Severely Hydrotreated Naphthenic Distillate Containing Rubber Compositions

Abstract

A composition includes at least one natural or synthetic rubber material, a severely hydrotreated naphthenic distillate incorporated in amount equal to or less than 30% by weight of the composition, and a sulfur curative. After curing, the composition provides acceptable cold flexibility at a temperature lower than −60 deg C., at a temperature as low as −68 deg C., or even at a temperature as low as −73 deg C. In some aspects, the at least one natural or synthetic rubber material is a synthetic rubber such as, but not limited to, an ethylenepropylene-diene copolymer rubber. In some cases, where used, the ethylenepropylene-diene copolymer rubber is selected from the group consisting of ethylene-propylene-cyclopentadiene terpolymer, ethylene-propylene ethylidene norbornene terpolymer, ethylene-propylene-I, and mixtures thereof.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.