HARDENABLE POLYMER COMPOSITION AND PROCESS FOR PREPARING BY GRAFTING A HARDENED POLYMER COMPOSITION

This invention provides for curable and graft-cured polymer compositions prepared from a mixture comprising: a) an elastomeric copolymer containing from about 0.01 up to about 10 mole % of Y ester groups randomly distributed along and pendant to the elastomeric polymer chain, said Y ester groups having the structure: wherein R2 and R3 are independently selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and an alkyl group containing 1 to about 6 carbon atoms and R4 is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, an alkyl group containing from 1 to about 28 carbon atoms, an aryl group and an alkenyl group containing from 2 to about 28 carbon atoms; and b) at least one free radically polymerizable monomer. The invention also provides for a process for preparing graft-cured polymer compositions comprising forming the above recited mixture of (a) and (b) and subjecting said mixture to free radical polymerization conditions. The Y ester groups pendant to the elastomeric polymer chain, e.g. benzylic(meth)acrylic acid ester groups present in isobutylene/para-methystyrene interpolymer chains, are capable of participating in free radical initiated reactions with monofunctional or polyfunctional free radically polymerizable monomers to produce graft-crosslinked compositions having an unusual balance of physical properties. These compositions may be formed into shaped articles such as films, coatings, adhesive layers and moldings and subjected to free radical polymerization conditions to produce crosslinked shaped articles.