Crosslinked compositions and articles prepared therefrom

• US 9,120,887 B2
• Filed: 06/21/2011
• Issued: 09/01/2015
• Est. Priority Date: 06/22/2010
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Original Assignee: Dow Global Technologies LLC (Dow, Inc.)
• Inventors: Voorheis, Peter R., Walther, Brian W., Yalvac, Selim
• Primary Examiner(s): Rabago, Roberto
• Application Number:
  US13/695,104
• Publication Number:
  US 20130096263A1
• Time in Patent Office: 1,533 Days
• Field of Search: 525/240, 525/331.7, 525/331.9, 525/332.1, 525/332.5, 525/332.6, 525/387, 525/332.8, 525/333.7
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: C08F 236/04 conjugated
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/24 Crosslinking, e.g. vulcanising, of macromolecules mechanical aspects B29C35/00; crosslinking agents C08K
• CPC Class Codes: C08J 3/246 Intercrosslinking of at least two polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0815 Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic 1-olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/0823 Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic cyclic olefins
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/083 Copolymers of ethene with aliphatic polyenes, i.e. containing more than one unsaturated bond
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 23/16 Elastomeric ethene-propene or ethene-propene-diene copolymers, e.g. EPR and EPDM rubbers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/06 Homopolymers or copolymers of unsaturated hydrocarbons; Derivatives thereof

Abstract

The invention provides a crosslinked composition formed by thermally treating a composition comprising at least the following: A) an ethylene-based polymer that has a density less than, or equal to, 0.910 g/cc; B) an olefin-based polymer that has a melt viscosity less than, or equal to, 20,000 cP, at 350° F.; and C) a crosslinking agent.

Claims

1. A crosslinked composition formed by thermally treating a composition comprising at least the following three components:

A) an ethylene-based polymer that has a density less than, or equal to, 0.910 g/cc, and is selected from the following;

i) an ethylene/propylene/diene interpolymer with a Mooney viscosity, ML(1+4) at 125°

C., greater than 10, or

ii) an ethylene/α

-olefin copolymer with a melt index, I2, less than, or equal to, 10 g/10 min;

B) an olefin-based polymer that has a melt viscosity less than, or equal to, 20,000 cP, at 350°

F.; and

C) a crosslinking agent, and

wherein the composition has an ultimate tensile strength greater than 12 MPa, an ultimate elongation greater than 100 percent, and a Shore A hardness greater than 60; and

wherein the olefin-based polymer of Component B has a melting temperature (Tm) less than 100°

C., as determined by DSC.

2. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein Component A is present in an amount from 50 to 98 weight percent, and Component B is present in an amount from 2 to 50 weight percent, and wherein the weight percentages of Components A and B are each based on the sum weight of Components A and B.

3. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein the ethylene-based polymer of Component A is an ethylene/propylene/diene interpolymer.

4. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein the olefin-based polymer of Component B has a melting temperature (Tm) greater than 40°

C., as determined by DSC.

5. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein Component B is present in an amount from 2 to 40 weight percent, based on the sum weight of Components A and B.

6. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein the olefin-based polymer of Component B has a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) from 1.2 to 3.

7. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein the olefin-based polymer of Component B is an ethylene-based polymer.

8. The crosslinked composition of claim 7, wherein the ethylene-based polymer of Component B is a homogeneously branched linear ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer, or a homogeneously branched substantially linear ethylene/α

-olefin interpolymer.

9. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein the ethylene-based polymer of Component A has a Mooney Viscosity (ML 1+4) at 125°

C. from 10 to 200.

10. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein the composition does not contain a tackifier.

11. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein the composition does not contain a propylene-based polymer.

12. An article comprising at least one component comprising the crosslinked composition of claim 1.

13. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein the ethylene-based polymer of component A is an ethylene/propylene/diene interpolymer with a Mooney viscosity, ML(1+4) at 125°

C., greater than 10.

14. The crosslinked composition of claim 1, wherein the olefin-based polymer of component B is selected from an ethylene/α

-olefin copolymer or an ethylene/α

-olefin multi-block copolymer.

15. The article of claim 12, wherein the article is selected from an automotive part, a computer part, a building material, a household appliance, a toy, or a footwear component.

16. A crosslinked composition formed by thermally treating a composition comprising at least the following three components:

A) an ethylene-based polymer that has a density less than, or equal to, 0.910 g/cc, and is selected from the following;

i) an ethylene/propylene/diene interpolymer with a Mooney viscosity, ML(1+4) at 125°

C., greater than 10, or

ii) an ethylene/α

-olefin copolymer with a melt index, I2, less than, or equal to, 10 g/10 min;

B) an olefin-based polymer that has a melt viscosity less than, or equal to, 20,000 cP, at 350°

F.; and

C) a crosslinking agent, and

wherein the composition has an ultimate tensile strength greater than 12 MPa, an ultimate elongation greater than 100 percent, and a Shore A hardness greater than 60; and

wherein the olefin-based polymer of Component B has a molecular weight distribution (Mw/Mn) from 1.2 to 3.

17. An article comprising at least one component comprising the crosslinked composition of claim 16.