Solid heat-flowable dispersed phase in a crosslinked elastomer

Abstract

.Iadd.Heat recoverable articles of manufacture made from organic polymeric compositions are described. The compositions comprise a mixture of a thermoplastic resin material, or other organic, normally solid heat-flowable material, in an elastomeric material. A heat recoverable article obtained from these compositions is elastomeric in both its heat-unstable and heat-stable states. .Iaddend.

I claim: 
     
       1. An article of manufacture composed of an organic polymeric composition comprising a cross-linked elastomeric component having incorporated therewith and substantially uniformly distributed therein an organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent having a softening temperature having above about 140° F., said heat-flowable constituent being present in an amount sufficient to hold said elastomeric component in a stretched, elastically deformed condition, said article being elastomeric and having a Young's modulus determined in accordance with ASTM D-638 in the range of from about 50 to about 3000 p.s.i. at storage temperatures and at the softening temperature of said heat-flowable constituent and being in a dimensionally heat-unstable condition capable of altering its physical form upon application of heat alone to soften said heat-flowable constituent, said article upon application of such heat assuming a dimensionally heat-stable condition, the article in its altered, heat-stable form being elastomeric and having a Young's modulus determined in accordance with ASTM D-638 in the range of from about 50 to about 3000 p.s.i. 
     
     
       2. The article of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric component is a polychloroprene rubber. 
     
     
       3. The article of claim 1 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constitutent is a siloxane resin. 
     
     
       4. The article of claim 1 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is a coumarine-indene resin. 
     
     
       5. The article of claim 1 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is a polyester resin. 
     
     
       6. The article of claim 1 wherein the organic normally solid heat-flowable constituent is an epoxy resin. 
     
     
       7. The article of claim 1 wherein the organic, normally heat-flowable constituent is a chlorinated naphthalene. 
     
     
       8. The article of claim 1 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is a wax. 
     
     
       9. The article of claim 1 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is a polystyrene. 
     
     
       10. The article of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric component is natural rubber. 
     
     
       11. The article of claim 10 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is polyethylene. 
     
     
       12. The article of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric component is a silicone rubber. 
     
     
       13. The article of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric component is a chlorosulfonated polyethylene. 
     
     
       14. The article of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric component is a butadiene styrene copolymer. 
     
     
       15. The article of claim 1 wherein the elastomeric component is a butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer. 
     
     
       16. The article of claim 1 wherein said elastomeric component is cross-linked by means of a chemical cross-linking agent. 
     
     
       17. The article of claim 1 wherein said elastomeric component is cross-linked by means of high energy radiation. 
     
     
       18. The article of claim 2 wherein the non-elastomeric organic constituent is a butadiene-styrene copolymer containing a major amount of styrene. 
     
     
       19. An article of manufacture composed of an organic polymeric composition comprising a cross-linked elastomer having incorporated therewith a thermoplastic resinous material, said article being elastomeric and having a Young's modulus determined in accordance with ASTM D-638 in the range of from about 50 to about 3000 p.s.i. at storage temperatures, said thermoplastic resinous material being present in an amount sufficient to hold said article in a deformed heat-unstable condition, said article being in a dimensionally heat-unstable condition capable of altering its physical form upon application of heat alone to assume a dimensionally heat-stable condition, the article in its altered, heat-stable form being elastomeric and having a Young's modulus determined in accordance with ASTM D-638 in the range of from about 50 to about 3000 p.s.i. 
     
     
       20. The article of claim 19 wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
       21. The article of claim 19 wherein the thermoplastic material is a polyolefin. 
     
     
       22. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is a polychloroprene rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyethylene. 
     
     
       23. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is polychloroprene rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
       24. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is a silicon rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyethylene. 
     
     
       25. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is a silicon rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is a siloxane resin. 
     
     
       26. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is a silicon rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
       27. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is a chlorosulfonated polyethylene. 
     
     
       28. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is a chlorosulfonated polyethylene and the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
       29. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is a butadiene-styrene copolymer and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyethylene. 
     
     
       30. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is a butadiene-styrene copolymer and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. 
     
     
       31. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is a butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer and the thermoplastic material is polyethylene. 
     
     
       32. The article of claim 18 wherein the elastomer is a chlorosulfonated polyethylene and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyethylene. 
     
     
       33. The article of claim 24 wherein the thermoplastic material includes a butadiene-styrene copolymer containing a major amount of styrene. 
     
     
       34. The article of claim 19 wherein the elastomer is a silicone rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is polystyrene. 
     
