Thermoplastic elastomers via reversible addition-fragmentation chain transfer polymerization of triglycerides

A telechelic thermoplastic block copolymer having an architecture of (PA-PB)n-TCTA-(PB-PA)n or (PB-PA)n-TCTA-(PA-PB)n, wherein:

• PA represents a polymer block comprising one or more units of monomer A and PB represents a branched chain polymer block comprising one or more units of monomer B, with monomer A being a vinyl, acrylic, diolefin, nitrile, dinitrile, acrylonitrile monomer, a monomer with reactive functionality, or a crosslinking monomer, and monomer B being a radically polymerizable triglyceride or mixtures thereof, in the form of a plant oil, animal oil, or synthetic triglycerides;
• and
• n is an integer ranging from 1 to 10,
• wherein TCTA is a moiety in the PB block or PA block from a telechelic chain transfer agent used to produce the telechelic thermoplastic block copolymer and wherein said block copolymer has a number average degree of polymerization (Nn) of up to 100,000 without gelation.

A method of preparing a thermoplastic block copolymer, said method comprising:

• providing a radically polymerizable monomer, represented by A, or a polymer block PA comprising one or more units of monomer A;
• providing a radically polymerizable triglyceride or mixture thereof, in the form of a plant oil, animal oil, or synthetic triglycerides, in the form of a plant or animal oil, represented by B;
• and
• polymerizing monomer A or the polymer block PA with monomer B via reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization (RAFT), in the presence of a free radical initiator and a chain transfer agent, to form the thermoplastic block copolymer, which includes a branched-chain PB block, wherein said polymerizing is carried out under conditions effective to achieve a number average degree of polymerization (Nn) for the thermoplastic block copolymer of up to 100,000 without gelation.

A method of preparing a thermoplastic block copolymer, said method comprising:

• providing a radically polymerizable triglyceride or mixture thereof, in the form of a plant oil, animal oil, or synthetic triglycerides, represented by B, or a polymer block PB comprising one or more units of monomer B;
• providing a radically polymerizable monomer, represented by A;
• and
• polymerizing monomer B or the polymer block PB with monomer A via reversible addition-fragmentation chain-transfer polymerization (RAFT), in the presence of a free radical initiator and a chain transfer agent, to form the thermoplastic block copolymer, which includes a branched-chain PB block, wherein said polymerizing is carried out under conditions effective to achieve a number average degree of polymerization (Nn) for the thermoplastic block copolymer of up to 100,000 without gelation.