# US 2014/0155552 A1 · Heat aging resistant ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer composition and process for its production

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- Number: US 2014/0155552 A1
- Document ID: US20140155552A1
- Status: Published application
- Kind: A1
- Application number: 14/085,019
- Filed: 2013-11-20
- Published: 2014-06-05
- Earliest claimed: 2012-12-04
- Assignees: E. I. Du Pont de Nemours and Company
- Applicants: E I Du Pont De Nemours and Company
- Inventors: Steven R. Oriani
- Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US20140155552A1

## CPC

- C08L 31/04: Homopolymers or copolymers of vinyl acetate
- C08L 23/0853: Ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers
- C08L 2205/02: containing two or more polymers of the same C08L -group
- C08L 2312/00: Crosslinking
- Y10T 428/139: Open-ended, self-supporting conduit, cylinder, or tube-type article
- C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06)
- Y10T: TECHNICAL SUBJECTS COVERED BY FORMER US CLASSIFICATION

## Abstract

Heat resistant ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer compositions comprising a blend of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, peroxide curable polyacrylate elastomer, and polyamide are described. When crosslinked with a peroxide curative, the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer compositions exhibit enhanced resistance to heat aging compared to conventional ethylene vinyl acetate elastomer compositions.

## Claims

### Claim 1

A blend composition of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, peroxide curable polyacrylate elastomer, and polyamide, said blend composition consisting essentially of
(A) from about 10 wt % to about 98 wt % of an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer component said ethylene copolymer component comprising one or more ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers of at least 40% by weight copolymerized vinyl acetate monomer units; and
(B) from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of a one or more of peroxide curable polyacrylate elastomer component comprising copolymerized units of alkyl acrylate, and at least 0.03 mol % of an amine or acid reactive monomer selected from the group consisting of unsaturated carboxylic acids, anhydrides of unsaturated carboxylic acids, and unsaturated epoxides; and
(C) from about 1 wt % to about 60 wt % of a polyamide component comprising one or more polyamides having a melting peak temperature of at least 160° C.,
wherein said blend composition has a Mooney viscosity (ML 1+4, 100° C.) determined according to ASTM D1646 of 5 to 200; and wherein each of the weight percentages of the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyacrylate elastomer, and polyamide components are based on the combined weight of the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, polyacrylate elastomers, and polyamides in the blend composition.

### Claim 2

A curable composition comprising
(A) a blend composition of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, peroxide curable polyacrylate elastomer, and polyamide comprising:
(i) from about 10 wt % to about 98 wt % of an ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer component comprising one or more ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers wherein each of the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer comprises at least 40% by weight copolymerized vinyl acetate monomer units; and
(ii) from about 1 wt % to about 50 wt % of one or more of a peroxide curable polyacrylate elastomer component comprising copolymerized units of alkyl acrylate, and at least 0.03 mol % of an amine or acid reactive monomer selected from the group consisting of unsaturated carboxylic acids, anhydrides of unsaturated carboxylic acids, and unsaturated epoxides; and
(iii) about 1 wt % to about 60 wt % of a polyamide component comprising one or more polyamides having a melting peak temperature of at least 160° C.,
wherein the blend composition (A) has a Mooney viscosity (ML 1+4, 100° C.) determined according to ASTM D1646 of 5 to 200 and the weight percentages of each of the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, polyacrylate elastomer, and polyamide components are based on the combined weight of the components of the blend composition and;
(B) a curative.

### Claim 3 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyamide is nylon 6 or nylon 6/6.

### Claim 4 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyamide has an inherent viscosity greater than 0.9 dL/g.

### Claim 5 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyamide is present in the form of particles having an aspect ratio of less than 10 to 1.

### Claim 6 (depends on 2)

The composition of claim 2 wherein the curative is a peroxide curative.

### Claim 7 (depends on 1)

The composition of claim 1 wherein the polyacrylate elastomer comprises at least 50 mol % ethylene.

### Claim 8 (depends on 2)

The curable composition of claim 2, said composition comprising from about 50 wt % to about 90 wt % of the ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer component, 5 wt % to 20 wt % of the polyacrylate elastomer component, and 5 wt % to 30 wt % of the polyamide component.

