers, rubber process oils, lubricants, antiblocking agents, anti-static agents, waxes, foaming agents, pigments, flame retardants and processing aids; and where said step of continuously dynamically vulcanizing a rubber is effected solely with a single cure system that consists of: (i) an organic peroxide cure agent carried by an oil; and (ii) a coagent-wetted carrier consisting of (iia) a multi-functional acrylate coagent selected from the group consisting of diethylene glycol diacrylate, trimethylolpropane triacrylate (TMPTA), ethoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated trimethylolpropane triacrylate, propoxylated glycerol triacrylate, pentaerythritol triacrylate, bistrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol tetraacrylate, ethoxylated pentaerythritol triacrylate, cyclohexane dimethanol diacrylate, ditrimethylolpropane tetraacrylate, or combinations thereof, a multi-functional methacrylate coagent selected from the group consisting of ethylene glycol dimethacrylate, butanediol dimethacrylate, butylene glycol dimethacrylate, diethylene glycol dimethacrylate, polyethylene glycol dimethacrylate, allyl methacrylate or combinations thereof, or both a multi-functional acrylate and multi-functional methacrylate coagent, and (iib) silica, silicates or a combination thereof.