Molding resins based on blends of acid copolymer/linear polyolefin/reinforcing fiber

Claim 1

A composition consisting essentially of (a) from about 40 to about 75 percent by weight of acid copolymer selected from the group consisting of direct copolymers and graft copolymers wherein, (A) said direct copolymer is the copolymer of α-olefin having the formula R--CH═CH 2 , where R is a radical selected from the class consisting of hydrogen and alkyl radicals having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms and α,β-ethylenically unsaturated carboxylic acid having from 3 to 8 carbon atoms, the acid moieties being randomly or nonrandomly distributed in the polymer chain, (1) the α-olefin content of the copolymer being at least 50 mole percent, based on the α-olefin-acid copolymer, (2) the unsaturated carboxylic acid content of the copolymer being from about 0.2 to about 25 mole percent, based on the α-olefin-acid copolymer, and (3) any other monomer component optionally copolymerized in said copolymer being monoethylenically unsaturated, and (B) said graft copolymer being obtained by grafting 0.1 to 5 percent by weight of α,β-unsaturated carboxylic acid having 3 to 8 carbon atoms or an unsaturated carboxylic acid anhydride onto a preformed polyolefin backbone derived from ethylene or ethylene and C 3 to C 8 α-olefin, in which polyolefin backbone any other optionally copolymerized monomer component is monethylenically unsaturated, said direct or graft acid copolymers having from 0 to about 90 percent of the carboxylic acid groups ionized by neutralization with metal ions, said ionic copolymers having solid state properties characteristic of crosslinked polymers and melt-fabricability properties characteristic of uncrosslinked thermoplastic polymers, (b) from about 5 to about 60 percent by weight of linear polymer of α-olefin having the formula R--CH═CH 2 , where R is a radical selected from the class consisting of hydrogen and alkyl radicals having from 1 to 8 carbon atoms, (c) from about 2 to about 50 percent by weight of at least one reinforcing fiber selected from the group consisting of glass fiber, natural mineral fiber, man made mineral fiber and high modulus organic fiber.