Gelatinous elastomer and methods of making and using the same and articles made therefrom
DCFirst Claim
1. An elastomeric material havinga plasticizer and a triblock copolymer of the general configuration A-B-A;
- wherein A is selected from the group consisting of monoalkenylarene polymers;
wherein B is a hydrogenated polymer including a plurality of isoprene monomers and a plurality of butadiene monomers;
wherein said isoprene monomers comprise at least about 30 weight percent of said hydrogenated polymer B;
wherein said butadiene monomer comprise at least about 30 weight percent of said hydrogenated polymer B;
wherein a mixture including about 20 weight percent of said triblock copolymer and about 80 weight percent toluene, the weight percentages based on the total weight of the mixture, at from about 25 degrees Celsius to about 30 degrees Celsius, does not form a solution;
wherein said plasticizer associates with said hydrogenated polymer B;
wherein said triblock copolymer has a measurable percent elongation at break;
wherein said plasticizer tends to increase the percent elongation at break of said triblock copolymer;
wherein said triblock copolymer has a rigidity measurable on the Gram Bloom scale; and
wherein said plasticizer tends to decrease the Gram Bloom rigidity of said triblock copolymer.
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Abstract
The present invention relates to gelatinous elastomers, methods for making gelatinous elastomers, methods for using gelatinous elastomers, products made from gelatinous elastomers, and products which include gelatinous elastomers as a component or ingredient. More particular, the invention includes a gelatinous elastomer formed from a combination of a block copolymer of the general configuration A-B-A and a plasticizer. The preferred A-B-A copolymer of the invention is polystyrene-hydrogenated poly(isoprene+butadiene)-polystyrene and the preferred plasticizer is either mineral oil or a combination of mineral oil and resin. Various other components may be included in the preferred recipes according to the invention.
289 Citations
71 Claims
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1. An elastomeric material having
a plasticizer and a triblock copolymer of the general configuration A-B-A; -
wherein A is selected from the group consisting of monoalkenylarene polymers; wherein B is a hydrogenated polymer including a plurality of isoprene monomers and a plurality of butadiene monomers; wherein said isoprene monomers comprise at least about 30 weight percent of said hydrogenated polymer B; wherein said butadiene monomer comprise at least about 30 weight percent of said hydrogenated polymer B; wherein a mixture including about 20 weight percent of said triblock copolymer and about 80 weight percent toluene, the weight percentages based on the total weight of the mixture, at from about 25 degrees Celsius to about 30 degrees Celsius, does not form a solution; wherein said plasticizer associates with said hydrogenated polymer B; wherein said triblock copolymer has a measurable percent elongation at break; wherein said plasticizer tends to increase the percent elongation at break of said triblock copolymer; wherein said triblock copolymer has a rigidity measurable on the Gram Bloom scale; and wherein said plasticizer tends to decrease the Gram Bloom rigidity of said triblock copolymer. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11)
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12. An elastomeric material having
a plasticizer and a triblock copolymer of the general configuration A-B-A; -
wherein A is a hygrogenated polymer including ethylene/propylene and ethylene/butylene; wherein the combined weights of said ethylene/propylene and said ethylene/butylene comprise more than about 50 weight percent of said hydrogenated polymer B; wherein a mixture including about 20 weight percent of said triblock copolymer and about 80 weight percent toluene, the weight percentages base don the total weight of the mixture, at from about 25 degrees Celsius to about 30 degrees Celsius does not form a solution; wherein said plasticizer associates with said hydrogenated polymer B; wherein said triblock copolymer has a measurable percent elongation at break; wherein said plasticizer tends to increase the percent elongation at break of said triblock copolymer; wherein said triblock copolymer has a rigidity measurable on the Gram Bloom scale; and wherein said plasticizer tends to decrease the Gram Bloom rigidity of said triblock copolymer. - View Dependent Claims (13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23)
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24. An elastomeric material having
a plasticizer and a triblock copolymer of the general configuration A-B-A; -
wherein said triblock copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of at least about 300,000 or more; wherein A is selected from the group consisting of monoalkenylarene polymers; wherein B is a hydrogenated polymer including a plurality of ethylene/propylene monomers and a plurality of ethylene/butylene monomers; wherein the combined weights of said ethylene/propylene monomers and said ethylene/butylene monomers comprise at least about 50 weight percent of said hydrogenated polymer B; wherein said plasticizer associates with said hydrogenated polymer B; wherein said triblock copolymer has a measurable percent elongation at break; wherein said plasticizer tends to increase the percent elongation at break of said triblock copolymer; wherein said triblock copolymer has a rigidity measurable on the Gram Bloom scale; and wherein said plasticizer tends to decrease the Gram Bloom rigidity of said triblock copolymer. - View Dependent Claims (25, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36)