### Claim 9 (depends on 2)

The curable composition of claim 2, wherein said composition exhibits an increase in torque MH-ML of at least 2.5 dN-m as measured per ASTM D5289-07a operating at 0.5° arc, and test conditions of 177° C. for 24 minutes.

### Claim 10 (depends on 2)

A process for production of the composition of claim 2, said process comprising the steps
(A) providing (i); (ii); and (iii);
(B) mixing (i), (ii), and (iii) together at a temperature above the melting peak temperatures of the one or more polyamides to disperse the one or more polyamides within the blend of one or more ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers and polyacrylate elastomers, such that one or more ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer comprise 10 wt % to 98 wt %, the one or more peroxide curable polyacylate elastomers comprise 1 wt % to 50 wt %, and the one or more polyamides comprise 1 wt % to 60 wt % of the blend based on the total weight of ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, polyacrylate elastomers, and polyamides present, to produce a mixture and;
(C) cooling the mixture to a temperature below the crystallization peak temperatures of the one or more polyamides, thereby forming a blend composition having a Mooney viscosity (ML 1+4, 100° C.) of 5 to 200, as determined according to ASTM D1646, and;
(D) mixing a peroxide curative into the blend composition at a temperature below the melting peak temperature of the one or more polyamides, to produce said curable composition.

### Claim 11 (depends on 6)

A process for preparing the composition of claim 6, said process comprising the steps:
(A) providing: (i) one or more curable polyacrylate elastomers comprising copolymerized units of alkyl acrylate, and at least 0.03 mol % of an amine or acid reactive monomer selected from the group consisting of unsaturated carboxylic acids, anhydrides of unsaturated carboxylic acids, and unsaturated epoxides; and (ii) one or more polyamides having a melting peak temperature of at least 160° C.; and
(B) mixing the one or more curable polyacrylate elastomers and one or more polyamides at temperature above the melting peak temperatures of the one or more polyamides to disperse the one or more polyamides within the one or more polyacrylate elastomers; to provide a mixture and
(C) cooling the mixture of part B to a temperature below the peak crystallization temperatures of the one or more polyamides to produce an intermediate blend composition having a Mooney viscosity (ML 1+4, 100° C.) less than 200 as determined according to ASTM D1646; and
(D) providing one or more ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers comprising at least 40% by weight vinyl acetate monomer; and
(E) mixing the intermediate blend composition of step (C) with the one or more ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers of step (D) to provide a blend composition comprising 10 wt % to 98 wt % ethylene vinyl acetate copolymer, 1 wt % to 50 wt % curable polyacrylate elastomer, and 1 wt % to 60 wt % polyamide, each being based on the combined weight of the ethylene vinyl acetate copolymers, polyacrylate elastomers, and polyamides in the blend composition, and;
(F) mixing a peroxide curative into the blend composition at a temperature below the melting peak temperature of the one or more polyamides.

### Claim 12 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, wherein said blend composition comprises 50 wt % to 90 wt % of the ethyl vinyl acetate copolymer component; 5 wt % to 20 wt % of the polyacrylate elastomer component; and 5 wt % to 30 wt % of the polyamide component

### Claim 13 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10 wherein the polyamide is nylon 6 or nylon 6/6.

### Claim 14 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10 wherein the polyamide has a melting peak temperature greater than 200° C. and less than 270° C.

### Claim 15 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, said process further comprising, adding one or more antioxidant in an amount of from 0.5 to 5 phr.

### Claim 16 (depends on 10)

The process of claim 10, wherein the curable composition has a cure response MH-ML of at least 2.5 dN-m as determined according to ASTM D5289-07a, operating at 0.5° arc and test conditions of 177° C. for 24 minutes.

### Claim 17

The process of claim, wherein said peroxide curative is added at a temperature below 160° C.

### Claim 18 (depends on 10)

The process of making a heat resistant article, said process comprising the steps of claim 10, and further comprising curing said composition to produce an article.

### Claim 19 (depends on 18)

The process of claim 18 wherein said formed article is selected from the group consisting of wire jacketing, cable jacketing, molded or extruded tubing or hose, or molded boots, belts, grommets, seals and gaskets.

### Claim 20 (depends on 18)

An article formed by the process of claim 18.