Controlled architecture polymers

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-9738740-B2
Application number	US-201214351686-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 12, 2012
Priority date	Oct 14, 2011
Publication date	Aug 22, 2017
Grant date	Aug 22, 2017

Abstract

Acrylic copolymers that include the controlled placement of particular functional groups within the polymer structure are provided. The copolymers contain at least two reactive segments and are manufactured via a controlled radical polymerization process. The copolymers are useful in the manufacture of adhesives and elastomers.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. An acrylic polymer comprising:
at least one acrylic block copolymer including
a first reactive segment of controlled molecular weight and position that includes at least one monomer having a functional group selected from the group consisting of a self reactive functional group, a reactive functional group, and combinations thereof; and
a second reactive segment of controlled molecular weight and position that includes at least one monomer having a reactive functional group,
wherein the first reactive segment and the second reactive segments are positioned adjacent to the polymer chain ends,
wherein the reactive functional groups are spaced apart along the length of the polymer chain or the reactive functional groups are positioned only in the second reactive segment, and
wherein the functional groups of the first reactive segment and the second segment are capable of undergoing crosslinking reactions while remaining reactive with each other,
wherein the first reactive segment and the second reactive segment are molecularly miscible before cure as expressed by their properties in the bulk state that are indicative of a single phase behavior, and
wherein the self reactive functional a group is selected from the group consisting of silanes, anhydrides, epoxies, alkoxymethylol, and cyclic ethers.

2. An acrylic polymer comprising:
at least one acrylic block copolymer including two first reactive segments of controlled molecular weight and position and one second reactive segment of controlled molecular weight and position,
the first reactive segments including at least one monomer having a functional group selected from the group consisting of a self reactive functional group, a reactive functional group, and combinations thereof; and
the second reactive segment including at least one monomer having a reactive functional group,
wherein the first reactive segments are positioned on either side of a central second reactive segment on the polymer chain,
wherein the first reactive segments are positioned adjacent to the polymer chain ends,
wherein the reactive functional groups are spaced apart along the length of the polymer chain or the reactive functional groups are positioned only in the second reactive segment, and
wherein the functional groups of the first reactive segment and the second segment are capable of undergoing crosslinking reactions while remaining reactive with each other,
wherein the first reactive segment and the second reactive segment are moleculary miscible before cure as expressed by their properties in the bulk state that are indicative of a single phase behavior,
wherein the self reactive functional group is selected from the group consisting of silanes, anhydrides, epoxies, alkoxymethylol, and cyclic ethers.

3. The acrylic polymer of claim 1 wherein the first reactive segment includes at least one monomer having a self reactive function group.

4. The acrylic polymer of claim 1 wherein the glass transition temperature (Tg) of the acrylic polymer is about −35° C. to about −60° C.

5. The acrylic polymer of claim 3 wherein the self reactive functional group is an epoxy.

6. The acrylic polymer of claim 1 wherein the reactive functional group is selected from the group consisting of acids, hydroxyls, amines, and thiols.

7. The acrylic polymer of claim 6 wherein the reactive functional group is an acid.

8. The acrylic polymer of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a polydispersity of less than 4.0.

9. The acrylic polymer of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a polydispersity of less than 3.5.

10. The acrylic polymer of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a polydispersity of less than 3.0.

11. The acrylic polymer of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a polydispersity of less than 2.5.

12. The acrylic polymer of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a polydispersity of less than 2.0.

13. The acrylic polymer of claim 1 wherein the polymer has a number average molecular weight (Mn) within the range of from about 40,000 to about 150,000.

14. The acrylic polymer of claim 13 wherein the polymer has a number average molecular weight (Mn) within the range of from about 50,000 to about 110,000.

15. A method of preparing a pressure sensitive adhesive composition comprising:
polymerizing using a controlled radical polymerization process at least one monomer having a functional group selected from the group consisting of a self reactive functional group, a reactive functional group, and combinations thereof to thereby form a first reactive segment of controlled molecular weight and position;
polymerizing using a controlled radical polymerization process at least one monomer having a reactive functional group to thereby form a second reactive segment of controlled molecular weight and position;
wherein the first reactive segment and the second reactive segment are positioned adjacent to The polymer chain ends;
wherein the reactive functional group are spaced apart along the length of the polymer chain or the reactive functional groups are positioned only in the second reactive segment;
wherein the function group of the first reactive segment and the second segment are capable of undergoing crosslinking reactions while remaining reactive with each other;
wherein at least one of the first reactive segment and the second reactive segment includes an acrylate group;
forming an acrylic polymer from the first reactive segment and the second reactive segment;
crosslinking the acrylic polymer by mixing the acrylic polymer with an amount of a crosslinking agent;
wherein the first reactive segment and the second reactive segment are molecularly miscible before cure as expressed by their properties in the bulk state that are indicative of a single phase behavior, and
wherein the self reactive functional group is selected from the group consisting of silanes, anhydrides, epoxies, alkoxymethylol, and cyclic ethers.

16. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first reactive segment and the second reactive segment is polymerized in the presence of a RAFT agent.

17. The method of claim 15 wherein at least one of the first reactive segment and the second reactive segment is polymerized in the presence of an SFRP agent.

18. The method of claim 15 further comprising the step of crosslinking the functional groups of the reactive segments.

19. The acrylic polymer of claim 1 or claim 2 wherein the polymer is a liquid polymer at room temperature.

20. The acrylic polymer of claim 2 wherein he glass transition temperature (Tg) of the acrylic polymer is about −35° C. to about −60° C.

21. The acrylic polymer of claim 2 wherein the first reactive segments includes at least one monomer having a self reactive functional group.

22. A pressure sensitive adhesive composition comprising:
at least one acrylic block copolymer including
a first reactive segment of controlled molecular weight and position that includes at least one monomer having a functional group selected from the group consisting of a self reactive functional group, a reactive functional group, and combinations thereof;
a second reactive segment of controlled molecular weight and position that includes at least one monomer having a reactive functional group; and
a crosslinking agent,
wherein the first reactive segment and the second reactive segments are positioned adjacent to the polymer chain ends,
wherein the reactive functional groups spaced apart along the length of the

Assignees

• Avery Dennison Corp

Inventors

• Lester Christopher L
• Bottorf William L
• Heimbach Kyle R

Classifications

• C09J153/00

  Adhesives based on block copolymers containing at least one sequence of a polymer obtained by reactions only involving carbon-to-carbon unsaturated bonds; Adhesives based on derivatives of such polymers · CPC title

• C08F292/00 Primary

  Macromolecular compounds obtained by polymerising monomers on to inorganic materials · CPC title

• C09J133/08

  Homopolymers or copolymers of acrylic acid esters · CPC title

• C09J133/068

  containing glycidyl groups · CPC title

• C08F2/38

  Polymerisation using regulators, e.g. chain terminating agents {, e.g. telomerisation} · CPC title