Thermoplastic elastomers polarization

In thermoplastic polyurethanes, polyesters, and polyamides, the crystalline end segments, together with the polar center segments, impart good oil resistance and high upper service temperatures. The hard component in most hard polymer/elastomer combinations is crystalline and imparts resistance to solvents and oils, as well as providing the products with relatively high upper service temperatures. 

Oil resistance demands polar (non-hydrocarbon) polymers, particularly in the hard phase. If the soft phase is non-polar but the haid phase polar, then swelling but not dissolution will occur (rather akin to that occurring with vulcanised natural rubber or SBR). If, however, the hard phase is not resistant to a particular solvent or oil, then the useful physical properties of a thermoplastic elastomer will be lost. As with all plastics and rubbers, the chemical resistant will depend on the chemical groups present, as discussed in Section 5.4. 

Zinc salt of maleated EPDM rubber in the presence of stearic acid and zinc stearate behaves as a thermoplastic elastomer, which can be reinforced by the incorporation of precipitated silica filler. It is believed that besides the dispersive type of forces operative in the interaction between the backbone chains and the filler particles, the ionic domains in the polymer interact strongly with the polar sites on the filler surface through formation of hydrogen bonded structures. 

These highly amorphous elastomers have relatively low Tt values (—73 C) and tend to crystallize when stretched. The cold flow of these thermoplastic polymers is reduced when they are crosslinked (vulcanized) with a small amount (2%) of sulfur. Since these polymers of isoprene have a solubility parameter of 8.0 H, they are resistant to polar solvents but are soluble in many aliphatic and aromatic hydrocarbon solvents. The cross-linked derivatives swell but do not dissolve in these solvents. 

Processing oil is a well-known additive for rubbers and is commonly employed in PP/EPDM TPVs [10-12]. It lowers the hardness and improves the processability. The oil, in most cases paraffinic oil, can be considered as a low molecular weight olefin. The difference in polarity between the three components is small, and the oil is present in both the PP and in the elastomer phases [67]. In order to understand the mechanical and the rheological properties of olefinic thermoplastic elastomers (OTPEs), the concentration of oil in each phase must be known. 

Polar elastomers [ELASTOMERS SYNTHETIC - THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMERS] (Vol 9)... 

This reduces regularity/crystallinity (melting points 108-70°C), increasing softness/flexibility (modulus 138-19 MPa), transparency, and polar adhesion, again competing with plasticized PVC and thermoplastic elastomers, particularly in packaging film, coatings, and adhesives. 

Starting from these aminofunctional siloxanes, PDMS-urea block copolymer can be obtained easily [6]. The synthesis is performed by polyaddition of aminoaikyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes with diisocyanates to yield thermoplastic silicone elastomers (TPSE). The reaction between the amino and the isocyanate group gives highly polar urea groups, which solidify at room temperature (Scheme 1). 

Measurement of Polarization in Thermoplastic Elastomers with Application to Morphology Studies... 

There are a number of models for polarization of heterogeneous systems, many of which are reviewed by van Beek (23). Brown has derived an exact, though unwieldly, series solution using point probability functions (24). For comparison to spectra for the thermoplastic elastomers of interest here, the most useful model seems to be the one derived by Sillars (25) and, in a slightly different form, by Fricke (26). The model assumes a distribution of geometrically similar ellipsoids with major radii, r-p and rj which are randomly oriented and randomly distributed in a dissimilar matrix phase. Only non-specific interactions between neighboring ellipsoids are included in the model. This model includes no contribution from the polarization of mobile charge carriers trapped on the interfacial surfaces. 

Duvdevani(40) have been directed at modification of ionomer properties by employing polar additives to specifically interact or plasticize the ionic interactions. This plasticization process is necessary to achieve the processability of thermoplastic elastomers based on S-EPDM. Crystalline polar plasticizers such as zinc stearate can markedly affect ionic associations in S-EPDM. For example, low levels of metal stearate can enhance the melt flow of S-EPDM at elevated temperatures and yet improve the tensile properties of this ionomer at ambient temperatures. Above its crystalline melting point, ca. 120°C, zinc stearate is effective at solvating the ionic groups, thus lowering the melt viscosity of the ionomer. At ambient temperatures the crystalline additive acts as a reinforcing filler. 

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