Shell Oil Comapny

Chevron Phillips Chemical Company LP

Kraton Polymers U.S. LLC

Kraton Polymer U.S. LLC

Ineos Styrolution Group Gmbh

John David Wilkey

Carleton E Stouffer

Carl Lesley Willis

Dale Lee Handlin, Jr

Zaida Diaz

Daniel Earl Goodwin

John Mark Brown

Robert Charles Bening

David J St Clair

Michael John Modic

Craig A Stevens

Nathan E Stacy

Michael A Smith

Steven D Bridges

Jeffrey G Southwick

David Ralph Stewart

Jay M Chaffin

David L Hartsock

Vergil H Rhodes

Charles Roy Donaho

James A Keane

John M Brown

We disclose a monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer containing a plurality of monovinylarene-conjugated diene mixed blocks, wherein each mixed block contains conjugated diene units and monovinylarene units in a weight ratio of about 0.05 to about 0.33. We also disclose a composition containing (a) from about 50 parts by weight to about 95 parts by weight of the monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer and (b) from about 5 parts by weight to about 50 parts by weight of polystyrene; wherein the monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymer and the polystyrene total 100 parts by weight. We further disclose a method of shrink-wrapping an object or a group of objects by wrapping the object or the group of objects with a film containing the composition, to yield a wrapped object or group of objects, and heating the wrapped object or group of objects to a temperature and for a duration sufficient to shrink the film in at least a first direction, to yield a shrink-wrapped object or group of objects.

Styrene butadiene block copolymers for film applications

The present invention relates generally to monovinylarene-conjugated diene block copolymers adapted for shrinkable film applications. In one embodiment, a block copolymer is provided wherein an oriented 2 mil film of the block copolymer oriented at 100&#xb0; C. or less exhibits less than 10% shrinkage at 70&#xb0; C., and at least 70% shrinkage at 100&#xb0; C.

Monovinylarene conjugated diene block copolymer compositions for shrinkable films

The present invention relates to monovinylarene-conjugated diene copolymer compositions adapted for blendability with acrylate polymers. In some embodiments, such compositions are provided that are particularly resistant to blocking when stored in pellet form.

Monovinylarene conjugated diene copolymer compositions for acrylate blends

Hydrogenated butadiene polymers having terminal functional groups have minimum viscosity at any molecular weight when the 1,2-addition is between 30% and 70% Hydrogenated butadiene polymers having about two terminal hydroxyl groups per molecule have surprisingly lower viscosities at 30% to 70% 1,2-addition than similar polymers having either higher or lower amounts of 1,2-addition. The polymers are useful in making coatings, sealants, binders, and block copolymers with polyesters, polyamides, and polycarbonates.

Butadiene polymers having terminal functional groups

Hydrogenated butadiene polymers having terminal functional groups have minimum viscosity at any molecular weight when the 1,2-addition is between 30% and 70%. Hydrogenated butadiene polymers having about two terminal hydroxyl groups per molecule have surprisingly lower viscosities at 30% to 70% 1,2-addition than similar polymers having either higher or lower amounts of 1,2-addition. The polymers are useful in making coatings, sealants, binders, and block copolymers with polyesters, polyamides, and polycarbonates.

We disclose compositions, comprising (i) from about 25 parts by weight to about 95 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-conjugated diene coupled block copolymer comprising at least one tapered block, having a blocky monovinylarene content of less than 90 wt % of total monovinylarene units, and comprising a terminal monovinylarene block having a molecular weight of less than 60,000 g/mol; and (ii) from about 5 parts by weight to about 75 parts by weight of a monovinylarene-alkyl(meth)acrylate copolymer, comprising (ii-a) monovinylarene units and (ii-b) either alkyl acrylate units, alkyl methacrylate units, or both. The compositions can be used in shrink film or rigid packaging applications.

Binary and ternary blends comprising monovinylarene/conjugated diene block copolymers and monovinylarene/alkyl (meth)acrylate copolymers

This invention relates to a gel-free process for making functionalized polymers. When multi-alkali metal initiators are used to make these polymers anionically, the process comprises anionically polymerizing at least one monomer with a multi-alkali metal initiator in a hydrocarbon solvent, capping the polymer by adding to the polymer a capping agent that reacts with the ends of the polymer chains such that strongly associating chain ends are formed wherein a strongly associating gel is formed, and, finally, adding a trialkyl aluminum compound to the gel. The important characteristic of the capping agent herein is that it will cap the living polymer and will add a functional group to the polymer chain end which will be strongly associating in the hydrocarbon solvent. In a second embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for making such polymers which comprises anionically polymerizing them as described and adding to the polymer a trialkyl aluminum compound before the alkali metal reacts with the capping agent-functionalized chain ends. Finally, the polymer is capped by adding the above-described capping agent. In the first embodiment, a gel is formed and then removed. In the second embodiment, the gel never is formed because of the presence of the trialkyl aluminum compound.

