Method of elasticizing plastic carboxylcontaining synthetic rubbery polymeric materials and elastic products produced thereby

Claim 1

THE PROCESS WHICH COMPRISES PREPARING A MIXTURE OF (A) A CARBOXYL-CONTAINING POLYMER SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF (1) INTERPOLYMERS OF (A) A BUTADIENE1,3 HYDROCARBON WITH (B) AT LEAST ONE OLEFINICALLY UNSATURATED CARBOXYLIC ACID SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF ACRYLIC AND METHACRYLIC ACIDS, SAID INTERPOLYMERS CONTAINING AT LEAST 50% BY WEIGHT OF POLYMERIZED (A) AND AN AMOUNT OF (B) SUCH THAT SAID INTERPOLYMERS POSSESS 0.001 TO 0.30 CHEMICAL EQUIVALENTS BY WEIGHT OF CARBOXYL (-COOH) GROUPS IN THE INTERPOLYMER STRUCTURE FOR EACH 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF INTERPOLYMER AND (2) INTERPOLYMERS OF ETHYL ACRYLATE WITH (B) AS SET FORTH ABOVE, THE AMOUNT OF (B) BEING SUCH THAT SAID INTERPOLYMERS POSSESS 0.001 TO 0.30 CHEMICAL EQUIVALENTS BY WEIGHT OF CARBOXYL (-COOH) GROUPS IN THE INTERPOLYMER STRUCTURE FOR EACH 100 PARTS BY WEIGHT OF INTERPOLYMER; WITH (B) AN AMINE SALT SELECTED FROM THE CLASS CONSISTING OF CARBONATES, BORATES, ACETATES AND STEARATES OF ALKYLENE POLYAMINES OF THE STRUCTURES H2N-R-NH2 WHEREIN R REPRESENTS AN ALKYLENE GROUP OF 2 TO 6 CARBON ATOMS, THE AMOUNT OF (B), EXPRESSED IN CHEMICAL EQUIVALENTS BY WEIGHT, BEING 1/10 TO 2 TIMES THE CHEMICAL EQUIVALENTS BY WEIGHT OF CARBOXYL GROUPS IN (A), AND THEN HEATING THE MIXTURE OF (A) AND (B) AT A TEMPERATURE OF ABOUT 100*F. TO 450*F., THEREBY TO CURE THE SAID CARBOXYL-CONTAINING POLYMER WITH SAID AMINE SALT THROUGH REACTION AT THE CARBOXYL GROUPS OF SAID CARBOXYL-CONTAINING POLYMER.