Title: THERMOPLASTIC POLYURETHANES WITH CRYSTALLINE CHAIN ENDS

 Number/Link: WO2014/070426

Applicant/Assignee: Lubrizol

Publication date: 8-05-2014

“Gist”: Easily processable, plasticizer-free ultra-soft TPU can be produced by incorporating a crystallizing polyolefin chain stopper.

Why it is interesting: It is well known that TPU with a shore hardness below about 65A is hard to produce and process because of its stickiness and low solidification/crystallization rate. According to the invention this problem can be solved by using a crystalline chain stopper in addition to the polyol, chain extender and di-isocyanate. The chain stopper is (preferably) a c20 to c70 polyolefin mono-alcohol. Apart from improving processability at low hardness, the incoproration of the olefin chain stopper also improves compatibility of the TPU with olefin thermoplastics.  The chain stopper can also be grafted with e.g. a vinyl alkoxysilane to make a hybrid crosslinkable TPU.  An interesting idea with many potential advantages and interesting effects.

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