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37. A gelatinous elastomeric material comprising:
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a plasticizer including a plurality of plasticizing polymer molecules, an elastomer comprising a plurality of elastomeric triblock copolymers of the general configuration A-B-A, each of said triblock copolymers having; two end blocks A and one mid block B, and a plurality of hollow spherical objects; wherein each of said mid block B is covalently linked to one of said end blocks A; wherein said end blocks A are non-elastomeric polymers; wherein said mid block B is an elastomeric polymer, wherein said mid block B of at least some of said triblock copolymers includes a plurality of backbone carbon molecules and a plurality of side chains; wherein said elastomer has a weight average molecular weight of at least about 300,000 when determined by gel permeation chromatography; wherein said plasticizing polymer molecules, upon placement of the material under a load, tend to facilitate disentanglement and elongation of said mid blocks B during elongation of the material; wherein said plasticizing polymer molecules, upon release of the load from the material, tend to facilitate recontraction of the material; wherein said plasticizing polymer molecules comprise at least about 60 weight percent of the material, based on the combined weights of said triblock copolymers and said plasticizing polymers; wherein said elastomer has a measurable percent elongation at break; wherein said plasticizer tends to increase the percent elongation at break of said elastomer; wherein said elastomer has a rigidity measurable on the Gram Bloom scale, and wherein said plasticizer tends to decrease the Gram Bloom rigidity of said elastomer. - View Dependent Claims (38, 39, 40)
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41. A gelatinous elastomeric material comprising:
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a triblock copolymer of the general configuration A-B-A; a plasticizing agent; and an additive; wherein said triblock copolymer, said plasticizing agent, and said additive are mixed together to form the gelatinous elastomeric material; wherein A is a polymer selected from the group consisting of monoalkenylarene polymers; wherein B is a hydrogenated polymer comprising a plurality of covalently linked conjugated diene monomers; wherein at least one of said conjugated diene monomers is isoprene; wherein said triblock copolymer has a weight average molecular weight of about 300,000 or more; wherein said plasticizer comprises at least about 60 weight percent of the material, based on the combined weights of said plasticizer and said triblock copolymer; wherein said additive is selected from the group consitisting of detackifying layers, foaming facilitators, tack modifiers, plasticizer bleed modifiers, flame retardants, melt viscosity modifiers, melt temperature modifiers, tensile strength modifiers and shrinkage inhibitors; wherein the gelatinous material has a rigidity measurable on the Gram Bloom scale; wherein said plasticizer tends to reduce the Shore A rigidity of the gelatinous elastomeric material; and wherein the gelatinous elastomeric material has a durometer of about 15 Shore A or lower. - View Dependent Claims (42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49, 50, 51, 52)
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53. A gelatinous elastomeric material comprising:
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a triblock copolymer of the general configuration A-B-A; a plasticizing agent; and an additive; wherein said triblock copolymer, said plasticizing agent, and said additive are mixed together to form the gelatinous elastomeric material; wherein A is a polymer selected from the group consisting of monoalkenylarene polymers; wherein B is a hydrogenated polymer comprising a plurality of covalently linked conjugated diene monomers; wherein said triblock copolymer is of the general configuration A-B-A and has a weight average molecular weight of at least about 300,000 or more; wherein said triblock copolymer has a measurable solution viscosity at 5 weight percent solids in 95% toluene at 25 degrees Celsius and said triblock copolymer remains a solid at 20 weight percent solids in 80% toluene at 25 degrees Celsius; wherein said plasticizer comprises at least about 60 weight percent of the material, based on the combined weights of said plasticizer and said triblock copolymer; wherein said additive is selected from the group consisting of detackfying layers, foaming facilitators, tack modifiers, plasticizer bleed modifiers, flame retardants, melt viscosity modifiers, melt temperature modifiers, tensile strength modifiers, and shrinkage inhibitors; wherein said gelatinous material has a rigidity measurable on the Gram Bloom scale; wherein said plasticizer tends to reduce Shore A rigidity of the gelatinous elastomeric material; and wherein the gelatinous elastomeric material has a durometer of about 15 Shore A or lower. - View Dependent Claims (54, 55, 56, 57, 58, 59, 60, 61, 62, 63, 64)
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65. An elastomeric material comprising:
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a triblock copolymer elastomer of the configuration A-B-A and having a weight average molecular weight of about 300,000 or above, block A being a non-elastomeric polymer and block B being an elastomeric polymer, said A-B-A triblock copolymer having no solution viscosity at 20% solids in 80% toluene at 25 degrees Celcius as it remains a solid under those conditions, and a plasticizer combined with said triblock copolymer elastomer to form a visco-elastic material, said plasticizer being compatible with said B block. - View Dependent Claims (66, 67, 68, 69, 70, 71)
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Specification