Thermoplastic elastomer compounds exhibiting retained clarity and improved surface structure

A thermoplastic elastomer compound, comprising:

• (a) polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer,
• (b) a hydroxy functional polydimethylsiloxane comprising dihydroxypolydimethylpolysiloxane, and
• (c) a mold release agent;
• wherein the polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer forms a polymer matrix and the hydroxy functional polydimethylsiloxane is incorporated within the polymer matrix by mixing the hydroxy functional polydimethylsiloxane and the polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer at a temperature sufficient to melt the polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer,
• the hydroxy functionalized polydimethylsiloxane is present in the compound at 0.1 to 0.2 parts per one hundred parts of polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer,
• wherein the mold release agent is present in the compound at 0.05 to 0.2 parts per one hundred parts of polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer;
• polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer includes a first polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer that has a Shore A hardness of 62 and a second polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer that has a Shore A hardness of 96;
• the compound includes 60 PHR to 75 PHR of the first polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer and the compound includes 25 PHR to 40 PHR of the second polymethylmethacrylate-polybutyl acrylate-polymethylmethacrylate triblock copolymer;
• and
• the compound has a haze of less than about 10% when tested using ASTM D1003 and a kinetic coefficient of friction of less than about 0.65 when tested using ASTM D1894.