Preparation of vulcanizable compositions by extruder mixing

Claim 2

A process for the production of a vulcanizable mixture of a crystalline polymer and a cross-linking agent comprising (a) feeding (i) a first composition consisting essentially of a crystalline polymer; and (ii) a second composition comprising an admixture of an amorphous elastomeric polymer and a cross-linking agent, said compositions being mutually miscible, into a pumping screw extruder, said first composition (i) and second composition (ii) both comprising free-flowing particles of less than 1 inch in size and of Mooney viscosities at 121° C. in the range of 3 to 75 Mooney points after 4 minutes; and (b) extruding said first and second compositions in admixture in said pumping screw extruder, such that when the admixture is tested in a Brabender mixing bowl apparatus conditioned to 100° C. and operated with the mixing blades rotating at 40 rpm, the recorded energy required to perform the mixing is in the range of 700 to 3500 meter-grams.

Claim 3

The process of claim 1 including subsequently (c) shaping the extrudate from the extruder.

Claim 4

The process of claim 2, including subsequently (d) energizing said shaped extrudate to effect vulcanization.

Claim 5

The process of claim 1, wherein said crystalline polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer containing 50% by weight or more ethylene and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having 50% by weight or more ethylene.

Claim 6

The process of claim 1, wherein said first composition (i) and said second composition (ii) particles are about 1/16 to 3/8 of an inch in size.

Claim 7

The process of claim 1, wherein said second composition (ii) further includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of antitoxidants, processing aids, fillers, plasticizers, and stabilizers.

Claim 8

The process of claim 1, wherein said crystalline polymer is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethyene-vinylacetate copolyer, ethylene-propylene copolymer having 50 weight % or above ethylene, and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having more than 50 weight % ethylene and said amorphous elastomeric is selected from the group consisting of chlorinated polyethylene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having less than 50 weight % ethylene and ethylene-propylene copolymer having about 30 weight % or less ethylene.

Claim 9

The process of claim 1, wherein said extruding step (b) is conducted at a temperature of about 80° to 140° C.

Claim 10

The process of claim 8, wherein said temperature is from about 82° to 112° C.

Claim 11

A process for the production of a crystalline vulcanizable mixture of a polymer and a cross-linking agent comprising (a) feeding (i) a first composition consisting essentially of a crystalline polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer containing 50% by weight or more ethylene and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having 50% by weight or more ethylene; and (ii) a second composition comprising an admixture of a crystalline polymer, an amorphous elastomeric polymer and a cross-linking agent, wherein the crystalline polymer of said second composition is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer having 50 weight % or above ethylene and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having 50 weight percent or above ethylene and said amorphous elastomeric polymer is selected from the group consisting of chlorinated polyethylene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having less than 50 weight % ethylene and ethylene-propylene copolymer having about 30 weight % or less ethylene, said compositions being mutually miscible, into a pumping screw extruder, said first composition (i) and second composition (ii) both comprising free-flowing particles of less than 1 inch in size and of Mooney viscosities at 121° C. in the range of 3 to 75 Mooney points after 4 minutes; and (b) extruding said first and second compositions in admixture in said pumping screw extruder, such that when the admixture is tested in a Brabender mixing bowl apparatus conditioned to 100° C. and operated with the mixing blades rotating at 40 rpm, the recorded energy required to perform the mixing is in the range of 700 to 3500 meter-grams.

Claim 12

A process for the production of a crystalline vulcanizable mixture of a polymer and a cross-linking agent comprising (a) feeding (i) a first composition consisting essentially of a crystalline polymer selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer containing 50% by weight or more ethylene and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having 50% by weight or more ethylene; and (ii) a second composition comprising an admixture of a crystalline polymer, an amorphous elastomeric polymer and a cross-linking agent, wherein the crystalline polymer of said second composition is selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer having 50 weight % or above ethylene and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having 50 weight percent or above ethylene and said amorphous elastomeric polymer is selected from the group consisting of chlorinated polyethylene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having less than 50 weight % ethylene and ethylene-propylene copolymer having about 30 weight % or less ethylene, said compositions being mutually miscible, into a pumping screw extruder, said first composition (i) and second composition (ii) both comprising free-flowing particles of less than 1 inch in size and of Mooney viscosities at 121° C. in the range of 3 to 75 Mooney points after 4 minutes; and (b) extruding said first and second compositions in admixture in said pumping screw extruder, such that when the admixture is tested in a Brabender mixing bowl apparatus conditioned to 100° C. and operated with the mixing blades rotating at 40 rpm, the recorded energy required to perform the mixing is in the range of 700 to 3500 meter-grams.

