Hercules Corporation

Norman E Daughenbaugh, Jr

Dane George Goodfellow

Sung G Chu

Deborah Ann Riedl

Mark J Rosner

A hydrocarbon resin is prepared by (1) thermally polymerizing a mixture consisting essentially of (a) about 40% to 90% by weight based on total monomers of a cyclic diolefin component comprising at least about 50% by weight dicyclopentadiene, and (b) about 60% to 10% by weight based on total monomers of a specified vinyl aromatic component, preferably alpha-methylstyrene; para-methyl-.alpha.-methylstyrene; 2,4-diphenyl-4-methyl-1-pentene, or mixtures thereof, and (2) recovering a product having a Ring and Ball softening point of about 70.degree. to about 150.degree. C. Hydrogenation of this resin produces light colored, thermally stable products that are useful as tackifiers in adhesives.

Thermally polymerized dicyclopentadiene/vinyl aromatic resins

The color of hydrocarbon resins having carbon-carbon double bonds and containing color bodies is lightened by a hydrotreating process comprising contacting a resin having a weight average molecular weight Mw of 250-10,000 with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst that promotes the hydrogenation of the color bodies without substantially changing the content of carbon-carbon double bonds in the resin. The preferred catalysts are copper chromite and copper/zinc.

Process for hydrotreating resins to lighten color

A tackifier resin is prepared by polymerizing a monomer mixture of 10-70% piperylene concentrate and 30-90% of a vinyl aromatic monomer in the presence of a boron trifluoride catalyst and an inert diluent. The resin is water white in color, has a Gardner number of less than one, a softening point of 60.degree. to 120.degree. C. and a polydispersity of 1 to 5. The tackifier is used in formulations based on EVA, block copolymers and polyolefins for hot melt and pressure sensitive adhesive applications.

Light colored, aromatic-modified piperylene resins

Disclosed are terpolymers having a Ring and Ball softening point of 69.degree. C. to 130.degree. C. prepared from a vinyl-substituted aromatic hydrocarbon, a monoterpene hydrocarbon and a phenol. The terpolymers are useful as tackifiers in adhesive compositions.

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Turtle Creek, PA, United States of America

Norman E Daughenbaugh, Jr