Thermoplastic compositions containing ground vulcanized rubber and polyolefin resin

A process for manufacturing thermoplastic compositions which comprises mixing a blend of about 10-90 parts by weight of ground vulcanized rubber in the form of small dispersed particles essentially of 1.5 mm number average or below, wherein said rubber is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, synthetic polymer or copolymer rubber derived from alkadienes, or mixtures thereof, and correspondingly, about 90 to 10 parts by weight of polyolefin resin and at least 0.5 parts by weight of one or more functionalized olefin polymers per 100 parts by weight of polyolefin resin at a temperature high enough to soften or melt the polymers, and for sufficient time to obtain a homogeneous mixture wherein said functionalized olefin polymer is a copolymer of at least one olefin and at least one ethylenically unsaturated organic monomer;

• wherein said organic monomer is selected from the group consisting of unsaturated mono or dicarboxylic acids having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms;
• acid anhydride, maleamic acid, acid halide, ester and metal salt derivatives of said unsaturated mono or dicarboxylic acids;
• vinyl esters of saturated carboxylic acids wherein the acid constituent of said saturated carboxylic acid has from 2 to 18 carbon atoms;
• vinyl alkyl ethers wherein said alkyl constituent has from 1 to 18 carbon atoms;
• vinyl halides;
• vinylidene halides;
• acrylonitrile;
• methacrylonitrile;
• and styrene.

A thermoplastic composition comprising a blend of about 10-90 parts by weight of ground vulcanized rubber in the form of small dispersed particles essentially of 1.5 mm number average or below, wherein said rubber is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, synthetic polymer or copolymer rubber derived from alkadienes, or mixtures thereof, and correspondingly, about 90 to 10 parts by weight of a functionalized olefin wherein said functionalized olefin polymer is a copolymer of at least one olefin and at least one ethylenically unsaturated organic monomer;

• wherein said organic monomer is selected from the group consisting of unsaturated mono or dicarboxylic acids having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms;
• acid anhydrides, maleamic acid, acid halide, ester and metal salt derivatives of said unsaturated mono dicarboxylic acids;
• vinyl esters of saturated carboxylic acids wherein the acid constituent of said saturated carboxylic acids wherein the acid constituent of said saturated carboxylic acid has from 2 to 19 carbon atoms;
• vinyl alkyl esters wherein said alkyl constituent has from 1 to 18 carbon atoms;
• vinyl halides;
• vinylidene halides;
• acrylonitrile;
• methacrylonitrile;
• and styrene.

A process for manufacturing thermoplastic compositions which comprises mixing a blend of about 10-90 parts by weight of ground vulcanized rubber in the form of small dispersed particles essentially of 1.5 mm number average or below, wherein said rubber is selected from the group consisting of natural rubber, synthetic polymer or copolymer rubber derived from alkadienes, or mixtures thereof, and correspondingly, about 90 to 10 parts by weight of one or more functionalized olefin polymers at a temperature high enough to soften or melt the polymers, and for sufficient time to obtain a homogenous mixture wherein said functionalized olefin polymer is a copolymer of at least one olefin and at least one ethylenically unsaturated organic monomer;

• wherein said organic monomer is selected from the group consisting of unsaturated mono or dicarboxylic acids having from 3 to 20 carbon atoms;
• acid anhydride, maleamic acid, acid halide, ester and metal salt derivatives of said unsaturated mono or dicarboxylic acids;
• vinyl esters of unsaturated carboxylic acids wherein the acid constituent of said saturated carboxylic acids has from 2 to 18 carbon atoms;
• vinyl alkyl ethers wherein said alkyl constituent has from 1 to 18 carbon atoms;
• vinyl halides;
• vinylidene halides;
• acrylonitrile;
• methacrylonitrile and styrene.