Kraton Polymers LLC

Kraton Corporation

Koen Van Duin

Martine Dupont

Marianne Stol

Xavier Muyldermans

Ruidong Ding

Neil Riddle

Frank Wijnand De Wit

Aparajita Bhattacharya

Xavier D D J Muyldermans

Xavier Daniel Muyldermans

Kato Hiroshi

Huixian Yang

Xavier DDJ Muyldermans

A styrenic block copolymer is disclosed, having a formula, A-B-A, A-B-B-A, (A-B-A)X, (A-B)X or mixtures thereof, wherein n is from 2 to 30, and X is residue of a coupling agent. Each A block is independently a polystyrene having 10-63 wt. % 1,1-diphenylethylene, a GPC peak molecular weight from about 5-40 kg/mol, and forms 10-40 wt. % of the copolymer. Each B block is independently a poly(1,3-diene-co-styrene) comprising: (i) &#x3e;90 wt. % of polymerized isoprene units relative to the weight of the polymerized 1,3-diene, where S is &#x3c;40, and (S+V) is 18-75; (ii) &#x3e;90 wt. % of polymerized butadiene units relative to the weight of the polymerized 1,3-diene, where S is &#x3c;40, and (1.2*S+V) is 60-120; or combinations thereof 'S' represents the polystyrene content, and 'V' represents the 1,3-diene content having pendant 1,2- and/or 3,4-vinyl groups in the B block.

Block copolymers and uses thereof

A hydrogenated block copolymer is disclosed comprising a polymer block A and a polymer block B. Prior to hydrogenation, the polymer block A has a first vinyl aromatic compound, and the polymer block B contains monomers a) a styrene compound having a radical reactive group and b) at least one conjugated diene, and optionally (c) a second vinyl aromatic compound that is same or different from the first vinyl aromatic compound. The repeat units of monomer a) forms 10-80 wt. % of the total block copolymer, and 10-70 wt. % of the total weight of block B. After hydrogenation, the polymerized units derived from the monomer b) has a RU of 0-1.5 meq per gram of the hydrogenated block copolymer. The hydrogenated block copolymer exhibits reactivity and higher flow properties before curing, after curing, shows excellent mechanical properties, improved flame resistance, and good solvent resistance.

A polymer composition comprising a star-branched copolymer having a plurality of arms is disclosed. Each polymer arm has a molecular weight Mp of from 1 kg/mol to 50 kg/mol and comprises polymerized units (i) derived from a first vinyl aromatic monomer comprising a radical-reactive group, wherein from greater than 10 mol % to 100 mol % of the units (i) are unhydrogenated; and optionally, polymerized units (ii) comprising hydrogenated and unhydrogenated forms of polymerized units derived from a high Tg monomer, and hydrogenated form of polymerized units (i) or hydrogenated form of polymerized styrene units; and optionally, polymerized units (iii) comprising (a) hydrogenated form of polymerized units derived from one or more acyclic conjugated dienes, and (b) polymerized units derived from one or more of a second vinyl aromatic monomer; wherein less than 10 wt. % of units (a) are unhydrogenated.

A styrenic block copolymer having one or more polymer blocks A and one or more polymer blocks B is disclosed, where 'A' is a poly(vinylaromatic) block having a molecular weight of greater than 5 kg/mol. The 'B' block has a molecular weight of more than 15 kg/mol, and comprises polymerized 1,3-diene units and vinylaromatic units, wherein the polymerized vinylaromatic units represent 5-40 wt. % of the overall weight of the block &#x201c;B&#x201d;. The polymerized 1,3-diene units comprise more than 80 wt. % of polymerized isoprene units in which 45-80 mol % are 1,4-isoprene addition units. The blocks &#x201c;A&#x201d; and &#x201c;B&#x201d; represent from &#x3e;5 to &#x3c;40 wt. %, and &#x3e;33 to &#x3c;95 wt. %, respectively, relative to the overall weight of the block copolymer. The polymers have physical properties that make them valuable, e.g., as vibration damping materials.

Growing community of inventors

Amsterdam, Netherlands

Koen Van Duin