Issue 11, 2023

Tunable thermoplastic elastomer gels derived from controlled-distribution triblock copolymers with crystallizable endblocks

Abstract

Thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs), a commercially important category of triblock copolymers, are employed alone or upon physical modification with a midblock-selective oil (to form TPE gels, TPEGs) in a broad range of contemporary technologies. While most copolymers in this class of self-networking macromolecules possess glassy polystyrene endblocks and a rubbery polydiene or polyolefin midblock, we investigate TPEGs fabricated from a novel controlled-distribution copolymer with crystallizable polyolefin endblocks and a random-copolymer midblock. According to both electron microscopy and small-angle scattering, the morphologies of these TPEGs remain largely invariant up to 40 wt% oil and then transform considerably at higher oil levels. Although reductions in endblock melting point and crystallinity measured by thermal calorimetry accompany increasing oil content, mechanical properties such as the uniaxial strain at break and fracture toughness improve in some cases by over 50% between 5 and 40 wt% oil. In fact, the strain at break can reach 2500% within this range, thereby confirming that (i) the structure–property relationships of these unique TPEGs are highly composition-tunable and (ii) these TPEGs, stabilized by crystallizable endblocks, provide an attractive alternative for ultrasoft and stretchy recyclable materials.

Graphical abstract: Tunable thermoplastic elastomer gels derived from controlled-distribution triblock copolymers with crystallizable endblocks

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Communication
Submitted
02 Jul 2023
Accepted
15 Aug 2023
First published
25 Aug 2023

Mater. Horiz., 2023,10, 4968-4975

Author version available

Tunable thermoplastic elastomer gels derived from controlled-distribution triblock copolymers with crystallizable endblocks

N. T. Hames, D. Balsbough, J. Yan, S. Wu, X. Zuo and R. J. Spontak, Mater. Horiz., 2023, 10, 4968 DOI: 10.1039/D3MH01018J

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