Blend compounds of sulfonated polymers and compositions thereof

Claim 1

A blend composition which comprises a blend of: (a) a sulfonated polymer derived from elastomeric or thermoplastic polymers selected from the group consisting of butyl rubbers, EPDM terpolymers, partially hydrogenated polybutadienes, neoprene, styrene-butadiene copolymers and isoprene-styrene random copolymer, which has about 200 meg. of sulfonate groups per 100 grams of said sulfonated polymer, said sulfonated groups being neutralized with a polycaprolactone polymer having formula: ##STR3## wherein n is 1 to 500; M is 1 to 20; R 1 or R 2 are selected from the group consisting of alkyl and cycloalkyl having about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms and aryl groups; R 3 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl and cycloalkyl groups having about 1 to about 20 carbon atoms, and aryl groups; a R 4 and R 5 are selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, cycloalkyl and aryl groups and wherein the polycaprolactone polymer has a number average molecular weight of about 200 to about 50,000 and a melting point from below 20° C. to 52° C.; and (b) an unsulfonated thermoplastic or elastomeric polymer; and (c) at least about 3 parts to less than about 60 parts by weight of a perferential plasticizer per 100 parts by weight of the sulfonated polymer, wherein said perferential plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of carboxylic acids having at least 8 carbon atoms, metallic salts of said carboxylic acids, urea thioureas, amides, amines, ammonium salts of said carboxylic acids, a combination of a carboxylic acid and a metal salt of said carboxylic acid, wherein a metal ion of said metallic salt is selected from the group consisting of aluminum, antimony, ion, lead and Groups I-A, IIA, I-B and II-B of the Periodic Table of Elements, and mixtures thereof.