Extrudable elastomeric composition having controlled rate of degradation

An elastic sheet which is adapted to degrade after less than 30 days continuous exposure to a thermally oxidative environment, the elastic sheet comprising:

• from about 60 to about 99 percent, by weight, of an elastomeric A-B-A' block copolymer where A and A' are each a thermoplastic polymer endblock and where B is a conjugated diene monomer unit having a low degree of residual ethylenic unsaturation;
• from about 1 to about 40 percent, by weight, of a polyolefin;
• and
• an effective amount of a transition metal compound which is substantially uniformly distributed in a blend of the polyolefin and block copolymer, said transition metal compound selected from salts and complexes of cobalt and manganese.

An elastic sheet which is adapted to degrade after less than about 30 days continuous exposure to a thermally oxidative environment, the elastic sheet consisting essentially of:

• from about 60 to about 99 percent, by weight, of an elastomeric A-B-A' block copolymer where A and A' are each a thermoplastic polymer endblock and where B is a conjugated diene monomer unit that has been hydrogenated to an essentially saturated olefin;
• from about 1 to about 40 percent, by weight, of a polyolefin;
• and
• an amount of a transition metal compound which provides from about 0.01 to about 0.1 percent, by weight of a transition metal which is substantially uniformly distributed in a blend of the polyolefin and block copolymer, said transition metal compound selected from salts and complexes of cobalt and manganese.

A coformed elastic nonwoven web which is adapted to degrade after less about 30 days continuous exposure to a thermally oxidative environment, the coformed elastic nonwoven web comprising:

• at least about 20 percent, by weight, of a fibrous nonwoven web of meltblown fibers, said meltblown fibers comprising:
• from about 60 to about 99 percent, by weight, of an elastomeric A-B-A' block copolymer where A and A' are each a thermoplastic polymer endblock and where B is a conjugated diene monomer unit having a low degree of residual ethylenic unsaturation;
• from about 1 to about 40 percent, by weight, of a polyolefin;
• and
• an amount of a transition metal compound which provides from about 0.01 to about 0.1 percent, by weight of a transition metal which is substantially uniformly distributed in a blend of the polyolefin and block copolymer, said transition metal compound selected from salts and complexes of cobalt and manganese;
• and
• from greater than about 0 percent, by weight, up to about 80 percent, by weight of at least one other degradable material generally uniformly distributed throughout the fibrous nonwoven web.