     
       35. An article comprising a composition by weight of one hundred parts of silicon-rubber and 5-50 parts of polyethylene, said article being formed and cured to obtain original dimensions and said article being stretched at a temperature of 150° C. from said original dimensions to stretched dimensions, said stretched dimensions being stable at room temperature, said article substantially resuming said original dimensions upon being heated. .Iadd. 36. An article of manufacture composed of an organic polymeric composition comprising a cross-linked elastomeric component having incorporated therewith and substantially uniformly distributed therein an organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent having a softening temperature above about 140° F., said heat-flowable constituent being present in an amount sufficient to hold said elastomeric component in a stretched, elastically deformed condition, said article being elastomeric at storage temperatures and at the softening temperature of said heat-flowable constituent and being in a dimensionally heat-unstable condition capable of altering its physical form upon application of heat alone to soften said heat-flowable constituent, said article upon application of such heat assuming a dimensionally heat-stable condition, the article in its altered, heat-stable form being elastomeric. .Iaddend..Iadd. 37. The article of claim 36 wherein the elastomeric component is a polychloroprene rubber. .Iaddend..Iadd. 38. The article of claim 36 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is a siloxane resin. .Iaddend..Iadd. 39. The article of claim 36 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is a coumarine-indene resin. .Iaddend..Iadd. 40. The article of claim 36 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is a polyester resin. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 41. The article of claim 36 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowbale constituent is an epoxy resin. .Iaddend..Iadd. 42. The article of claim 36 wherein the organic, normally heat-flowable constituent is a chlorinated naphthalene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 43. The article of claim 36 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is a wax. .Iaddend..Iadd. 44. The article of claim 36 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is a polystyrene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 45. The article of claim 36 wherein the elastomeric component is natural rubber. .Iaddend..Iadd. 46. The article of claim 45 wherein the organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent is polyethylene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 47. The article of claim 36 wherein the elastomeric component is a silicone rubber. .Iaddend..Iadd. 48. The article of claim 36 wherein the elastomeric component is a chlorosulfonated polyethylene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 49. The article of claim 36 wherein the elastomeric component is a butadiene-styrene copolymer. .Iaddend..Iadd. 50. The article of claim 36 wherein the elastomeric component is a butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer. .Iaddend..Iadd. 51. The article of claim 36 wherein said elastomeric component is cross-linked by means of a chemical cross-linking agent. .Iaddend..Iadd. 52. The article of claim 36 wherein said elastomeric component is cross-linked by means of high energy radiation. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 53. The article of claim 37 wherein the non-elastomeric organic constituent is a butadiene-styrene copolymer containing a major amount of styrene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 54. An article of manufacture composed of an organic polymeric composition comprising a cross-linked elastomer having incorporated therewith a thermoplastic resinous material, said article being elastomeric at storage temperatures, said thermoplastic resinous material being present in an amount sufficient to hold said article in a deformed heat-unstable condition, said article being in a dimensionally heat-unstable condition capable of altering its physical form upon application of heat alone to assume a dimensionally heat-stable condition, the article in its altered, heat-stable form being elastomeric. .Iaddend..Iadd. 55. The article of claim 54 wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. .Iaddend..Iadd. 56. The article of claim 54 wherein the thermoplastic material is a polyolefin. .Iaddend..Iadd. 57. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is a polychloroprene rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyethylene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 58. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is polychloroprene rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. .Iaddend..Iadd. 59. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is a silicon rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyethylene. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 60. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is a silicon rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is a siloxane resin. .Iaddend..Iadd. 61. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is a silicon rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. .Iaddend..Iadd. 62. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is a chlorosulfonated polyethylene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 63. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is a chlorosulfonated polyethylene and the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. .Iaddend..Iadd. 64. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is a butadiene-styrene copolymer and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyethylene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 65. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is a butadiene-styrene copolymer and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyvinyl chloride. .Iaddend..Iadd. 66. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is a butadiene-acrylonitrile copolymer and the thermoplastic material is polyethylene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 67. The article of claim 53 wherein the elastomer is a chlorosulfonated polyethylene and wherein the thermoplastic material is polyethylene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 68. The article of claim 59 wherein the thermoplastic material includes a butadiene-styrene copolymer containing a major amount of styrene. .Iaddend..Iadd. 69. The article of claim 54 wherein the elastomer is a silicone rubber and wherein the thermoplastic material is polystyrene. .Iaddend. .Iadd. 70. An article of manufacture composed of an organic polymeric composition comprising a cross-linked elastomeric component having incorporated therewith and substantially uniformly distributed therein as a disperse phase an organic, normally solid heat-flowable constituent having a softening temperature above about 140° F., said heat-flowable constituent being present in an amount sufficient to hold said elastomeric component in a stretched, elastically deformed condition, said article being elastomeric at storage temperatures and at the softening temperature of said heat-flowable constituent and being in a dimensionally heat-unstable condition capable of altering its physical form upon application of heat alone to soften said heat-flowable constituent, said article upon application of such heat assuming a dimensionally heat-stable condition, the article in its altered, heat-stable form being elastomeric. .Iaddend..Iadd. 71. An article of manufacture composed of an organic polymeric composition comprising a cross-linked elastomer having incorporated therewith as a disperse phase a thermoplastic resinous material, said article being elastomeric at storage temperatures, said thermoplastic resinous material being present in an amount sufficient to hold said article in a deformed heat-unstable condition, said article being in a dimensionally heat-unstable condition capable of altering its physical form upon application of heat alone to assume a dimensionally heat-stable condition, the article in its altered, heat-stable form being elastomeric. .Iaddend..Iadd. 72. An article of manufacture composed of an organic polymeric composition comprising from about 50 to about 95 parts by weight of a cross-linked elastomeric component having incorporated therewith and substantially uniformly distributed therein from about 5 to about 50 parts by weight of an organic normally solid heat-flowable constituent having a softening temperature above about 140° F., said heat-flowable constituent being present in an amount sufficient to hold said elastomeric component in a stretched, elastically deformed condition, said article being elastomeric at storage temperatures and at the softening temperature of said heat-flowable constituent and being in a dimensionally heat-unstable condition capable of altering its physical form upon application of heat alone to soften said heat-flowable constituent, said article upon application of such heat assuming a dimensionally heat-stable condition, the article in its altered, heat-stable form being elastomeric. .Iaddend..Iadd. 73. An article of manufacture composed of an organic polymeric composition comprising from about 50 to about 95 parts by weight of a cross-linked elastomer having incorporated therewith from about 5 to about 50 parts by weight of a thermoplastic resinous material, said article being elastomeric at storage temperatures, said thermoplastic resinous material being present in an amount sufficient to hold said article in a deformed heat-unstable condition capable of altering its physical form upon application of heat alone to assume a dimensionally heat-stable condition, the article in its altered, heat-stable form being elastomeric.