Automotive fascia

Claim 2

A rear or front automotive fascia for a motor vehicle formed from a polymeric composition which comprises: (a) a neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer having about 10 to about 60 meq. of neutralized sulfonate groups per 100 grams of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer; (b) about 10 to about 300 parts by weight of a crystalline polyolefinic resin having an Mn of about at least 2000 per 100 parts by weight of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer; and (c) about 10 to about 50 parts by weight of a preferential plasticizer per 100 parts by weight of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer, wherein said preferential plasticizer has a melting point of at least 25° C. and is selected from the group consisting of amides having about 10 to 22 carbon atoms, ureas and thioureas, carboxylic acids having at least 8 carbon atoms and metallic salts of said carboxylic acids and mixtures thereof.

Claim 3

A fascia according to claim 1 wherein said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer is formed from an elastomeric polymer selected from the group consisting of Butyl rubber and an EPDM terpolymer.

Claim 4

A fascia according to claim 1 wherein said neutralized sulfonate groups are neutralized with a counterion being selected from the group consisting of ammonium, antimony, iron, aluminum, lead and metal ions of Groups IA, IIA, IB, and IIB of the Periodic Table of Elements and mixtures thereof.

Claim 5

A fascia according to claim 2 wherein said EPDM terpolymer consists of about 40 to about 80 wt. % of ethylene, of about 10 to about 54 wt. % of propylene, and of about 1 to about 10 wt. % of a nonconjugated diene.

Claim 6

A fascia according to claim 4 wherein said nonconjugated diene is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-hexadiene, dicyclopentadiene, 5-alkylidene-2-norbornene, 5-alkenyl-2-norbornenes and tetrahydroindene.

Claim 7

A fascia according to claim 5 wherein said nonconjugated diene is 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene.

Claim 8

A fascia according to claim 1 wherein said preferential plasticizer is a combination of a carboxylic acid and a metallic salt of said carboxylic acid, a metal ion of said metallic salt being selected from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, iron, lead and metal ions of Groups IA, IIA, IB and IIB of the Periodic Table of Elements and mixtures thereof.

Claim 9

A fascia according to claim 7 wherein said metallic salt is selected from the group consisting of zinc stearate, zinc acetate and calcium stearate.

Claim 10

A fascia according to claim 1 further including a filler selected from the group consisting of fibers, clay, talc, silica, carbon black and calcium carbonate and mixtures thereof.

Claim 11

A fascia according to claim 1 further including a nonpolar process oil selected from the group consisting of paraffinic oils, naphthenic oils and aromatic oils and mixtures thereof, said nonpolar process oil less than about 2 wt. % polar constituents.

Claim 12

A fascia according to claim 1 wherein said polyolefinic thermoplastic is polypropylene and said plasticizer is zinc stearate.

Claim 13

A fascia according to claim 9 further including a nonpolar process oil selected from the group consisting of paraffinic oils, naphthenic oils and aromatic oils and mixtures thereof, said nonpolar oil having less than about 2 wt. % polar constituents.

Claim 14

A formed elastomeric article comprising: (a) an inner core which comprises: (i) a neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer being plasticized with a preferential plasticizer, wherein said preferential plasticizer has a melting point of at least 25° C. and is selected from the group consisting of amides having about 10 to 22 carbon atoms, ureas and thioureas, carboxylic acids having at least 8 carbon atoms and metallic salts of said carboxylic acids and mixtures thereof, wherein the concentration of said preferential plasticizer is about 1 to about 60 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer, said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer having about 10 to about 60 meq of neutralized sulfonate groups per 100 grams of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer; (ii) about 10 to about 300 parts by weight of a crystalline polyolefinic thermoplastic resin having an Mn of about at least 2000, per 100 parts by weight of the combined weight of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer and said preferential plasticizer in said inner core; (b) an outer shell comprising: (i) said polyolefinic thermoplastic; (ii) about 0.5 to about 25 parts by weight of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer being plasticized with said preferential plasticizer per 100 parts by weight of said polyolefinic thermoplastic resin in said outer core.

Claim 15

A formed elastomeric article comprising: (a) an inner core which comprises: (i) a neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer being plasticized with a preferential plasticizer, wherein said preferential plasticizer has a melting point of at least 25° C. and is selected from the group consisting of amides having about 10 to 22 carbon atoms, ureas and thioureas, carboxylic acids having at least 8 carbon atoms and metallic salts of said carboxylic acids and mixtures thereof, wherein the concentration of said preferential plasticizer is about 1 to about 60 parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer, said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer having about 10 to about 60 meq of neutralized sulfonate groups per 100 grams of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer; (ii) about 10 to about 300 parts by weight of a crystalline polyolefinic thermoplastic resin having an Mn of about at least 2000, per 100 parts by weight of the combined weight of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer and said preferential plasticizer in said inner core; (b) an outer shell comprising: (i) said polyolefinic thermoplastic; (ii) about 0.5 to about 25 parts by weight of said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer being plasticized with said preferential plasticizer per 100 parts by weight of said polyolefinic thermoplastic resin in said outer core.

Claim 16

An article according to claim 13 wherein said neutralized sulfonated elastomeric polymer is formed from an elastomeric polymer selected from the group consisting of Butyl rubber and an EPDM terpolymer.

Claim 17

An article according to claim 13 wherein said neutralized sulfonate groups are neutralized with a counterion being selected from the group consisting of ammonium, antimony, iron, aluminum, lead and metal ions of Groups IA, IIA, IB and IIB of the Periodic Table of Elements and mixtures thereof.

Claim 18

An article according to claim 14 wherein said EPDM terpolymer consists of about 40 to about 80 wt. % of ethylene, of about 10 to about 53 wt. % of propylene and of about 2 to about 10 wt. % of a nonconjugated diene.

Claim 19

An article according to claim 16 wherein said nonconjugated diene is selected from the group consisting of 1,4-hexadiene, dicyclopentadiene, 5-alkylidene-2-norbornene, 5-alkenyl-2-norbornenes and tetrahydroindene.

Claim 20

An article according to claim 17 wherein said nonconjugated diene is 5-ethylidene-2-norbornene.

Claim 21

An article according to claim 13 wherein said preferential plasticizer is a combination of a carboxylic acid and a metallic salt of said carboxylic acid, a metal ion of said metallic salt being selected from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, iron, lead and metal ions of Groups IA, IIA, IB and IIB of the Periodic Table of Elements and mixtures thereof.

Claim 22

An article according to claim 19 wherein said metallic salt is selected from the group consisting of zinc stearate, zinc acetate and calcium stearate.

Claim 23

An article according to claim 13 further including a filler selected from the group consisting of fibers, clay, talc, silica, carbon black and calcium carbonate and mixtures thereof.

Claim 24

An article according to claim 13 further including a nonpolar process oil selected from the group consisting of paraffinic oils, naphthenic oils and aromatic oils and mixtures thereof, said nonpolar process oil having less than about 2 wt. % polar constituents.

Claim 25

An article according to claim 13 wherein said polyolefinic thermoplastic is polypropylene and said plasticizer is zinc stearate.

Claim 26

An article according to claim 21 further including a nonpolar process oil selected from the group consisting of paraffinic oils, naphthenic oils and aromatic oils and mixtures thereof, said nonpolar process oil having less than about 2 wt. % polar constituents.

Claim 27

An article according to claim 13 wherein said article is an automotive fascia.