Thermoplastic polyether block amide elastomers

Pebax 2533 SA 00 Polyether block amide Thermoplastic elastomer... 

PEBAX POLYETHER BLOCK AMIDE THERMOPLASTIC ELASTOMERS... 

By itself, a summary of the history of polyether block amide thermoplastic elastomers would indeed be a relatively short story as these types of resins are still quite young in terms of commercial development. However, the rapid market acceptance and future growth potential for this new class of engineering resins makes the documentation of their development a worthwhile endeavor at this time. To complete the story on polyether block amides, a review of the chemistry, properties and major end-uses of these resins is also included. 

By this time it was evident that a commercial market for PEBA did exist. Several applications targeted during the early development of the product appeared to be feasible and a need for commercial quantities of the resin was imminent. In 1981 a commercial production line was brought On stream in Europe, and a unique new family of polyether block amide thermoplastic elastomers under the tradename of PEBAX polyether block amide was formally introduced at Interplas in Birmingham, England. 

Following the U.S. introduction of PEBAX in 1981, a market for the product rapidly developed. Based On the apparent future demand for this new family of resins, a commercial production facility for polyether block amide thermoplastic elastomers was brought on Stream in the U.S. 

Due to the diversity of polyether block amide thermoplastic elastomers that can be produced, a discussion of their specific properties would be a rather lengthy exercise. Even to list the properties of all the possible combinations of a particular set of polyamide and polyether segments could prove cumbersome as the amount of either segment in the copolymer may vary between ten and ninety percent. Therefore, a discussion of the properties of PEBA can be best accomplished by citing overall performance characteristics and ranges of values. Several properties worth noting include ... 

Polyether block amide thermoplastic elastomers are processed on conventional thermoplastic processing equipment. Typical processing temperatures are in the range of 195°C to 260°C. Being a condensation polymer, the resin should contain no more than 0.1% moisture when processed to avoid hydrolysis. Most commercial grades of PEBA can be processed... 

Common name Polyether block amide (thermoplastic elastomer made of flexible polyether and ... 

Deleens G (1987) Polyether block amide thermoplastic elastomers, in Thermoplastic Elastomers A Comprehensive Review (Eds. Legge N R, Holden G and Schroeder H E) Hanser Publishers, New York, Gh. 9B, pp. 217-230. 

General Description Elf Atochem Pebax Resins, breathable resins, are polyether block amides (PEBAs), thermoplastic elastomers made of a flexible polymer and a rigid polyamide. Extruded films made with Pebax are compact, thoroughly waterproof, and breathable. 

Polyether Block Amide Polyether Block Amide is a thermoplastic elastomer made of a flexible polymer and a rigid polyamid. 

PEBA Thermoplastic elastomer, polyether block amide... 

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), which combine the characteristics of both thermoplastics and elastomers, can be classified into two major groups. The first is made up of block copolymers formed by polymerizing a thermoplastic monomer with an elastomer comonomer, as in the case of styrene block copolymers such as styrene-ethylene-butadiene-styrene (SEBS). Engineering TPEs such as thermoplastic urethanes (TPUs), copolyesters (COPEs) and polyether block amides (PEBAs) can be included in this first group. Other types of copolymer are from the polyolefin family, consisting of the polyolefin... 

This growing family of thermoplastic elastomers, known generically as polyether block amides (PEBA), is comprised of rigid polyamide blocks and flexible polyether blocks. 

Although a relatively new family of engineering thermoplastic elastomers, polyether block amides have found a place in the growing family of engineering resins. The versatility of the polyether block amide chemistry and the wide variety of achievable performance characteristics has resulted in very rapid growth of this class of resins. ATOCHEM expects this growth to continue for many years to come as further research and development unveils new formulations, stabilization systems, polymerization processes and applications. 

Polyether block amides or thermoplastic elastomers based on polyamides are little resistant to UV radiation. Therefore, most types are UV-stabilized to ensure long service lives and little color changes [86]. 

Polyether block amides (PEBAX or TPE-A) are relatively stable against a number of chemicals compared to other thermoplastic elastomers (TPE). Several solvents cause material swelling that Increases with Increasing flexibility of the material [657]. However, general statements cannot be made suitability tests are required. 

Elesher Jr J R (1986) PEBAX polyether block amides - a new family of engineering thermoplastic elastomers, in High Performance Polymers Their Origin and Development (Eds. Seymour R B and Krishenbaum G S), Elsevier, New York, pp. 401-408. 

Begenir, A., Michielsen, S., and Pourdeyhimi, B., Melt-Blowing Thermoplastic Polyurethane and Polyether-Block-Amide Elastomers Effect of Processing Conditions and Crystallization on Web Properties , Polymer Engineering and Science, 49, 1340-1349, 2009. 

High-performance TPE based on a polyamide (aka nylon) hard block along with a soft segment. PAEs are also known as polyether block amides or as copolyester amides or thermoplastic elastomer-amides. They are used mainly in areas where other TPE cannot compete/ perform, especially at lower temperatures. 

Poly(ether-b-amide). In these particular thermoplastic elastomers the hard blocks consist of aliphatic polyamides, whereas the soft segments are formed of aliphatic polyethers. 

The most important examples of thermoplastic elastomers include TPE-0 (polyolefin-based TPE), TPE-A (polyether(ester)-block-amide), TPE-E (copolyester-based TPE), TPE-S (styrene copolymer-based TPE), and TPU (polyurethane-based TPE). 

The fiber used in this study was Twaron 2200 a poly(p-phenylene terephthalamide) (PPTA) aramid fiber, supplied by Akzo Nobel Research (Arnhem). The fibers have modulus Ef= 136 GPa, tensile strength, thermoplastic elastomer, polyether amide block copolymer supplied by Atofma known commercially as Pebax . These thermoplastic elastomers (TPE) consist of linear chains of hard polyamide (PA) blocks covalently linked to soft polyether (PE) blocks via ester groups. The grade of Pebax used was Pebax 7033, with a modulus Eva. = 128 MPa, yield stress ay = 32 MPa, Yield strain ey = 25 %, ultimate failiue stress a m = 67 MPa and an ultimate strain e m = 400 %. 

Block copolymer systems have aroused interest with reviews of the synthesis of nylon elastomers, thermoplastic polyether-polyamide elastomers, and thermoplastic cross-linked polyamides of 3,3 -bis(hydroxymelhyl) glutaric add. Block copolymers were also reported from poly(/n-phenylene isophthalamidc) and poly(ethylene oxide) or poly(dimethylsiloxane). The polycondensation of oco -dicarboxylic-poly(amide 11) and x -dihydroxy-polyoxyethylene has also been studied and rate constants and activation energies evaluated for the process. The polycondensation of axo -diacid and e9o> -diester-poly(amide 11) oligomers with cuco -dihydroxy-polyether oligomers has similarly been reported. Lactam Rli -opening Polymerization Routes.—The effects of ring size, substitution and the presence of heteroatoms on the polymerizability of lactams has been the subject of reviews. - In the field of lactam polymerization, two systems have evoked major interest, namely caprolactam and 2-pyrrolidone. Studies on caprolactam have reported the effect of water on the mechanism of polymerization and polymerization rate, where it was found that the process was... 

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