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Title: High temperature thermoplastic elastomers synthesized by living anionic polymerization in hydrocarbon solvent at room temperature

Journal Article · · Macromolecules
 [1];  [2];  [3];  [4];  [4];  [2];  [2];  [5];  [6];  [4];  [7];  [4];  [4]
  1. Fraunhofer-Institut fur Mikrostruktur con Werkstoffen und Systemen IMWS, Halle (Germany)
  2. Univ. of Massachusetts, Amherst, MA (United States)
  3. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States); Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  4. Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)
  5. Fraunhofer-Institut fur Werkstoffmechanik (Fraunhofer IWM), Germany
  6. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
  7. Oak Ridge National Lab. (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States); Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

We present the synthesis and characterization of a new class of high temperature thermoplastic elastomers composed of polybenzofulvene–polyisoprene–polybenzofulvene (FIF) triblock copolymers. All copolymers were prepared by living anionic polymerization in benzene at room temperature. Homopolymerization and effects of additives on the glass transition temperature (Tg) of polybenzofulvene (PBF) were also investigated. Among all triblock copolymers studied, FIF with 14 vol % of PBF exhibited a maximum stress of 14.3 ± 1.3 MPa and strain at break of 1390 ± 66% from tensile tests. The stress–strain curves of FIF-10 and 14 were analyzed by a statistical molecular approach using a nonaffine tube model to estimate the thermoplastic elastomer behavior. Dynamic mechanical analysis showed that the softening temperature of PBF in FIF was 145 °C, much higher than that of thermoplastic elastomers with polystyrene hard blocks. Microphase separation of FIF triblock copolymers was observed by small-angle X-ray scattering, even though long-range order was not achieved under the annealing conditions employed. Additionally, the microphase separation of the resulting triblock copolymers was examined by atomic force microscopy.

Research Organization:
Oak Ridge National Laboratory (ORNL), Oak Ridge, TN (United States)
Sponsoring Organization:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Grant/Contract Number:
AC05-00OR22725
OSTI ID:
1253243
Journal Information:
Macromolecules, Vol. 49, Issue 7; ISSN 0024-9297
Publisher:
American Chemical SocietyCopyright Statement
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Citation Metrics:
Cited by: 31 works
Citation information provided by
Web of Science

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Cited By (9)

The Microscopic Structure–Property Relationship of Metal–Organic Polyhedron Nanocomposites journal November 2019
Block Copolymers: Synthesis, Self-Assembly, and Applications journal October 2017
Initiating Mechanism of the Anionic Polymerization of Methacrylates with t ‐BuOK and the Synthesis of ABA Type Triblock Copolymers journal November 2019
All acrylic-based thermoplastic elastomers with high upper service temperature and superior mechanical properties journal January 2017
Elastomeric polyethylenes accessible via ethylene homo-polymerization using an unsymmetrical α-diimino-nickel catalyst journal January 2017
Initiating Mechanism of the Anionic Polymerization of Methacrylates with t ‐BuOK and the Synthesis of ABA Type Triblock Copolymers journal November 2019
Bicontinuous structured liquids with sub-micrometre domains using nanoparticle surfactants journal September 2017
The Microscopic Structure–Property Relationship of Metal–Organic Polyhedron Nanocomposites journal November 2019
Highly branched and high‐molecular‐weight polyethylenes produced by 1‐[2,6‐bis(bis(4‐fluorophenyl)methyl)‐4‐MeOC 6 H 2 N]‐2‐aryliminoacenaphthylnickel(II) halides journal November 2018

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