Encapsulated cure systems

A curable composition comprising one or more liquid polymerizable monomers, oligomers, prepolymers or a combination thereof and an encapsulated cure system said encapsulated cure system comprising:

• a) a carrier material,
• b) an effective amount of a curative contained in said carrier material suitable for effecting cure of the aforementioned liquid polymerizable material, and
• c) a polymer capsule encasing said carrier material wherein the curative is (i) non-reactive with the carrier material in the encapsulate state, (ii) entrapped or substantially non-migratory in the carrier material and (iii) present at a concentration of at least 0.1 weight percent based on the weight of the carrier material and wherein the carrier is a natural or synthetic material or composition that is non-flowing to the extent that sufficient curative necessary to effect polymerization of a curable composition is not made available without altering the carrier to a flowable state and/or applying mechanical forces to the carrier to work the carrier and thereby expose or make available more of the entrapped curative, wherein the carrier material is selected from the group consisting of hot melts, pressure sensitive adhesives, rubber materials, elastomer/tackifier compositions, a polymer whose Tg is less than 35° C., semi-solid and solid resins, starches and starch-based polymers, hydrogels, low temperature waxes and a thickened or gel-like mass of one or more monomers, oligomers, prepolymers or combinations thereof.

An adhesive or sealant composition that is capable of being preapplied to a substrate comprising:

• a) an encapsulated cure system containing a curative and
• b) a separately encapsulated liquid curable composition, both encapsulated components (a) and (b) being dispersed in
• c) a binder for adhering the encapsulated components to the substrate to which they are to be applied;
• wherein the curative is present in an effective amount for effecting cure of the encapsulated liquid curable composition and wherein the encapsulated cure system comprises the aforementioned curative, a carrier material in which the curative is incorporated and a polymer capsule encasing said carrier material wherein the curative is (i) non-reactive with the carrier material in the encapsulate state, (ii) entrapped or substantially non-migratory in the carrier material and (iii) present at a concentration of at least 0.1 weight percent based on the weight of the carrier material and wherein the carrier is a natural or synthetic material or composition that is non-flowing to the extent that sufficient curative necessary to effect polymerization of a curable composition is not made available without altering the carrier to a flowable state and/or applying mechanical forces to the carrier to work the carrier and thereby expose or make available more of the entrapped curative, wherein the carrier material is selected from the group consisting of hot melts, pressure sensitive adhesives, rubber materials, elastomer/tackifier compositions, a polymer whose Tg is less than 35° C., semi-solid and solid resins, starches and starch-based polymers, hydrogels, low temperature waxes and a thickened or gel-like mass of one or more monomers, oligomers, prepolymers or combinations thereof.