Abstract: The present invention provides block copolymers which have reduced solvent sensitivity and which overcome the foregoing disadvantages. In one embodiment of the present invention, there is provided an asymmetric block copolymer of the structure A-B-C-A wherein each A block is formed of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon, preferably styrene, and has a weight average molecular weight of 5,000 to 50,000. B is a polybutadiene block having a weight average molecular weight of 1,000 to 15,000 and a vinyl content of less than 25% by weight, and C is an elastomeric conjugated diene polymer block having a weight average molecular weight of 25,000 to 200,000 and has a vinyl content of 30 to 90%, preferably 35 to 80%, and most preferably 35 to 70% by weight. In the second embodiment of the present invention, there is provided a hydrogenated block copolymer of the formula A-B-C-B-A wherein A, B, and C have the definitions set forth above.

Abstract: A method of manufacturing a thermoplastic polyurethane having a tensile strength of greater than 20 MPa is described, the method using a co-rotating reaction extruder to react the following: (i) an isocyanate having two isocyanate groups per molecule; (ii) a polydiene diol having from 1.6 to about 2 terminal hydroxyl groups per molecule and a number average weight of at least 500 and less than 20,000; and (iii) one or more chain extenders.

Abstract: The invention herein relates to unsaturated monohydroxylated polydiene polymers which are comprised of at least two polymerizable ethenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers wherein at least one is a diene monomer which yields unsaturation suitable for epoxidation. The invention also encompasses partially hydrogenated and/or epoxidized derivatives of these novel monohydroxylated polydiene polymers. The preferred monohydroxylated polydiene polymer of the present invention has a structural formula (HO)x—A—Sz—B—(OH)y 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. These polymers may contain up to 60% by weight of at least one vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon, preferably styrene.

Abstract: Radial block copolymers that exhibit one phase melt behavior at a temperature below the degradation temperature of the radial block copolymer. The radial block copolymers have a plurality of arms, wherein each arm has a numerical average molecular weight of from about 5,000 to about 30,000, each arm includes a monoalkenyl aromatic hydrocarbon block and a hydrogenated conjugated diolefin block, and the monoalkenyl aromatic hydrocarbon is preferably present in an amount of from about 10 wt % to about 40 wt % of the radial block copolymer. Also disclosed is a process for preparing the one phase melt block copolymers.

Abstract: An epoxidized low viscosity polydiene polymer which has the structural formula

Abstract: A process for preparing a thermoplastic polyurethane resin from a polydiene having terminal functional groups selected from the group consisting of hydroxy, amine, and carboxylic acid, at least one polymeric diol selected from the group consisting of polyester polyols, polyether polyols, and polycarbonate polyols, an isocyanate having an average functionality of 2, and a chain extender which comprises: (a) first reacting the polydiene and the isocyanate at 70 to 100° C. for 10 to 60 minutes, (b) adding to the reaction product of (a) the polymeric diol and reacting these components at 70 to 100° C. for 60 to 150 minutes to form a prepolymer, and (c) adding the chain extender and reacting these components at 70 to 125° C. for 1 to 24 hours to form a thermoplastic polyurethane.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a compounded rubber composition comprising: (a) a hydrogenated, polydiene diol based polyurethane having a hard segment content of 10% or greater; (b) a non-polar extender oil in an amount from 10 to 400 phr; and/or (c) one or more thermoplastic resin(s) in an amount from 5 to 100 phr. The invention further relates to molded articles prepared from the compounded rubber composition of the present invention.

Abstract: A process for curing epoxidized diene polymers for use in adhesives, sealants, and coatings which comprises contacting the polymer with an aromatic anhydride curing agent at an epoxy/anhydride molar ratio from 0.5/1 to 2.0/1.0, optionally, and from 0.1 to 10 phr of an accelerator at a temperature of from 100 to for a period of 10 minutes to six hours.

Abstract: The present invention is polyurethane compositions comprising from 1 to 80% by weight of a polydiene diol having from 1.6 to 2, more preferably 1.8 to 2, and most preferably 1.9 to 2, terminal hydroxyl groups per molecule and a number average molecular weight between 500 and 20,000, more preferably between 1,000 and 10,000, from 20 to 99% by weight of a hard segment comprised of an isocyanate having two isocyanates groups per molecule and dimer diol as a chain extender. The polyurethane compositions described herein are stronger than other polydiene diol-based polyurethane compositions.

Abstract: A process for curing epoxidized diene polymers for use in adhesives, sealants, and coatings which comprises contacting the polymer with an aromatic anhydride curing agent at an epoxy/anhydride molar ratio from 0.5/1 to 2.0/1.0, optionally, and from 0.1 to 10 phr of an accelerator at a temperature of from 100.degree. to 200.degree. C. for a period of 10 minutes to six hours.

Abstract: A process for incorporation of epoxidized polydienes into aromatic epoxy resins which comprises (a) blending the epoxidized polydiene into a curing agent in a ratio of 1:20 to 1:4, (b) reacting the epoxidized polydiene and a curing agent at a temperature of from 100.degree. to 150.degree. C. over a time from 10 to 100 minutes, (c) mixing the pre-reacted epoxidized polydiene and curing agent with the aromatic epoxy resin and accelerator, and (d) curing the aromatic epoxy resin by heating the full mixture of paragraph (c) to a temperature of from 110.degree. to 170.degree. C. for from 2 to 6 hours.

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, andwherein p and q are 0 or 1 and n>0, r is 0 or 1, m.gtoreq.

Abstract: A process for curing and foaming epoxidized diene polymers which comprises contacting the polymer with a nonaromatic anhydride curing agent at an epoxy/anhydride molar ratio from 0.6 to 1.4 and from 2 to 10 phr of an accelerator at a temperature of from 100.degree. to 200.degree. C. for a period of 10 minutes to six hours.

Abstract: In a process of curing epoxidized polymers of conjugated dienes which contain aromatic moieties by exposing the polymers to ultraviolet radiation in the presence of a photoinitiator, the improvement which comprises reducing the amount of irradiation necessary to achieve an effective cure by adding a small but effective amount of a photosensitizer which absorbs UV radiation in a wavelength range which is not obscured by the polymer to the polymer prior to or during irradiation.