Novel elastomer material, and method for obtaining same

Abstract

The invention relates to an elastomer material including flexible polymer chains containing crosslinking bridges having covalent bonds and crosslinking bridges having noncovalent bonds. The invention also relates to a method for preparing such elastomer material.

1 .- 11 . (canceled) 
     
     
         12 . An elastomer material comprising flexible polymer chains associated by means comprising a) permanent crosslinking bridges having covalent bonds and b) crosslinking bridges having noncovalent bonds, wherein the crosslinking bridges having noncovalent bonds comprise associative groups containing nitrogenous heterocycles selected from imidazolidinyl, triazolyl, triazinyl, bisureyl and ureidopyrimidyl groups. 
     
     
         13 . The material of  claim 12  wherein the flexible polymer chains are selected from polybutadiene, polyisoprene, polychloroprene, or their hydrogenated forms; polyisobutylene; block copolymers having groups of butadiene and styrene, or isoprene and styrene, or butadiene, isoprene and styrene, or their hydrogenated forms; random copolymers having butadiene and styrene, or butadiene and acrylonitrile or their hydrogenated forms; butyl or halogenated rubbers; polyethylenes; polypropylenes; ethyl/vinyl alcohol copolymers; ethylene/propylene or ethylene/propylene/diene copolymers; copolymers having ethylene with acrylic or vinyl monomers; flexible acrylic polymers or copolymers; diene elastomers, or blends thereof. 
     
     
         14 . The material of  claim 12  wherein the flexible polymer chains are selected from poly(styrene-b-butadiene) (SB), poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SBS), poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-styrene) (SIS), poly(styrene-b-(isoprene-stat-butadiene)-b-styrene), poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-butadiene-b-styrene) (SIBS), hydrogenated SBS (SEBS), poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-methyl methacrylate) (SBM) or its hydrogenated version (SEBM), poly(methyl methacrylate-b-butyl acrylate-b-methyl methacrylate) (MAM), poly(styrene-b-butyl acrylate-b-styrene) (SAS), copolymers of ethylene and vinyl acetate, copolymers of ethylene, vinyl acetate and maleic anhydride; copolymers of ethylene and acrylic ester, copolymers of ethylene, acrylic ester and maleic anhydride, copolymers of ethylene, acrylic ester and functional acrylic ester, resins containing methacrylic esters or blends thereof. 
     
     
         15 . The material of  claim 12  wherein the ratio of percentage of crosslinking bridges having covalent bonds to percentage of crosslinking bridges having noncovalent bonds is between 99/1 and 1/99. 
     
     
         16 . An article made from the elastomer material of  claim 12 , wherein the article is selected from leak tight seals, thermal or acoustic insulators, tires, cables, sheaths, footwear soles, packaging, coatings, patches, systems for trapping and releasing active principles, dressings, elastic clamp collars, vacuum pipes, pipes or flexible tubing for transportation of fluids, adhesive or cosmetic compositions, or ink, varnish or paint formulations. 
     
     
         17 . A process for the preparation of a crosslinked material from flexible polymer chains comprising at least the steps of: (a) permanently crosslinking said polymer chains with covalent bonds; and (b) physically crosslinking said polymer chains by means comprising (i) grafting associative groups containing nitrogenous heterocycles or (ii) functionalizing said polymer chains with comonomers having associative groups containing nitrogenous heterocycles. 
     
     
         18 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein steps (a) and (b)(i) can be carried out in any order or be simultaneous. 
     
     
         19 . The process of  claim 17 , wherein step (a) is carried out by sulfur vulcanization or by crosslinking with peroxides.