Fatigue resistant and fracture resistant hydrogels
AssigneeColorado State University Research Foundation
InventorsTravis S. Bailey, Allee S. Klug
Life of this patent
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Abstract
The present disclosure relates to triblock and pentablock copolymers and methods of making thereof. Aspects of the disclosure further relate to block copolymer hydrogels that exhibit both fatigue resistance and fracture resistance with superior rates of recovery.
Claims20
A polymeric material comprising a blend, wherein the blend comprises at least one triblock copolymer and at least one pentablock copolymer, wherein the at least one triblock copolymer comprises a triblock copolymer according to formula (I):
- A-B-C (I)
- wherein,
- A is a polystyrene block;
- B is a polydiene block;
- and
- C is a polyalkylene oxide block, and
- wherein the at least one pentablock copolymer comprises a pentablock copolymer according to formula (II):
- A-B-C-B-A (II)
- wherein,
- A is a polystyrene block;
- B is a polydiene block;
- and
- C is a polyalkylene oxide block.
A block copolymer hydrogel, comprising:
- a glass formed from a dry blend comprising at least one triblock copolymer and at least one pentablock copolymer;
- and
- a liquid medium at a concentration between about 32:1 and about 2:1 liquid medium/dry blend by weight, wherein the at least one triblock copolymer comprises a triblock copolymer according to formula (I):
- A-B-C (I)
- wherein,
- A is a polystyrene block;
- B is a polydiene block;
- and
- C is a polyalkylene oxide block, and wherein the at least one pentablock copolymer comprises a pentablock copolymer according to formula (II):
- A-B-C-B-A (II)
- wherein,
- A is a polystyrene block;
- B is a polydiene block;
- and
- C is a polyalkylene oxide block.
A method for preparing a block copolymer hydrogel, comprising:
- contacting at least one triblock copolymer and at least one pentablock copolymer in a molar ratio from between 95:5 and 1:99 triblock copolymer to pentablock copolymer to form a triblock-pentablock copolymer dry blend;
- heating the dry blend to form a triblock-pentablock copolymer melt;
- allowing the triblock-pentablock copolymer melt to attain ambient temperature to form a triblock-pentablock copolymer glass;
- and
- contacting the triblock-pentablock copolymer glass with a liquid medium to form a block copolymer hydrogel
- wherein the at least one triblock copolymer comprises a triblock copolymer according to formula (I):
- A-B-C (I)
- wherein,
- A is a polystyrene block;
- B is a polydiene block;
- and
- C is a polyalkylene oxide block, and
- wherein the at least one pentablock copolymer comprises a pentablock copolymer according to formula (II):
- A-B-C-B-A (II)
- wherein,
- A is a polystyrene block;
- B is a polydiene block;
- and
- C is a polyalkylene oxide block.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.