Bonded composites of a thermoplastic elastomeric blend with a vulcanized epom or epm rubber composition

Abstract

A method of making a novel bonded composite of (i) a thermoplastic elastomeric blend of vulcanized EPDM particles not more than 50 microns in size disposed in a thermoplastic linear crystalline polyolefin continuous phase, with (ii) a vulcanized EPDM or EPM rubber composition containing less than 50% (preferably 5% to less than 40% by volume of rubber, comprises fusing the thermoplastic elastomeric blend and solidifying it in contact with the vulcanized rubber composition in the absence of an adhesive interlayer. Preferably the blend is extruded onto the vulcanized rubber composition. Preferably the linear crystalline polyolefin in the thermoplastic blend has a melt flow index of at least 0.25 when measured according to the test conditions ASTM D 1238-65T and is selected from polypropylene, propylene copolymers, high density polyethylene and high density ethylene copolymers.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.