Process for producing epoxidized organic polymer, thermoplastic resin composition, primer composition, unvulcanized rubber composition, rubber moldings, and process for producing the moldings

Abstract

The first invention provides a process for preparing an epoxidized organic polymer by dispersing or suspending a solid organic polymer in an organic solvent and epoxidizing the dispersed or suspended polymer with a peroxide. The epoxidized polymer thus obtained is usable for coating materials, resin modifiers, rubber modifiers or adhesives, thus being extremely useful. The second invention provides a thermoplastic resin composition having improved mechanical strength, and comprising a thermoplastic resin, an epoxidized EPDM and an acid anhydride. The third invention provides a primer composition comprising 100 parts by weight of an epoxidized EPDM and 50 to 70 parts by weight of a product of chlorination of a polyolefin modified with an unsaturated carboxylic acid or an anhydride thereof. The fourth invention provides an unvulcanized rubber composition comprising an epoxidized EPDM, a diene polymer and a vulcanizing agent, and a process for producing rubber moldings by extruding the unvulcanized rubber composition and vulcanizing the extrudate.

What is claimed is:  
     
         1 . A process for preparing an epoxidized organic polymer, characterized by dispersing or suspending a solid organic polymer in an organic solvent and epoxidizing the dispersed or suspended polymer with a peroxide.  
     
     
         2 . The process for preparing an epoxidized organic polymer according to  claim 1 , characterized in that the peroxide is a percarboxylic acid derived from hydrogen peroxide.  
     
     
         3 . The process for preparing an epoxidized organic polymer according to  claim 1  or  2 , characterized in that the organic polymer is a polymer of a diene monomer, or a block or random copolymer formed of two or more monomers including a diene monomer.  
     
     
         4 . The process for preparing an epoxidized organic polymer according to any one of  claims 1  to  3 , characterized in that the epoxidized organic polymer is recovered in a solid form.  
     
     
         5 . A thermoplastic resin composition comprising a thermoplastic resin, an epoxidized EPDM, and an organic compound having a functional group that reacts with an epoxy group.  
     
     
         6 . The thermoplastic resin composition according to  claim 5 , wherein the thermoplastic resin is polyolefin.  
     
     
         7 . The thermoplastic resin composition according to  claim 6 , wherein the polyolefin is polypropylene.  
     
     
         8 . The thermoplastic resin composition according to  claim 5 , wherein epoxidized EPDM is used in an amount of 10-60 parts by weight with respect to 100 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resin, and an organic compound having a functional group that reacts with an epoxy group is incorporated, into epoxidized EPDM, in an amount of 0.5-2 equivalent weights of the oxygen concentration of oxirane of the epoxidized EPDM.  
     
     
         9 . The thermoplastic resin composition according to any one of  claims 5  to  8 , wherein the organic compound having a functional group that reacts with an epoxy group is an acid anhydride.  
     
     
         10 . A primer composition characterized by comprising 100 parts by weight of an epoxidized EPDM and 50 to 70 parts by weight of a chlorination product of a polyolefin modified with an unsaturated carboxylic acid or an anhydride thereof.  
     
     
         11 . The primer composition according to  claim 10 , wherein the oxygen concentration in oxirane of the epoxidized EPDM is 0.1-2.0% by weight.  
     
     
         12 . The primer composition according to  claim 10  or  11 , wherein the chlorination product of a polyolefin modified with an unsaturated carboxylic acid or an anhydride thereof has a saponification degree of 10-60 (KOHmg/g) and is obtained through chlorination of a polyolefin which has been modified with an unsaturated carboxylic acid or an anhydride thereof so as to have a chlorination degree of 15-35% by weight.  
     
     
         13 . The primer composition according to any one of  claims 10  to  12 , which is suitably applied to polyolefin.  
     
     
         14 . An unvulcanized rubber composition comprising an epoxidized EPDM, a diene polymer, and a vulcanization agent.  
     
     
         15 . The unvulcanized rubber composition according to  claim 14 , characterized in that the ratio by weight of the amount of diene polymer to that of the epoxidized EPDM is 80/20 - 30/70.  
     
     
         16 . The unvulcanized rubber composition according to  claim 14  or  15 , characterized in that the oxygen concentration in oxirane of the epoxidized EPDM is 0.1-2.0% by weight.  
     
     
         17 . The unvulcanized rubber composition according to  claim 14  or  15 , characterized in that the diene polymer is a block copolymer of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon compound and a conjugate diene compound at a proportion of 20/80-70/30.  
     
     
         18 . A rubber molding formed of the unvulcanized rubber composition as described in any one of claims  14  through  17 .  
     
     
         19 . A process for preparing a rubber molding, characterized by extruding the unvulcanized rubber composition as described in any one of claims  14  through  17  and subsequently vulcanizing the extrudate.