Modified resins and uses thereof

A modified thermoplastic resin, wherein the modified thermoplastic resin possesses the properties of formula I:

• S
• =
• (
• T
• g
• M
• z
• )
• ⁢
• /
• [
• Oligomer
• ×
• (
• 1
• -
• T
• 1
• ⁢
• 0
• T
• max
• )
• ]
• I
• wherein Tg is the glass transition temperature in degrees Celsius of the modified thermoplastic resin;
• wherein Mz is the z-average molecular weight of the modified thermoplastic resin;
• wherein Oligomer is the fraction of oligomer present in the modified thermoplastic resin as measured by high resolution thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA) or gel permeation chromatography (GPC);
• wherein T10 is the temperature at which the modified thermoplastic resin loses about 10% of its weight as measured by high resolution TGA;
• wherein Tmax is the temperature of the maximum first derivative value of the modified thermoplastic resin as measured by high resolution TGA;
• wherein the value of S is greater than or equal to 2 and less than 50,000 when Oligomer is determined by GPC, or greater than or equal to 5 and less than 16 when Oligomer is determined by high resolution TGA;
• wherein the value of Mz is less than or equal to 9,000 g/mol,
• wherein the modified thermoplastic resin is obtained by modification of hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C9 thermoplastic resin, and
• wherein the value of Tg/Mz is greater than or equal to 0.19 K/(g/mol).

A method of manufacturing a modified thermoplastic resin, which comprises:

• polymerizing or co-polymerizing one or more of an unsaturated aliphatic monomer, terpenes, rosin acid, unsaturated cycloaromatic monomers, unsaturated cycloaliphatic monomers, unsaturated fatty acids, methacrylates, unsaturated aromatic monomers, vinyl aromatic monomers, and an unsaturated aliphatic/aromatic monomer mixture;
• and
• selectively reducing the amount of oligomer in the modified thermoplastic resin,
• wherein the modified thermoplastic resin:
• has a glass transition temperature (Tg) of between −50° C. and 160° C.,
• has a number average molecular (Mn) weight of less than 3,000 g/mol,
• has a z-average molecular weight (Mz) of less than 9,000 g/mol,
• comprises less than or equal to 55 wt % oligomers by gel permeation chromatography (GPC), or less than or equal to 38 wt % by high resolution thermogravimetric analysis (TGA), and
• wherein oligomers consist of dimers, trimers, tetramer, pentamers, or a mixture thereof, of the one or more monomers,
• wherein the modified thermoplastic resin is hydrogenated or partially hydrogenated C9 thermoplastic resin, and
• wherein when the oligomer content is determined by GPC, then the value of Tg/Mz of the modified thermoplastic resin is greater than or equal to 0.19 K/(g/mol),
• the percent modified thermoplastic resin having a molecular weight of less than 300 g/mol is less than or equal to 10, and the percent modified thermoplastic resin having a molecular weight of less than 600 g/mol is less than 34.