Gel-free process for making functionalized anionically polymerized polymers

This invention relates to a gel-free process for making hydrogenated functionalized polymers that mitigates the problem of ionic gel. When multi-alkali metal initiators are used to make these polymers anionically, the process comprises anionically polymerizing at least one monomer with a multi-alkali metal initiator, usually a lithium alkyl, in a hydrocarbon solvent, capping the polymer by adding to the polymer a capping agent that reacts with the ends of the polymer chains such that strongly associating chain ends are formed wherein a strongly associating polymer gel is formed, adding a trialkyl aluminum compound to the polymer gel, whereby the gel dissipates, optionally terminating the polymerization by addition of an alcohol, washing the polymer with aqueous acid, preferably aqueous mineral acid, most preferably phosphoric acid, wherein there is at least one mole of phosphoric acid per mole of alkali metal and at least three moles of phosphoric acid per mole of aluminum, and hydrogenating the polymer with a hydrogenation catalyst. In a second embodiment, the present invention relates to a process for making such polymers which comprises anionically polymerizing them as described and adding a trialkyl aluminum compound prior to the addition of the functionalizing agent and washing the product prior to hydrogenation as described above. In the first embodiment, a gel is formed and then removed. In the second embodiment, the gel never is formed because of the presence of the trialkyl aluminum compound.

Gel-free process for making hydrogenated functionalized anionically polymerized polymers

This invention relates to a process for making gel-free functionalized polymers. When multi-lithium initiators are used to make these polymers anionically, the process comprises anionically polymerizing at least one monomer with a multi-lithium initiator in a hydrocarbon solvent, functionalizing the polymer by adding to the polymer a capping agent that reacts with the ends of the polymer chains such that strongly-associating chain ends are formed wherein a polymer gel is formed, adding a trialkyl aluminum compound to the polymer gel, whereby the gel dissipates, adding a sufficient amount of a proton source to provide at least 1 mole of protons per mole of lithium ions and at least 2 moles of protons per mole of aluminum wherein the proton source is an organic acid with a pK,of 11 or less or a mixture of the organic acid and an alkanol, provided that sufficient organic acid is added to provide at least 0.4 moles of protons per mole of lithium ions, hydrogenating the polymer with a hydrogenation catalyst, and optionally washing the polymer with aqueous mineral acid in sufficient.

Process for making hydrogenated gel-free functionalized anionically polymerized polymers

This invention is a process comprising the steps of contacting a Group VIII metal hydrogenation catalyst residue-containing polymer solution with an aqueous solution of ammonia and carbon dioxide, separating the residue from the solution, and recovering a polymer solution preferably comprising less than 15 ppm by weight based on polymer, of the Group VIII metal. The concentration of the ammonia in the aqueous solution is from 2 to 7% by weight, preferably 3 to 6% by weight. The concentration of the carbon dioxide in the solution is from 1 to 7% by weight, preferably 2 to 6% by weight.

Removal of hydrogenation catalyst from polymer solutions by treatment with ammonia and carbon dioxide

This invention is an improvement upon the current process for the production of block copolymers, especially hydrogenated block copolymers, of conjugated dienes and/or vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons which comprises anionically polymerizing the monomers in an inert hydrocarbon solvent in the presence of an alkali metal initiator whereby a polymer cement is produced and then contacting the cement with hydrogen under hydrogenation conditions in the presence of a hydrogenation catalyst. This invention and the improvement to the foregoing process comprises reducing the viscosity of the polymer cement by adding to it, preferably prior to hydrogenation (if the polymer is to be hydrogenated), from 2 to 50 % wt of a polar compound. The polar compound must be a poorer solvent for the block copolymer than is the inert hydrocarbon solvent. Preferred polar compounds include diethyl ether, tetrahydrofuran, diethoxyethane, monoglyme, diglyme, diethoxypropane, dioxane ortho-dimethoxybenzene, and the like.

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Houston, TX, United States of America

John David Wilkey