The invention claimed is:
1 . A silane functionalized block copolymer comprising:
(a) 80 to 99.90 wt. % of a hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer; and (b) 0.1 to 20 wt. % of a silane, based on the total weight of the silane functionalized block copolymer, wherein the silane has a general formula (I):
RR′ n SiX 3-n (I)
wherein R is an alkene or an alkyne group, R′ is a H or an alkane group, X is an alkoxy group, and n=0, 1, or 2; wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer is obtained by hydrogenation of a styrenic block copolymer comprising at least one polymer block A derived from a vinyl aromatic monomer, and at least one polymer block B derived from a conjugated diene monomer;
wherein the polymer block B has:
a hydrogenation level of greater than 95 mol %, based on the total mol of the polymerized conjugated diene monomer in the polymer block B; and
an amount of polymerized 1,3-butadiene monomer of greater than 80 wt. %, based on the total weight of the polymerized conjugated diene monomer in the polymer block B;
wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has:
a molecular weight M p of 40 to 500 kg/mol;
a rubbery aliphatic methyl index of 18 to 38; and
a polystyrene content of 8 to 45 wt. %, based on the total weight of the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer;
wherein the silane functionalized block copolymer has: a peel adhesion strength to glass substrate of greater than 20 N/cm, measured according to ASTM F88, and a melt flow rate, at 190° C. with 2.16 kg load, of greater than 15 dg/min, measured according to ASTM D1238.
2 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has an order-disorder-transition temperature of less than 300° C.
3 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has a solution viscosity at 25 wt. % in toluene at 25° C. of less than or equal to 1800 mPa·s.
4 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the polymer block A has a molecular weight M p of 3 to 45 kg/mol, and the polymer block B has a molecular weight of M p of 5 to 400 kg/mol.
5 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the silane functionalized block copolymer has a refractive index of 1.45 to 1.55.
6 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the vinyl aromatic monomer is selected from the group of styrene, alpha-methylstyrene, methyl styrene, para-methylstyrene, ethyl styrene, propyl styrene, butyl styrene, tert-butyl styrene, dimethyl styrene, halogenated styrene, methoxy styrene, acetoxy styrene, vinyl toluene, isomers of vinyl toluene, vinyl xylene, 1,1 vinyl biphenyl, vinyl naphthalene, vinyl anthracene, and mixture thereof.
7 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein any additional conjugated diene monomer is selected from the group of isoprene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, 1-phenyl-1,3-butadiene, 1,3-pentadiene, 1,3-hexadiene, 3-butyl-1,3-octadiene, myrcene, farnesene, 1,3-cyclohexadiene, piperylene, and mixtures thereof.
8 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the silane functionalized block copolymer comprises 0.1 to 10 wt. % of silane grafted onto the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer.
9 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the polymer block A has a hydrogenation level of less than 30 mol %, and the polymer block B has a hydrogenation level of greater than 70 mol %, based on the total mol of the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer.
10 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the styrenic block copolymer has a structure selected from the group of A-B, A-B-A, (A-B) n X, (A-B-B′) n X, and mixtures thereof,
wherein A is a polystyrene block; B and B′ are same or different and are selected from the group of polybutadiene, poly(isoprene-r-butadiene), and poly(butadiene-r-styrene); n is a positive integer; and X is residue of a coupling agent.
11 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the silane is selected from the group of vinyltrimethoxysilane, vinyltriethoxysilane, vinyltributoxysilane, vinyldimethoxyethoxysilane, vinyldimethoxybutoxysilane, vinyldiethoxybutoxysilane, allyltrimethoxysilane, allyltriethoxysilane, vinyltriacetoxysilane; methacryloxypropyltrimethoxysilane, methacryloxypropyltriethoxysilane, dimethoxymethylsilane, diethoxymethylvinylsilane, p-styryltrimethoxysilane, p-styryltriethoxysilane and mixture thereof.
12 . The silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 , wherein the silane functionalized block copolymer has a molecular weight (M p ) of 45 to 250 Kg/mol.
13 . A thermoplastic polymer composition comprising:
5 to 95 parts by weight of the silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 ; and 5 to 95 parts by weight of a thermoplastic elastomer compound, based on the total weight of the thermoplastic polymer composition.
14 . The thermoplastic polymer composition of claim 13 , wherein the thermoplastic elastomer compound comprises: 100 parts of one or more thermoplastic elastomer, 50-250 parts of a plasticizer, and 0-50 parts of at least an additive; wherein the thermoplastic elastomer is selected from the group consisting of polyolefins, hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers, styrenic block copolymer, thermoplastic copolyester or copolyester-ether, thermoplastic vulcanizates, thermoplastic polyurethanes, and mixtures thereof.
15 . A thermoplastic polymer composition comprising:
100 parts by weight of the silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 ; 0 to 150 parts of a polyolefin; 30 to 300 parts of a plasticizer; and 0 to 50 parts of at least an additives.
16 . The thermoplastic polymer composition of claim 15 , wherein the plasticizer is selected from the group consisting of vegetable oils, process oils, mineral oils, phthalates, and mixtures thereof.
17 . A thermoplastic polymer composition comprising:
100 parts by weight of the silane functionalized block copolymer of claim 1 ; 10 to 150 parts of a polyolefin; 0 to 300 parts of a plasticizer; and 0 to 50 parts of at least an additives.
18 . The thermoplastic polymer composition of claim 17 , wherein the polyolefin is selected from a polypropylene, an ethylene-propylene copolymer, a high density polyethylene (HDPE), a low density polyolefin (LDPE), a linear low density polyethylene (LLDPE), an ultra high molecular weight polyethylene (UHMW-PE), a very low-density polyethylene (VLDPE), and mixture thereof.