# US 5,993,696 A · Electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomeric composition and its use > Agents: this data is available as JSON from the patentgrep API and MCP server — see https://patentgrep.com/llms.txt - Number: US 5,993,696 A - Document ID: US5993696A - Status: Granted - Kind: A - Application number: 09/000,237 - Filed: 1998-04-09 - Granted: 1999-11-30 - Earliest claimed: 1995-08-10 - Assignees: Optatech Corporation - Inventors: Kalle Hanhi; Viveca Lonnberg; Keijo Pyorala - Web page: https://patentgrep.com/patent/US5993696A ## CPC - H01B 1/128: {comprising six-membered aromatic rings in the main chain, e.g. polyanilines, polyphenylenes} - C08L 79/02: Polyamines - H01B: CABLES; CONDUCTORS; INSULATORS; SELECTION OF MATERIALS FOR THEIR CONDUCTIVE, INSULATING OR DIELECTRIC PROPERTIES (selection for magnetic properties H01F1/00; waveguides H01P {; printed circuits H05K}) - C08L: COMPOSITIONS OF MACROMOLECULAR COMPOUNDS (compositions based on polymerisable monomers C08F, C08G; artificial filaments or fibres D01F; textile treating compositions D06) ## Abstract The invention comprises a thermoplastic elastomer blend which is composed of a) about 10-90 w-% of a thermoplastic elastomer component which is chosen from the following ones: a styrene block copolymer of the type A-B-A, where A stands for a polystyrene block and B stands for a soft or elastic polymer block; a blend of an olefin homopolymer or olefin copolymer with a thermoplastic or crosslinked elastomer, and b) about 90-1 w-% of an inherently electrically conductive polymer component comprising polyaniline or its derivative which has been doped by a protonic acid. ## Claims ### Claim 1 An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend, characterized in that it comprises a) above 10 to 99 w-% of a thermoplastic elastomer component which has been chosen from the following types An A-B-A type of styrene block copolymer in which A stands for a polystyrene block and B stands for a soft or elastic polymer block; A blend of an olefin homopolymer or olefin copolymer and a crosslinked elastomer and b) about 90-1 w-% of an inherently electrically conductive polymer component, which is composed of polyaniline or its derivative which has been doped by a protonic acid. ### Claim 2 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, characterized in that the portion of component b) is about 90-5 w-%. ### Claim 3 (depends on 2) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 2, wherein the portion of component b) is about 40-10 w-%. ### Claim 4 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastomer component a) is an A-B-A type of styrene block copolymer in which A is a polystyrene block and B is a poly(ethylene-co-butylene) block (SEBS). ### Claim 5 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastomer component a) is a blend of propylene homopolymer and ethylene-propylene-diene rubber (EPDM) in which the rubber is crosslinked (vulcanized). ### Claim 6 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, characterized in that the elastomer component a) has been chosen from the following types: a blend of poly(ethylene-co-vinylacetate) and acrylate rubber; a blend of poly (ethylene-co-butylacrylate) and acrylate rubber; a blend of linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE) and acrylate rubber; a blend of polypropylene random copolymer and acrylate rubber. ### Claim 7 (depends on 5) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 5, characterized in that the acrylic rubber in the elastomer component a) is a C.sub.1 -C.sub.12 -alkyl-acrylate polymer or a C.sub.4 -C.sub.14 -alkylmethacrylate polymer, with a glass transition temperature below +20.degree. C. ### Claim 8 (depends on 5) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 5, characterized in that the acrylate rubber in the elastomer component a) represents 20-90 w-% of the blend. ### Claim 9 (depends on 6) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 6, wherein the acrylate rubber is made in situ and crosslinked. ### Claim 10 (depends on 6) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 6, characterized in that the acrylic rubber in the elastomer component a) is a C.sub.2 -C.sub.12 -alkyl-acrylate polymer or a C.sub.8 -C.sub.14 -alkylmethacrylate polymer. ### Claim 11 (depends on 6) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 6, wherein the acrylic rubber in the elastomer component a) has a glass transition temperature below -20.degree. C. ### Claim 12 (depends on 6) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 6, characterized in that the acrylic rubber in the elastomer component a) is an ethylhexylacrylate polymer or a butyl-acrylate polymer. ### Claim 13 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, characterized in that the inherently electrically conductive polymer component b) is composed of the emeraldine base polyaniline which has been doped with a protonic acid. ### Claim 14 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, characterized in that the inherently electrically conductive polymer component b) is polyaniline or its derivative, which has been doped with a protonic acid which is an organic sulphonic acid. ### Claim 15 (depends on 14) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 14, wherein the organic sulphonic acid is an aromatic sulphonic acid. ### Claim 16 (depends on 15) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 15, wherein the aromatic sulphonic acid is dodecyl-benzene sulphonic acid. ### Claim 17 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, characterized in that the inherently electrically conductive polymer component b) is a product made from polyaniline or its derivative and a protonic acid and which has been made by contacting polyaniline or its derivative and the protonic acid under high shear forces at a temperature of about 80-250.degree. C. ### Claim 18 (depends on 17) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 17, wherein the polyaniline or its derivative and the protonic acid are contacted by mixing in melt compounding equipment. ### Claim 19 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, characterized in that the inherently electrically conductive polymer component b) also, comprises a metal compound. ### Claim 20 (depends on 19) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 19, wherein the metal compound is a metal salt or a reaction product of a metal oxide or metal hydroxide and a protonic acid. ### Claim 21 (depends on 20) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 20, wherein the metal compound is the reaction product of zinc oxide and dodecyl-benzene sulphonic acid. ### Claim 22 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, characterized in that it has been obtained by melt processing the thermoplastic elastomer component a) and the inherently electrically conductive polymer component b). ### Claim 23 (depends on 12) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 12, characterized in that it has been obtained by melt processing a thermoplastic elastomer component a) which is a named A-B-A type of styrene block copolymer and the inherently electrically conductive polymer component b) using an extruder with a temperature of about 160.degree.-210.degree. C. ### Claim 24 (depends on 23) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 23, wherein the extruder has a screw rotation speed of about 40-170 l/min. ### Claim 25 (depends on 12) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 12, characterized in that it has been obtained by melt processing a thermoplastic elastomer component a) which is a blend of an olefin homopolymer or olefin copolymer with a thermoplastic or crosslinked elastomer, and an inherently electrically conductive polymer component b) using an extruder with a temperature of about 165-220.degree. C. ### Claim 26 (depends on 25) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 25, wherein the extruder has a screw rotation speed of about 50-200 l/min. ### Claim 27 (depends on 1) An antistatic material and/or EMI shielding material comprising an electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1. ### Claim 28 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, wherein the olefin is ethylene or propylene. ### Claim 29 (depends on 1) An electrically conductive thermoplastic elastomer blend according to claim 1, wherein the A-B-A-type styrene block copolymer is present in an amount of 60-90 w-%.