A thermoplastic elastomer composition comprises a blend of a thermoplastic
component with a cured elastomer component characterised in that the
elastomer component prior to curing comprises a major proportion of a
main elastomer and a minor proportion of a high molecular weight reactive
polymer which shows a higher crosslinking efficiency in free-radical
induced vulcanisation than the main elastomer. Preferably, the high
molecular weight reactive polymer comprises from (3) to (15), and more
preferably (4) to (10), parts by weight per one hundred parts of the
total elastomer component of the composition. The use of the high
molecular weight reactive polymer in the composition improves the low
temperature performance of the composition and gives improvements to the
processing behaviour, the resistance to stiffening at low temperatures
and recovery/relaxation properties. Preferably, the high molecular weight
reactive polymer is miscible with the main elastomer in the elastomer
component. The thermoplastic elastomer composition may be made by mixing
the thermoplastic component and an elastomer component comprising a main
elastomer and a high molecular weight reactive polymer at a temperature
to cause melting of the thermoplastic component to give a melt blend of
the components, and subjecting the elastomer component in the melt blend
to cure in the presence of at least one curative free-radical source.