US 5,294,678 A · Entanglement-inhibited macromolecules

Abstract

A grafted and/or functionalized macromolecule comprises entanglement-inhibited architecture wherein the polymer exhibits reduced melt viscosity. In one embodiment, the macromolecule comprises a polymer of an isoolefin having about 4 to about 7 carbon atom and a para-alkylstyrene, wherein a grafted macromonomer such as a terminally functionalized polystyryl chain of very narrow molecular weight distribution is attached to the para-alkyl group of the para-alkylstyrene such that entanglement of adjacent chains in the melt are inhibited. In addition to distributed macromonomer grafts, other functionality may be attached to the para-alkyl group of the para-alkylstyrene to introduce other desirable properties such as radiation curability. In another embodiment the macromolecule comprises a polymer of one or more simple olefinic monomers wherein a macromolecule is attached to pendent functionality and/or copolymerized into the polymer backbone. A particularly preferred macromonomer comprises a terminal norbornene functional group.

Claims62

Dependent claims

A polymer, comprising:

macromolecules having an entanglement-inhibiting architecture including a main chain and a plurality of side chains distributed along said main chain;
wherein an average molecular weight of segments of said main chain between adjacent side chains (M.sub.MCS) is in a range of from about 0.02 M.sub.e.sup.A to about 2 M.sub.e.sup.A, wherein M.sub.e.sup.A is the entanglement molecular weight of said main chain;
and
wherein said side chains have an average molecular weight (M.sub.SC) in a range of from about 0.02 M.sub.e.sup.B to about 2 M.sub.e.sup.B, wherein M.sub.e.sup.B is the entanglement molecular weight of said side chains.

1 more element

A method for producing an entanglement inhibited grafted polymer, comprising the steps of:

(a) preparing a copolymer main chain of an isoolefin having from about 4 to about 7 carbon atoms and a para-alkylstyrene having a substantially homogeneous compositional distribution;
(b) halogenating said para-alkylstyrene in said polymer, said halide radicals being substantially alkylhalide radicals attached to the pendant para-alkylstyrene and primarily alkylmonohalide radicals;
(c) introducing side chains attached to said para-alkyl groups by contacting said halogenated copolymer with a mononucleophilically terminated macromonomer to nucleophilically substitute said macromonomer as said side chains at said halogenated para-alkylstyrene groups, wherein an average molecular weight of segments of said copolymer main chain between said side chains is from about 0.02 M.sub.e.sup.A to about 2 M.sub.e.sup.A, wherein M.sub.e.sup.A is an entanglement molecular weight of the main chain, and wherein said macromonomer side chains have an average molecular weight of from about 0.02 M.sub.e.sup.B to about 2 M.sub.e.sup.B, wherein M.sub.e.sup.B is an entanglement molecular weight of said mononucleophilically terminated macromonomer;
and
(d) optionally attaching additional functionality to said para-alkyl groups by contacting said halogenated copolymer with a nucleophilic reagent containing oxygen, sulfur, silicon nitrogen, carbon, phosphorus or a metal selected from sodium, potassium, lithium and magnesium.

2 more elements

Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.

Entanglement-inhibited macromolecules

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Entanglement-inhibited macromolecules

Life of this patent

Abstract

Claims62