Structural Effects on the Adhesive Properties of Butadiene/Styrene Radial Teleblock Copolymers

The effects of butadiene/styrene ratio, monomer distribution, and molecular weight distribution and branching on the pressure sensitive adhesive properties of butadiene/ styrene radial teleblock copolymers are reported. Styrene content of polymers with varying structures shows a close relation with tack response, and styrene content and structure affect solution viscosity and shear adhesion. When part of the styrene is incorporated into the polybutadiene segment to yield a block progressively enriched in styrene (tapered block), solution viscosity and shear adhesion are reduced. When the butadiene segment is replaced by a block of randomly copolymerized butadiene and styrene, the polymers provide lower solution viscosities and shear adhesion but unchanged tack.

The molecular weight distribution of the radial teleblock polymers can vary from broad, highly branched compositions to narrow molecular weight distributions of almost Iinear polymers. The latter have relatively high solution viscosity and low shear adhesion, whereas the former polymers produce moderate solution viscosity but high shear adhesion. Tack is generally unaffected.