Hydroxyl-containing thiol-alkene ethers and process of making and using same

Abstract

The present invention relates to hydroxyl-containing thiol-alkene ethers and process of making and using same. Such monomers minimize the drawbacks of current monomers as they are highly miscible, stable and yet can be converted within seconds to polymeric materials by the addition of a radical initiator, heating and/or exposure to UV light. Polymers that are made from the disclosed monomers may be used to produce elastomers, adhesives and as resins for processes such as casting and 3D printing that are used to make articles. Furthermore, such monomers do not exhibit the objectionable odor that is normally associated with thiol containing resin materials and such monomers have a low viscosity so a diluent is not when required when a resin containing the disclosed monomers is used as resin for casting and 3D printing. As a result, articles that are made from such resins do not undergo dimensional and/or structural changes that occur when diluents are removed during final processing.

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.