Thermoplastic elastomer compounds exhibiting shape memory via thermo-mechanical action
AssigneePolyOne Corporation
InventorLiang Xu
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Abstract
A thermoplastic elastomer compound is disclosed having a high strain recovery rate and a high strain fixity rate to provide shape memory, preferably manageable shape memory. One type of thermoplastic elastomer compound is comprises a maleated styrenic block copolymer and polycaprolactone to achieve the shape memory. A second type of thermoplastic elastomer compound comprises styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene and a paraffin wax having less than about 0.5% oil content. Shape modes of articles made from the thermoplastic elastomer compound can be altered by at least one thermo-mechanical event to cause deformation of the compound from a first shape to a second shape with retention of the compound in the second shape for any reasonable time interval.
Claims16
A thermoplastic elastomer compound comprising:
- at least one thermoplastic elastomer and
- at least one other polymer,
- neither of which having a shape memory but together as a blend having shape memory.
A thermoplastic elastomer compound comprising:
- at least one thermoplastic elastomer and
- at least one other material comprising a polymer or a wax,
- neither of which having a shape memory but together as a blend having shape memory.
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.