Thermoplastic elastomer gelatinous compositions and articles

• US 5,508,334 A
• Filed: 11/15/1993
• Issued: 04/16/1996
• Est. Priority Date: 03/17/1977
• Status: Expired due to Fees

• Current Assignee: Applied Elastomerics Incorporated
• Original Assignee: Applied Elastomerics Incorporated
• Inventors: Chen, John Y.
• Primary Examiner(s): Lilling, Herbert J.
• Application Number:
  US08/152,735
• Time in Patent Office: 883 Days
• Field of Search: 524/474, 524/476, 524/490, 524/505, 2/411, 5/632, 5/636, 5/640, 132/321, 132/68, 132/71, 132/72, 132/82, 297/411.2, 297/423.1, 297/DIG. 1, 297/DIG. 4, 297/391, 297/392, 297/394, 297/397, 427/162, 525/95, 428/521, 521/148
• US Class Current: 524/474
• CPC Class Codes: A61C 15/041 Dental floss chemical aspects A61Q11/00
• CPC Class Codes: A63H 33/185 Aerial toy rotating automatically when descending under gravity
• CPC Class Codes: C08K 5/01 Hydrocarbons C08K5/0091 takes precedence
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/02 Organic macromolecular compounds, natural resins, waxes or and bituminous materials
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 2666/24 Graft or block copolymers according to groups C08L51/00, C08L53/00 or C08L55/02; Derivatives thereof
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 51/00 Compositions of graft polymers in which the grafted component is obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds for ABS polymers C08L55/02; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/00 Compositions of block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Compositions of derivatives of such polymers
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/02 of vinyl-aromatic monomers and conjugated dienes
• CPC Class Codes: C08L 53/025 modified
• CPC Class Codes: Y10T 428/31931 Polyene monomer-containing

Abstract

Novel gelatinous compositions and articles are fromed from an intimate melt blend admixture of poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) triblock copolymer and high levels of a plasticizing oil.

The gelatinous composition is transparent and have a novel combination of properties including unexpectedly high elongation and tensile strength and excellent shape retention after extreme deformation under high-velocity impact and stress conditions. The gelatinous products of this invention are soft, flexible, and have elastic memory, characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 gram to about 700 gram Bloom. These and other properties are particularly essential for the gelatinous composition to have utility as toys, therapeutic hand exercising grips, shock absorbers, acoustical isolators, components for cushions, and other uses.

Claims

1. A gelatinous elastomer composition comprising:

(a) 100 parts by weight of a high viscosity triblock copolymer of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene);

(b) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with

(c) a minor amount of at least one or more homopolymers or copolymers selected from the group consisting of;

poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), polystyrene, polybutylene, polypropylene or polyethylene, wherein said copolymer is a linear, branched, multiarm, or star shaped copolymer;

said composition characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 to about 700 gram Bloom.

7. An article formed from the composition of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein said article is a vibration damper, a vibration isolator, a wrapper, a hand exerciser, a dental floss, a crutch cushion, a cervical pillow, a bed wedge pillow, a leg rest cushion, a neck cushion, a mattress, a bed pad, an elbow pad, a dermal pad, a wheelchair cushion, a helmet liner, a hot or cold compress pad, an exercise weight belt, or a traction pad.

8. An article formed from the composition of claim 1, 2, 3 or 4, wherein said article is a splint, sling, or brace cushion for the hand, wrist, finger, forearm, knee, leg, clavicle, shoulder, foot, ankle, neck, back, and rib or an orthopedic shoe sole.

10. An article formed from the composition of claim 1 wherein said article comprise a mineral oil-based magnetic fluid useful in high vacuum sealing against atmosphere pressure.

11. A composition according to claim 1, wherein said plasticizing oil having a molecular weight greater than 750.

12. A composition according to claim 1, wherein said plasticizing oil having a molecular weight greater than 900.

13. A composition according to claim 1, wherein said plasticizing oil having a molecular weight of at least 1200.

14. A composition according to claim 1, wherein said plasticizing oil having a molecular weight of at least 1400.

2. A gelatinous elastomer composition comprising:

(a) 100 parts by weight of a high viscosity triblock copolymer of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene);

said styrene to ethylene and butylene is of a ratio of from about 20;

80 to about 40;

60; and

(b) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with

(c) a minor amount of at least one or more homopolymers or copolymers selected from the group consisting of;

poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), polystyrene, polybutylene, polypropylene or polyethylene, wherein said copolymer is a linear, branched, multiarm, or star shaped copolymer;

said composition characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 to about 700 gram Bloom.

3. A gelatinous elastomer composition comprising:

(a) 100 parts by weight of a high viscosity triblock copolymer of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene);

said styrene to ethylene and butylene is of a ratio of from about 30;

70 to about 40;

60; and

(b) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with

(c) a minor amount of at least one or more homopolymers or copolymers selected from the group consisting of;

poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), polystyrene, polybutylene, polypropylene or polyethylene, wherein said copolymer is a linear, branched, multiarm, or star shaped copolymer;

said composition characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 to about 700 gram Bloom.

4. A gelatinous elastomer composition comprising:

(a) 100 parts by weight of a high viscosity triblock copolymer of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene);

said styrene to ethylene and butylene is of a ratio of from about 31;

69 to about 40;

60; and

(b) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with

(c) a minor amount of at least one or more homopolymers or copolymers selected from the group consisting of;

poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), polystyrene, polybutylene, polypropylene or polyethylene, wherein said copolymer is a linear, branched, multiarm, or star shaped copolymer;

said composition characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 to about 700 gram Bloom.

5. A gelatinous elastomer composition of clam 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said triblock copolymer is characterized by a Brookfield Viscosity of a 20 weight percent solids solution in toluene at 25°

C. of at least about 1,800 cps.

6. A gelatinous elastomer composition of clam 1, 2, 3 or 4 wherein said composition is casted with an open cell foam, said triblock copolymer is characterized by a Brookfield Viscosity of a 20 weight percent solids solution in toluene at 25°

C. of at least about 1,800 cps.

9. An article formed from a composition comprising:

(a) 100 parts by weight of a high viscosity triblock copolymer of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene);

(b) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with

(c) a minor amount of at least one or more homopolymers or copolymers selected from the group consisting of;

poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), polystyrene, polybutylene, polypropylene or polyethylene, wherein said copolymer is a linear, branched, multiarm, or star shaped copolymer; and

wherein said article is a cladding for cushioning optical fibers from bending stresses.

15. A gelatinous elastomer article comprising:

(a) 100 parts by weight of a high viscosity triblock copolymer of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene);

(b) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with

(c) a minor amount of at least one or more homopolymers selected from the group consisting of;

polystyrene, polybutylene, polypropylene or polyethylene, said composition characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 to about 700 gram Bloom.

16. A gelatinous elastomer composition comprising:

(a) 100 parts by weight of a high viscosity triblock copolymer of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene);

(b) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with

(c) a minor amount of at least one or more copolymers selected from the group consisting of;

poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), wherein said copolymer is a linear, branched, multiarm, or star shaped copolymer;

said composition characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 to about 700 gram Bloom.

17. A gelatinous elastomer article comprising:

(a) 100 parts by weight of a high viscosity triblock copolymer of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene);

(b) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and

in combination with

(c) a minor amount of at least one or more homopolymers or copolymers selected from the group consisting of;

poly(styrene-butadiene), poly(styrene-isoprene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), polystyrene, polybutylene, polypropylene or polyethylene, wherein said copolymer is a linear, branched, multiarm, or star shaped copolymer;

said composition characterized by a gel rigidity of from about 20 to about 700 gram Bloom.