Thermoplastic elastomeric compositions

Claim 1

A grafted, multi-phase, thermoplastic elastomer composition formed by melt blending: (a) 10-30 weight percent of at least one thermoplastic resin selected from polyesters, copolyetheresters, polyamides and copolyetheramides, the thermoplastic resin having a number average molecular weight of at least 5,000; (b) 50-89 weight percent of at least one acid-containing ethylene copolymer, E/X/Y, where E is ethylene and comprises at least 40 weight percent of the ethylene copolymer, X is an unsaturated carboxylic acid 1-35 weight percent of the ethylene copolymer, and Y is a moiety derived from at least one alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate, vinyl ether, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, or mixtures thereof where the alkyl and ether radicals contain 1-12 carbon atoms, and Y comprises from 0-59 weight percent of the ethylene copolymer, and further wherein the acid groups in the unsaturated carboxylic acid, Component X, are neutralized from 0-80% by at least one metal ion; and (c) 1-22 weight percent of at least one glycidyl-containing copolymer, E/Z/Y′, where Z is glycidyl methacrylate, glycidyl acrylate or glycidyl vinyl ether and comprises about 1-15 weight percent of the glycidyl-containing copolymer, and Y′ is a moiety derived from at least one alkyl acrylate, alkyl methacrylate, vinyl ether, carbon monoxide, sulfur dioxide, or mixtures thereof where the alkyl and ether radicals contain 1-12 carbon atoms and Y′ comprises 0-49 weight percent of the glycidyl-containing copolymer, and the remainder of the copolymer, E/Z/Y′, consists of ethylene, The above stated weight percents being based on the total weight of components (a), (b) and (c) only, and further provided that component (a) comprises less than 25 volume percent of the total volume of components (a), (b) and (c).