Adhesive viscoelastomer and its use in stabilized storage containers

A storage container combination equipped with a viscoelastomeric thermoset reaction product possessing stable cohesive release and adhesive properties so as to adhesively engage a stowable item at a desired set position and to release the stowable item upon disengagement from the set position while leaving no more than a trace amount of residue of the reaction product upon the stowed item released therefrom, wherein said combination comprises:

• a) a supportive base having a sufficient supportive structure to support the stowable item, and
• b) a container insert supported by the supportive base wherein said insert consists essentially of the thermoset reaction product, wherein the thermoset reaction product has been derived from a thermosetting reaction media comprising from about 10 to about 35 percent by weight polyether diol, about 25 to about 35 percent by weight polyether triol, about 4 to about 7 percent by weight of a diisocyanate prepolymer, about 20 to less than 50 percent by weight of an epoxidized vegetable oil plasticizer and from 0 to about 40 percent by weight of an ester plasticizer;
• wherein the reaction media further comprises a polyether diol to polyether triol weight ratio ranging from about 7:13 to about 13:7;
• and
• wherein the reaction media has been catalyzed in the presence of a catalytic amount of a curing catalyst.

A method for preparing a container combination having an antipathogenic surface and sufficient adhesiveness to retain a stowed item at a stabilized stowed position and to cohesively release the stowed item from the stowed position upon the application of a sufficient force to overcome an adhesive attraction therebetween, said method comprising:

• a) providing a supportive base having a surface area of a sufficient size and a structural integrity to support the stowed item, and
• b) placing a cohesive and adhesive thermoset viscoelastomeric insert in an interfacing relationship to the surface area of the supportive base wherein the insert compositionally comprises a thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product formed from a thermosetting reaction media comprising:
• a) about 10 to about 35 percent by weight polyether diol;
• b) about 25 to about 35 percent by weight polyether triol;
• c) about 4 to about 7 percent by weight isocyanate prepolymer;
• and
• d) about 20 to less than 50 percent by weight epoxidized vegetable oil plasticizer;
• wherein a reaction of the thermosetting reaction media is carried out in the presence of an effective amount of a catalyst for curing the thermosetting reaction media.

A thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product having a desired degree of adhesiveness and cohesiveness towards stowable items placed in releasable contact therewith, said thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product comprising a reaction product of a thermosetting reaction media comprising:

• a) from about 3 to about 8 percent by weight of an isocyanate prepolymer;
• b) from about 20 to about 40 percent by weight of a cross-linking polyoxyalkylene triol;
• c) from about 20 to about 40 percent by weight of a straight chain producing polyoxyalkylene diol;
• d) from 0 to less than 50 percent by weight of an epoxidized triglyceride plasticizer;
• and
• e) an effective amount of an ester plasticizer in excess of 5 percent by weight;
• wherein the thermosetting reaction media further comprises a polyoxyalkylene diol to polyoxyalkylene triol weight ratio of about 7:13 to about 13:7;
• wherein cross-linking is caused by the polymerization of the cross-linking polyoxyalkylene triols being separated by intervening straight chain bridging polymerizates provided by the polyoxyalkylene diols;
• and
• wherein the amount of epoxidized triglyceride plasticizer and ester plasticizer present in the thermosetting reaction media is sufficient to permit a formation of the thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product in a desired reaction product form.

A thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product obtained from a thermosetting reaction media comprising:

• a) from about 3 to about 10 percent by weight of an isocyanate prepolymer;
• b) from about 10 to about 40 percent by weight of a polyether triol having a molecular weight of at least 1000;
• c) from about 10 to about 35 percent by weight of a polyether diol having a molecular weight of at least 1000;
• and
• d) from about 20 to less than 50 percent by weight of a plasticizer,
• wherein the thermosetting reaction media further comprises a polyether diol to polyether triol weight ratio of 7:13 to 13:7;
• and
• wherein the polyether diol provides sufficient straight chain linkage to permit a loading of an effective amount of the plasticizer within the thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product and to impart sufficient adhesiveness and cohesiveness to the thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product so as to effectively adhesively engage a stowed item and to cohesively release the stowed item without leaving more than a nominal amount of the thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product upon the stowed item released therefrom.

A method for preparing an adhesive and cohesive thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product article possessing sufficient adhesiveness to immobilize an adhesively adhered item thereto against displacement, said method comprising:

• a) providing a substantially uniform uncured thermosetting reaction media admixture comprising an isocyanate prepolymer, an effective amount of a plasticizer containing less than 50 percent by weight of the thermosetting reaction media of an epoxidized triglyceride plasticizer, from about 35 to about 55 percent by weight polyols with said polyols consisting essentially of straight chain linking diols and cross-linking triols each having repetitive oxygen containing functional groups;
• b) preforming the thermosetting reaction media admixture into a desired preformed article comprising a sufficient surface area to adhesively engage the adhered item;
• and
• c) curing the preformed article to provide the thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product article;
• wherein thermosetting reaction media admixture further comprises a diol to triol weight ratio of about 7:13 to about 13:7;
• and
• wherein the diol to triol weight ratio and the amount of plasticizer within the thermoset viscoelastomeric reaction product article are sufficient to stabilize the adhesively adhered item against displacement while providing sufficient cohesiveness so as to cohesively release the adhesively adhered item without leaving more than a nominal amount of polymeric residue upon the adhesively adhered item released therefrom.