Process for the preparation of thermoplastic elastomers

• US 4,803,244 A
• Filed: 11/16/1987
• Issued: 02/07/1989
• Est. Priority Date: 11/16/1987
• Status: Expired due to Term

• Current Assignee: Union Carbide Corporation Old Ridgebury Road Danbury CT 06817
• Original Assignee: Union Carbide Corporation (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Umpleby, Jeffrey D.
• Primary Examiner(s): MARQUIS, MELVYN I
• Application Number:
  US07/120,969
• Time in Patent Office: 449 Days
• Field of Search: 525/105, 525/106, 428/447
• US Class Current: 525/105
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 8/42 Introducing metal atoms or metal-containing groups
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 2321/00 Characterised by the use of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/005 Processes for mixing polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/54 Silicon-containing compounds C08K5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 21/00 Compositions of unspecified rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2207/04 Thermoplastic elastomer
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/04 Homopolymers or copolymers of ethene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/12 Polypropene
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/16 Elastomeric ethene-propene or ethene-propene-diene copolymers, e.g. EPR and EPDM rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/22 Copolymers of isobutene; Butyl rubber ; Homo- or copolymers of other iso-olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/00 Compositions of macromolecular compounds obtained by reactions forming in the main chain of the macromolecule a linkage containing silicon with or without sulfur, nitrogen, oxygen or carbon only; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 83/04 Polysiloxanes
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31663 As siloxane, silicone or silane

Abstract

A process for the preparation of a thermoplastic elastomer comprising admixing, under reaction conditions, an unsaturated elastomer containing carbon-carbon double bonds; an essentially saturated thermoplastic homopolymer or copolymer; a multifunctional organosilicon compound containing an average of at least two Si--H groups per molecules; and a catalyst capable of hydrosilylating the carbon-carbon double bonds of the unsaturated elastomer.

Claims

1. A process for the preparation of a thermoplastic elastomer comprising admixing, under reaction conditions, an elastomer containing carbon-carbon double bonds;

an essentially saturated thermoplastic homopolymer or copolymer;

a multifunctional organosilicon compound containing an average of at least two Si--H groups per molecule; and

a catalyst capable of hydrosilylating the carbon-carbon double bonds of the unsaturated elastomer.

2. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the elastomer contains at least one carbon-carbon double bond per 1000 carbon atoms.

3. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the elastomer has a molecular weight of at least about 100,000.

4. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the multifunctional organosilicon compound is a polysiloxane compound or mixture of polysiloxane compounds containing an average of at least two Si--H groups per molecule comprised essentially of 2 to about 100 siloxane units having the formulae:

##STR4## and 0 to about 5 siloxane units having the formulae;

##STR5## in any sequence or combination and having terminal groups which are hydroxy, alkoxy, or trimethylsiloxy.

5. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the amount of multifunctional organosilicon compound is in the range of about 0.01 to about 5 mole equivalents of Si--H groups per one mole equivalent of carbon-carbon double bonds.

6. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the amount of multifunctional organosilicon compound is in the range of about 0.25 to about 2 mole equivalents of Si--H groups per one mole equivalent of carbon-carbon double bonds.

7. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the hydrosilylation catalyst is an organometallic complex of a Group VIII transition metal.

8. The process defined in claim 7 wherein the transition metal is rhodium, platinum, palladium, or nickel.

9. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the amount of hydrosilylation catalyst is in the range of about 5 to about 10,000 parts per million by weight based on the weight of the elastomer.

10. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the amount of hydrosilylation catalyst is in the range of about 20 to about 1000 parts per million by weight based on the weight of the elastomer.

11. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the thermoplastic homopolymer or copolymer is polyethylene, polypropylene, or a copolymer of ethylene and at least one alpha-olefin having 3 to 12 carbon atoms.

12. The process defined in claim 1 wherein the components are mixed at a temperature of at least about the melting point of the thermoplastic homopolymer or copolymer.

13. The product of the process defined in claim 1.

14. An extruded article comprising the product defined in claim 13.

15. An extrusion coated article wherein the coating is the product defined in claim 13.