US 11,739,208 B2
Block copolymers and uses thereof
Xavier D. D. J. Muyldermans, Mont-Saint-Guibert (BE); Aparajita Bhattacharya, Houston, TX (US); Huixian Yang, Houston, TX (US); and Koen van Duin, Amsterdam (NL)
Assigned to KRATON CORPORATION, Houston, TX (US)
Filed by Kraton Polymers LLC, Houston, TX (US)
Filed on Aug. 12, 2021, as Appl. No. 17/444,969.
Claims priority of provisional application 63/065,893, filed on Aug. 14, 2020.
Prior Publication US 2022/0049083 A1, Feb. 17, 2022
Int. Cl. C08L 53/02 (2006.01); C08F 297/04 (2006.01)
CPC C08L 53/025 (2013.01) [C08F 297/044 (2013.01); C08F 297/046 (2013.01); C08F 2810/00 (2013.01); C08L 2201/02 (2013.01)] 20 Claims
 
1. A hydrogenated block copolymer comprising at least one polymer block A and at least one polymer block B,
wherein prior to hydrogenation,
each block A is a polymer of a first vinyl aromatic compound, and
each block B is a copolymer block of monomer units:
(a) a styrene compound having a radical reactive group,
(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;
wherein each block A has a peak molecular weight (Mp) of 3 to 60 kg/mol, and each block B has a peak molecular weight (Mp) of 20 to 200 kg/mol; and
wherein the polymerized units derived from the monomer unit (a) constitutes from 10 to 70 wt. % of the total weight of the hydrogenated block copolymer, and from 10 to 80 wt. % of the total weight of the block B;
wherein after hydrogenation,
the polymerized units derived from the monomer (b) has a residual olefinic unsaturation of 0-1.5 meq per gram of the hydrogenated block copolymer; and
wherein the hydrogenated block copolymer has:
i) a DMA 10 rad/s tangent delta peak maximum temperature of −30 to 80° C.,
ii) a gel content, after curing, as measured by a Peroxide Cured Gel Test (PCGT), of >40 wt. % of the total weight of the hydrogenated block copolymer; and
iii) an aromatic blockiness index of 20 to 80%.