Block coploymer

The term poloxamer is widely used to describe a series of ABA block coploymers of polyethylene oxide and polypropylene oxide, extensively used in industry as antifoams, emulsifiers, wetting agents, rinse aids, and in numerous other applications [1-5]. Poloxamers are amphiphilic in character, being comprised of a central polypropylene oxide (PO) block, which is hydrophobic, sandwiched between two hydrophilic polyethylene oxide (EO) blocks as shown below ... 

In the next sections results are reported on the dynamics of large aggregates consisting of small surfactant molecules, i.e. lamellar microemulsion phases and of micelles of block-coploymer molecules illustrating the separation of different scattering contributions by their dynamical properties. 

Largest-volume category of TPE, with an annual consumption of about 1,200,000 metric tons. SBCs consist of at least three blocks two hard PS end blocks and one soft, elastomeric midblock (either polybutadiene or polyisoprene). Polybutadiene and polyisoprene are synthetic rubbers and thermosetting in nature. However, the PS end blocks in the coploymer allow SBC materials to be processed as thermoplastics. It is essential that the hard and soft blocks are immiscible so that, on a microscopic scale, the PS blocks form separate domains in the mbber matrix thereby providing physical cross-links to the rubber. 

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