Abstract: Pressure sensitive structural adhesive and sealant compositions comprising: (a) a polymer system comprising from 95 to 15 percent by weight of a telechelic polymer and from 5 to 85 percent by weight of a heterotelechelic polymer wherein at least one of the functionalities thereon is the same as the functionality on the telechelic polymer, and (b) a dual curing system wherein one element of the curing system cures the telechelic polymer and the common functionality on the heterotelechelic polymer and the other element cures the functionality on the heterotelechelic polymer but does not cure under the conditions required to cure the telechelic polymer to form a structural adhesive or sealant composition. In a preferred embodiment, the polymer system is comprised of a hydroxyl functional telechelic diol or polyol polymer and the heterotelechelic polymer is a monohydroxylated polydiene polymer which also has epoxidized olefin functionality.

Abstract: A low viscosity adhesive composition which comprises:(a) an asymmetric radial block copolymer of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and at least one conjugated diene having from 3 to 6 polymer arms, which:(i) contains from 33 to 85% by weight of polyvinyl aromatic hydrocarbon block/polydiene block copolymer arms and the balance polydiene homopolymer arms,(ii) has vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon blocks with block molecular weights of from 8000 to 30,000,(iii) has conjugated diene blocks in the copolymer arms with a molecular weight of at least 6000, and(iv) has a polyvinyl aromatic hydrocarbon content of from 10 to 40% by weight; and(b) from 20 to 400 parts per hundred parts of polymer of a tackifying resin.The invention also encompasses the polymers used in the adhesive.

Abstract: The present invention is a process for producing predominately four-armed asymmetric radial block copolymers which contain predominately, on average, two arms which are copolymers of at least one conjugated diene and at least one vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and two conjugated diene homopolymer or copolymer arms, said process comprising:(a) anionically polymerizing at least one conjugated diene monomer and at least one vinylaromatic hydrocarbon monomer to form a set of living polymer arms,(b) anionically polymerizing at least one conjugated diene monomer to form another set of living polymer arms,(c) coupling the one set of living polymer arms with a coupling agent which is selected from the group consisting of tetramethoxysilane and .gamma.

Abstract: A graft block copolymer is comprised of a saturated olefinic backbone with pendent anionic polymer side chains. The polymer is produced by copolymerizing an .alpha.--olefin with a 1-alkenyl monomer containing a functional group to which an anionically polymerized polymer can be grafted to produce graft block copolymer, anionically polymerizing at least one anionically polymerizable monomer to form living polymer chains, and then grafting the living polymer chains onto the copolymer to form the graft block copolymer.

Abstract: A low viscosity adhesive composition which comprises:(a) an asymmetric radial block copolymer of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and at least one conjugated diene having from 3 to 6 polymer arms, which:(i) contains from 33 to 85% by weight of polyvinyl aromatic hydrocarbon block/polydiene block copolymer arms and the balance polydiene homopolymer arms,(ii) has vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon blocks with block molecular weights of from 8000 to 30,000,(iii) has conjugated diene blocks in the copolymer arms with a molecular weight of at least 6000, and(iv) has a polyvinyl aromatic hydrocarbon content of from 10 to 40% by weight; and(b) from 20 to 400 parts per hundred parts of polymer of a tackifying resin.The invention also encompasses the polymers used in the adhesive.

Abstract: A graft block copolymer is comprised of a completely saturated olefinic backbone with pendant anionic polymer side chains. The polymer is produced by copolymerizing an .alpha.-olefin with a monomer which contains a functional group which can be metallated so an anionic monomer can be polymerized therefrom, metallating the copolymer by reaction with metal alkyl or aryl compound and a metallation activator, and growing anionic polymer side chains from the copolymer backbone by reacting an anionically polymerized monomer with the metallated copolymer.

Abstract: A process for the concurrent epoxidation of, and catalyst residue extraction from, anionically polymerized diene-containing polymers which have been hydrogenated using a Group VIII metal catalyst, said process comprising:(a) introducing a catalyst residue-containing diene-containing polymer cement into a reactor,(b) heating the polymer cement to a temperature of 25.degree. to 65.degree. C.,(c) contacting the polymer cement with a caustic solution,(d) contacting the polymer cement with a peracid solution,(e) mixing the polymer, caustic, and acid at 25.degree. to 65.degree. C. for 1/2 to 3 hours,(f) optionally adding sufficient caustic solution to neutralize excess acid while continuing the mixing,(g) adding sufficient water such that the aqueous/organic phase weight ratio is from 0.

Abstract: This invention provides a radiation cured composition which is curable at low levels of radiation. The composition comprises a crosslinked unsaturated epoxidized diene polymer and a terpene tackifying resin. The invention also encompasses adhesive, coating and sealant compositions made with the above composition.

Abstract: A laminating adhesive comprising an adhesive composition which comprises(a) An epoxidized block copolymer of the formula(A-B-A.sub.p).sub.n -Y.sub.r -(A.sub.q -B).sub.mwherein Y is a coupling agent or coupling monomers, andwherein A and B are polymer blocks which may be homopolymer blocks of conjugated diolefin monomers, copolymer blocks of conjugated diolefin monomers or copolymer blocks of conjugated diolefin monomers and monoalkenyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomers, andwherein the A blocks have a higher number of aliphatic double bonds between a tertiary carbon atom and either a primary, secondary, or tertiary carbon atom per unit of block mass than do the B blocks, andwherein the A blocks have a molecular weight from about 100 to about 3000 and the B blocks have a molecular weight from about 1000 to about 15,000, and wherein p and q are 0 or 1 and n>0, r is 0 or 1, m.gtoreq.

