Vulcanizate oxetane elastomers

Other Oxetane Elastomers. The 1M)-butadiene monoxide (BMO) copolymer elastomer (Run 6, Table II) containing 6.5% BMO gave inferior properties (Table VIII) to the TMO-AGE elastomer with 4.4% AGE described in the previous section. Actually the properties were even slightly inferior to a 98-2 TMO-AGE copolymer vul-canizate (Table VIII). Thus AGE appears about three times more effective (on a weight basis) in conferring sulfur vulcanizability than BMO. On a molar basis, the difference is even greater, i.e., AGE is five times more effective. This same difference between BMO and AGE was previously observed on comparing PO-BMO elastomer with PO-AGE elastomer. 

A 96-4 TMO-AGE copolymer prepared under conditions to make it reasonably uniform gave an interesting sulfur-curable elastomer. Preliminary vulcanizate data on this elastomer show good tensile and tear properties, a low Tg (-75 C.), high resilience, and good heat resistance. Further development of this family of interesting elastomers requires a lower cost route to TMO. Copolymerizations of TMO with other epoxides and oxetanes as well as the polymerization of other oxetanes are also described. 

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