# US 5,349,015 A · Melt blending acid or anhydride-crafted block copolymer pellets with epoxy resin > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,349,015 A - Document ID: US5349015A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 07/448,192 - Filed: 1989-12-08 - Granted: 1994-09-20 - Earliest claimed: 1989-12-08 - Assignees: Shell Oil Company - Inventors: Lorelle A. Pottick; David J. St. Clair - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5349015A ## CPC - C08L 63/00: Compositions of epoxy resins; Compositions of derivatives of epoxy resins - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) ## Abstract A process for producing an epoxy resin adhesive comprises melt blending 0.05-0.3 inch pellets, a modified hydrogenated block copolymer comprising at least one polymeric block containing predominantly monoalkenyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomer units and at least one polymeric block, prior to hydrogenation, containing predominantly conjugated diolefin monomer units and being modified with from 2 to about 200 anhydride or dicarboxylic acid groups are modified hydrogenated block copolymer molecule with an epoxy resin. The anhydride or acid groups are incorporated substantially into that portion of the polymer containing predominantly conjugated diolefin monomer units. The epoxy resin-modified block copolymer blend is held under high shear mixing under conditions sufficient to react an amount of the modified hydrogenated block copolymer functional groups with epoxy groups effective to provide a stable dispersion of the modified hydrogenated block copolymer in the epoxy resin. ## Claims ### Claim 1 A process to produce an epoxy resin composition comprising the steps of: a) providing from 1 to about 100 parts by weight of pellets having an average particle size within the range of 0.05 in. to 0.3 in. of modified hydrogenated block copolymer comprising at least one block comprising predominantly polymerized monoalkenyl aromatic hydrocarbon monomer units, and at least one block comprising predominantly, before hydrogenation, polymerized conjugated diolefin monomer units, the hydrogenated block copolymer having been modified by grafting substantially to the blocks of polymerized conjugated diolefin monomer units, on the average, between about 2 and about 200 maleic anhydride functional groups for each polymer molecule of modified hydrogenated block copolymer; b) melt blending the modified hydrogenated block copolymer with 100 parts by weight of an epoxy resin; c) agitating the blend by high shear mixing under conditions sufficient to react an amount of the maleic anhydride functional groups with epoxy groups of the epoxy resin effective to provide a stable dispersion of modified hydrogenated block copolymer in the epoxy resin; and d) recovering an epoxy resin composition. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the monoalkenyl aromatic hydrocarbon is styrene. ### Claim 3 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the conjugated diolefin is butadiene. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the conjugated diolefin is isoprene. ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the modified hydrogenated block copolymer is hydrogenated so that at least 80% of the ethylenic unsaturation initially contained therein is hydrogenated without hydrogenating the aromatic unsaturation. ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein more than about 90% of the initial aromatic unsaturation remains unsaturated after hydrogenation. ### Claim 7 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the epoxy resin may be represented by the general formula: ##STR2## wherein: n is a number from 0 to about 6. ### Claim 8 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the epoxy resin is a liquid epoxy resin. ### Claim 9 (depends on 7) The process of claim 7 wherein n is about 0.2. ### Claim 10 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the conditions sufficient to react an amount of the maleic anhydride functional groups with epoxy groups include holding at a temperature above 150.degree. C. for greater than 15 minutes. ### Claim 11 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the conditions sufficient to react an amount the maleic anhydride functional groups with epoxy groups include holding at a temperature above 150.degree. C. for greater than about 1 hour. ### Claim 12 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the modified hydrogenated block copolymer is a modified polystyrene-hydrogenated polyisoprene diblock copolymer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the modified hydrogenated block copolymer is a modified polystyrene-hydrogenated polybutadienepolystyrene triblock copolymer. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) The product of the process of claim 1. ### Claim 15 (depends on 1) The process of claim 1 wherein the amount of the maleic anhydride functional groups in step (c) is substantially all of the maleic anhydride functional groups.