Thermoplastic gel compositions and their methods of making

Abstract

Methods and compositions are provided for preparation of thermoplastic gels. The compositions have a base composition including a thermoplastic gel and a softener oil and the gel has a hardness between 15 Shore 000 and 65 Shore 000. The gel may also include an additive, such as a mineral filler, an anti-tack agent, and a mixture of a mineral filler and an anti-tack agent. The softener oil may be a high molecular weight oil having a molecular weight greater than about 250 g/mol.

1 .- 21 . (canceled) 
     
     
         22 . A thermoplastic gel comprising:
 a base composition consisting of a thermoplastic rubber and a softener oil, wherein the softener oil is a high molecular weight oil having a molecular weight greater than 250 g/mol, and wherein the gel has a hardness between 15 Shore OOO and 65 Shore OOO.   
     
     
         23 . The gel of  claim 22 , wherein the gel exhibits less than 10% oil bleed out after being under compression of 1.2 atm for 26 days at 70° C. 
     
     
         24 . The gel of  claim 22 , wherein the high molecular weight oil is derived from one of the following: a mineral oil, a paraffin oil, a naphthenic oil, an aromatic oil, a poly-alpha olefin, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         25 . The gel of  claim 22 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber comprises a styrenic triblock copolymer. 
     
     
         26 . The gel of  claim 25 , wherein the styrenic triblock copolymer is selected from the group consisting of a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene and a styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene copolymer. 
     
     
         27 . The gel of  claim 22 , wherein the thermoplastic gel further comprises a mineral filler, wherein the mineral filler is between 0.1 wt % and 50 wt % of the overall composition. 
     
     
         28 . The gel of  claim 27 , wherein the mineral filler is selected from the group consisting of talc, calcium carbonate, clay, wollastonite, silicates, glass, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         29 .- 30 . (canceled) 
     
     
         31 . The gel of  claim 22 , wherein the thermoplastic gel further comprises an anti-tack agent, and wherein the anti-tack agent is between 0.1 wt % and 10 wt % of the overall composition. 
     
     
         32 . The gel of  claim 31 , wherein the anti-tack agent is selected from the group consisting of a silicone, silane, siloxane, or copolymer thereof. 
     
     
         33 . (canceled) 
     
     
         34 . The gel of  claim 22 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber comprises: (a) a base polymer having at least one functional group capable of crosslinking, (b) a functionalized extender, and (c) an optional crosslinker having multiple functional groups that are compatible and willing to react with the functional groups in the base polymer or the functionalized extender. 
     
     
         35 .- 38 . (canceled) 
     
     
         39 . The gel of  claim 22  further comprising an additive selected from the group consisting of: flame retardants, coloring agents, adhesion promoters, stabilizers, dispersants, flow improvers, plasticizers, toughening agents, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         40 .- 62 . (canceled) 
     
     
         63 . A method of making a thermoplastic gel comprising
 mixing a base composition consisting of a thermoplastic rubber and a softener oil, wherein the softener oil is a high molecular weight oil having a molecular weight greater than 250 g/mol, optionally with at least one additional additive selected from the group consisting of a mineral filler, an anti-tack agent, a stabilizer, and mixtures thereof, to form an overall composition, and   providing heat to the overall composition to form the thermoplastic gel, wherein the gel has a hardness between 15 Shore OOO and 65 Shore OOO.   
     
     
         64 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the gel exhibits less than less than 10 wt % oil bleed out after being under compression of 1.2 atm for at least 25 days at 70° C. 
     
     
         65 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber comprises a styrenic triblock copolymer. 
     
     
         66 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the styrenic triblock copolymer is selected from the group consisting of a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene and a styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene copolymer. 
     
     
         67 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the at least one additional additive comprises a mineral filler, and wherein the mineral filler is between 0.1 wt % and 50 wt % of the overall composition. 
     
     
         68 . The method of  claim 67 , wherein the mineral filler is selected from the group consisting of talc, calcium carbonate, clay, wollastonite, silicates, glass, and combinations thereof. 
     
     
         69 .- 70 . (canceled) 
     
     
         71 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the at least one additional additive comprises an anti-tack agent, and wherein the anti-tack agent is between 0.1 wt % and 10 wt % of the overall composition. 
     
     
         72 . The method of  claim 71 , wherein the anti-tack agent is selected from the group consisting of a silicone, silane, siloxane, or copolymer thereof. 
     
     
         73 .- 74 . (canceled) 
     
     
         75 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the high molecular weight oil is derived from one of the following: a mineral oil, a paraffin oil, a oil, an aromatic oil, a poly-alpha olefin, or a combination thereof. 
     
     
         76 .- 78 . (canceled) 
     
     
         79 . The method of  claim 63 , wherein the stabilizer is a hindered phenol stabilizer. 
     
     
         80 . The method of  claim 65 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber comprises a styrenic diblock copolymer. 
     
     
         81 . The method of  claim 80 , wherein the styrenic diblock copolymer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-ethylene/propylene diblock copolymer, styrene-ethylene/butylene diblock copolymer, and styrene butadiene diblock copolymer. 
     
     
         82 . The gel of  claim 22 , wherein the thermoplastic rubber is prepared from a composition comprising a styrenic triblock copolymer and a styrenic diblock copolymer. 
     
     
         83 . The gel of  claim 82 , wherein the styrenic triblock copolymer is selected from the group consisting of a styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene (SEBS) triblock copolymer, a styrene-ethylene/propylene-styrene copolymer (SEPS) triblock copolymer, and a styrene-butadiene-styrene (SBS) triblock copolymer. 
     
     
         84 . The gel of  claim 82 , wherein the styrenic diblock copolymer is selected from the group consisting of a styrene-ethylene/propylene (SEP) diblock copolymer, a styrene-ethylene/butylene (SEB) diblock copolymer, and a styrene butadiene (SB) diblock copolymer. 
     
     
         85 . The gel of  claim 39 , wherein the stabilizer is a hindered phenol stabilizer.