Claim 13

The process of claim 10, including subsequently (c) shaping the extrudate from the extruder.

Claim 14

A process for the product of a vulcanizable mixture of a polymer and a cross-linking agent comprising (a) feeding (i) a first composition comprising an amorphous elastomeric polymer and a crystalline polymer in admixture; and (ii) a second composition comprising a crystalline polymer and a cross-linking agent in admixture, said compositions being mutually miscible, into a pumping screw extruder, said first composition (i) and second composition (ii) both comprising free-flowing particles of less than 1 inch in size and of Mooney viscosities at 121° C. in the range of 3 to 75 Mooney points after 4 minutes; and (b) extruding said first and second compositions in admixture in said pumping screw extruder, such that when the admixture is tested in a Brabender mixing bowl apparatus conditioned to 100° C. and operated with the mixing blades rotating at 40 rpm, the recorded energy required to perform the mixing is in the range of 700 to 3500 meter-grams.

Claim 15

A process for the product of a vulcanizable mixture of a polymer and a cross-linking agent comprising (a) feeding (i) a first composition comprising an amorphous elastomeric polymer and a crystalline polymer in admixture; and (ii) a second composition comprising a crystalline polymer and a cross-linking agent in admixture, said compositions being mutually miscible, into a pumping screw extruder, said first composition (i) and second composition (ii) both comprising free-flowing particles of less than 1 inch in size and of Mooney viscosities at 121° C. in the range of 3 to 75 Mooney points after 4 minutes; and (b) extruding said first and second compositions in admixture in said pumping screw extruder, such that when the admixture is tested in a Brabender mixing bowl apparatus conditioned to 100° C. and operated with the mixing blades rotating at 40 rpm, the recorded energy required to perform the mixing is in the range of 700 to 3500 meter-grams.

Claim 16

The process of claim 12, wherein said amorphous elastomeric polymer in said first composition (i) is an amorphous elastomeric polymer selected from the group consisting of polychloroprene, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer and polyvinyl chloride blend, styrene-butadiene copolymer, chlorinated polyethylene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having less than 50 weight % ethylene, and ethylene-propylene copolymer having about 30 weight % or less ethylene.

Claim 17

The process of claim 12 including subsequently (c) shaping the extrudate from the extruder.

Claim 18

The process of claim 14, including subsequently (d) energizing said shaped extrudate to effect vulcanization.

Claim 19

The process of claim 12, wherein said first composition (i) further includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, processing aids, fillers, plasticizers, and stabilizers.

Claim 20

The process of claim 12, wherein said first composition (i) and said second composition (ii) particles are about 1/16 to 3/8 of an inch in size.

Claim 21

The process of claim 12, wherein said extruding step (b) is conducted at a temperature of about 80° to 140° C.

Claim 22

The process of claim 18, wherein said temperature is from about 82° to 112° C.

Claim 23

The process of claim 12, wherein second composition (ii) further comprises an amorphous elastomeric polymer selected from the group consisting of ethylene-propylene copolymer having about 30 weight % or less ethylene, chlorinated polyethylene and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having less than 50 weight % ethylene.

Claim 24

A process for the production of a vulcanizable mixture of a polymer and a cross-linking agent comprising (a) feeding (i) a first composition comprising an amorphous elastomeric polymer and a crystalline polymer in admixture, said amorphous elastomeric polymer being selected from the group consisting of polychloroprene, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, acrylonitrilebutadiene copolymer and polyvinyl chloride blend, styrene-butadiene copolymer, chlorinated polyethylene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having less than 50 weight % ethylene and ethylene-propylene copolymer having about 30 weight % or less ethylene and said crystalline polymer being selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer containing 50% by weight or more ethylene and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having 50% by weight or more ethylene; and (ii) a second composition comprising a crystalline polymer and a cross-linking agent in admixture, said crystalline polymer being selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer containing 50% by weight or more ethylene, and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having 50% by weight or more ethylene, said compositions being mutually miscible, into a pumping screw extruder, said first composition (i) and second composition (ii) both comprising free-flowing particles of less than 1 inch in size and of Mooney viscosities at 121 degrees C. in the range of 3 to 75 Mooney points after 4 minutes; and (b) extruding said first and second compositions in admixture in said pumping screw extruder, such that when the admixture is tested in a Brabender mixing bowl apparatus conditioned to 100 degrees C. and operated with the mixing blades rotating at 40 rpm, the recorded energy required to perform the mixing is in the range of 700 to 3500 meter-grams.

Claim 25

A process for the production of a vulcanizable mixture of a polymer and a cross-linking agent comprising (a) feeding (i) a first composition comprising an amorphous elastomeric polymer and a crystalline polymer in admixture, said amorphous elastomeric polymer being selected from the group consisting of polychloroprene, chlorosulfonated polyethylene, acrylonitrile-butadiene copolymer, acrylonitrilebutadiene copolymer and polyvinyl chloride blend, styrene-butadiene copolymer, chlorinated polyethylene, ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having less than 50 weight % ethylene and ethylene-propylene copolymer having about 30 weight % or less ethylene and said crystalline polymer being selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer containing 50% by weight or more ethylene and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having 50% by weight or more ethylene; and (ii) a second composition comprising a crystalline polymer and a cross-linking agent in admixture, said crystalline polymer being selected from the group consisting of polyethylene, ethylene-vinylacetate copolymer, ethylene-propylene copolymer containing 50% by weight or more ethylene, and ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having 50% by weight or more ethylene, said compositions being mutually miscible, into a pumping screw extruder, said first composition (i) and second composition (ii) both comprising free-flowing particles of less than 1 inch in size and of Mooney viscosities at 121 degrees C. in the range of 3 to 75 Mooney points after 4 minutes; and (b) extruding said first and second compositions in admixture in said pumping screw extruder, such that when the admixture is tested in a Brabender mixing bowl apparatus conditioned to 100 degrees C. and operated with the mixing blades rotating at 40 rpm, the recorded energy required to perform the mixing is in the range of 700 to 3500 meter-grams.

Claim 26

The process of claim 21, including subsequently (c) shaping the extrudate from the extruder.

Claim 27

The process of claim 21, wherein said second composition (ii) further comprises an amorphous elastomeric polymer selected from the group consisting of a ethylene-propylene copolymer having about 30 weight % or less ethylene, chlorinated polyethylene and a ethylene-propylene-diene terpolymer having less than 50 weight % ethylene.

Claim 28

The process of claim 23, wherein said amorphous elastomeric polymer is chlorinated polyethylene.

Claim 29

The process of claim 11 including subsequently (d) energizing said shaped extrudate to effect vulcanization.

Claim 30

The process of claim 10, wherein said first composition (i) and said second composition (ii) particles are 1/16 to 3/8 of an inch in size.

Claim 31

The process of claim 10, wherein said second composition (ii) further includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, processing aids, fillers, plasticizers and stabilizers.

Claim 32

The process of claim 10, wherein said extruding step (b) is conducted at a temperature of about 80 to 140 degrees C.

Claim 33

The process of claim 28, wherein said temperature is from about 82 to 112 degrees C.

Claim 34

The process of claim 22 including subsequently (d) energizing said shaped extrudate to effect vulcanization.

Claim 35

The process of claim 21, wherein said first composition (i) and said second composition (ii) particles are about 1/16 to 3/8 of an inch in size.

Claim 36

The process of claim 21, wherein said first composition (i) further includes one or more materials selected from the group consisting of antioxidants, processing aids, fillers, plasticizers, and stabilizers.

Claim 37

The process of claim 21, wherein said extruding step (b) is conducted at a temperature of about 80 to 140 degrees C.

Claim 38

The process of claim 33, wherein said temperature is from about 82 to 112 degrees C.