Composition and method of improving the green strength of unvulcanized [elastomer] reclaimed rubber elastomer blends

Claim 1

A prevulcanization process for producing elastomer blends having improved green strength, comprising, mixing a semi-crystalline butene polymer having a number average molecular weight of from about 30,000 to about 500,000 with an elastomer and reclaimed rubber to produce the blend, said butene polymer selected from the class consisting of polybutene and interpolymers made from 1-butene monomer and at least one monomer selected from the class consisting of alpha-olefins having 2 through 16 carbon atoms; non-conjugated dienes having the general formula: ##STR8## where R 1 , R 2 , and R 3 is a hydrogen, a lower alkyl group containing from one to four carbon atoms, or an aryl group; where R 4 is an aryl group or a lower alkyl group containing from one to nine carbon atoms, and n is an integer having a value of from 1 to 6, and wherein the said R 1 's in the ##STR9## group may be similar to dissimilar; and non-conjugated alpha, omega-polyenes having from 6 to 36 carbon atoms which may or may not contain internal unsaturation, wherein butene in said interpolymers comprises from 99.9 to 65 mole percent of the total monomers, said elastomer selected from the group consisting of natural cis-1,4-polyisoprene and elastomers made from monomers selected from the group consisting of conjugated dienes having from 4 to 10 carbon atoms, interpolymers of said dienes among themselves or with monomers selected from the group consisting of vinyl substituted aromatic hydrocarbon compounds having from 8 to 12 carbon atoms, and polyalkenylenes, the amount of said butene polymer ranging from about 2 parts to about 25 parts per 100 parts of said elastomer and said reclaimed rubber, the amount of said elastomer based upon said elastomer and said reclaimed rubber being greater than 5 percent by weight.