Abstract: A crosslinkable composition comprising from 30 to 90 percent by weight of an epoxidized monohydroxylated polydiene polymer which is comprised of at least two polymerizable ethenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers wherein at least one is a diene monomer which yields unsaturation which is suitable for epoxidation, 8 to 60 percent by weight of an amino resin crosslinking agent, and 2 to 40% by weight of a reinforcing agent. The invention also encompasses a process to make such compositions by prereacting the three components with a small portion of the crosslinking catalyst required to crosslink the composition for 0.5 to 10 hours at 60.degree. to 120.degree. C. The preferred polymer for use herein has the formula(HO).sub.x --A--S.sub.z --B--(OH).sub.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toughened cycloaliphatic epoxy resin composition useful as a coating comprising:(a) a curable cycloaliphatic epoxy resin,(b) an epoxidized low viscosity polydiene polymer wherein the polymer contains from 2.0 to 6.0 milliequivalents of epoxy per gram of polymer,(c) a curing agent,(d) an aromatic epoxy resin, and(e) a hydroxy functional material.

Abstract: A crosslinked adhesive composition is provided comprising an epoxidized diolefin block polymer wherein the polymer is crosslinked through at least some of the epoxy functionality. A process to prepare this polymer is also provided. The preferred polymer is partially hydrogenated and lightly epoxidized.

Abstract: Radial or star asymmetric block copolymer of the following formulae and an improved tape assembly using the copolymers and improved adhesive and sealant compositions containing them(I) (A--HD).sub.x --Y--(UD).sub.z or (II) (UD--A--HD).sub.x --Y or (lII) ((UD).sub.y --A--HD).sub.x --Y-(UD).sub.z wherein A is a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon block having a molecular weight of from 4000 to 20,000, HD is a hydrogenated conjugated diene block having a molecular weight of from 10,000 to 100,000, Y is a multifunctional coupling agent, UD is a partially hydrogenated conjugated diene block having a molecular weight of from 1000 to 80,000, x is an integer from 2 to 30, y is 0 or 1, z is an integer from 1 to 20, and x+z ranges from 3 to 30.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toughened epoxy resin composition comprising:(a) a curable aromatic epoxy resin,(b) an epoxidized low viscosity polydiene polymer wherein the polymer contains from 1.0 to 7.0 milliequivalents of epoxy per gram of polymer, and(c) a curing agent.

Abstract: A block copolymer composition comprising:(a) 100 parts by weight of a linear block copolymer comprising two polystyrene endblocks and one poly(conjugated diene) midblock, which block copolymer is obtained via a coupling reaction using a diglycidyloxy coupling agent and which block copolymer has a styrene content in the range of from 10 to 50% by weight based on the total weight of block copolymer and an apparent molecular weight in the range of from 100,000 to 400,000; and(b) 0.1 to 2 parts by weight of a stabilizer package consisting of:(b1) 6-(4-hydroxy-3,5-di-t-butylanilino)-2,4-bis-octylthio-1,3,5-triazine, and(b2) a tris-(nonylated phenyl) phosphite, in a weight ratio b1/b2 in the range of from 0.5 to 0.1.The block copolymer composition can be suitably applied in hot melt adhesive compositions.

Abstract: A core functionalized star block copolymer formed of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and/or a conjugated diene and a polyalkenyl aromatic coupling agent wherein the core functionalization is provided by reaction of the star polymer core with an asymmetric bi- or polyfunctional capping agent.

Abstract: This invention is a process for producing stable polymer emulsions and latexes with an average particle size of less than one micron. The polymers are block copolymers of conjugated dienes and vinyl aromatic hydrocarbons which may or may not contain polar functionality. The process comprises making a polymer cement of the polymer and a blend of a solvent for the polymer, emulsifying the polymer cement by combining adding it with an aqueous phase containing an emulsifier which is a nonionic surfactant having a number average molecular weight of less than 1600 and an HLB of 9.5 to 16 and a stabilizer which is a nonionic surfactant having a molecular weight greater than 1600.

Abstract: The present invention provides a toughened epoxy resin composition comprising:(a) a curable aromatic epoxy resin,(b) a monohydroxylated epoxidized polydiene polymer which is comprised of at least two polymerizable ethenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers wherein at least one is a diene monomer which yields unsaturation suitable for epoxidation, and wherein the polymer contains from 0.5 to 7 milliequivalents of epoxy per gram of polymer, and(c) a curing agent.

Abstract: The invention herein relates to polyurethane coating and adhesive compositions containing partially unsaturated monohydroxylated polydiene polymers which are comprised of at least two polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated monomers wherein at least one is a diene monomer which yields unsaturation suitable for epoxidation. The invention preferably encompasses the use of epoxidized derivatives of these novel partially unsaturated monohydroxylated polydiene polymers and epoxidized derivatives of unsaturated monohydroxylated polydiene polymers in such mating and adhesive compositions. The preferred monohydroxylated polydiene polymer of the present invention has a structural formula:(HO).sub.x -A-S.sub.z -B-(OH).sub.y (I)wherein A and B are polymer blocks which may be homopolymer blocks of conjugated diolefin monomers, copolymer blocks of conjugated diolefin monomers, or copolymer blocks of diolefin monomers and monoalkenyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomers.

Abstract: A bituminous composition comprising a bituminous component and an epoxidized polymer of a conjugated diolefin and, optionally, a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon.