The invention herein is curable adhesive and sealant compositions and a non-aqueous solvent free process for producing such compositions which comprise a mono-ol, tackifying resin, and a monohydroxylated epoxidized polydiene polymer which is comprised of at least two polymerizable ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbon monomers wherein at least one is a diene monomer which yields unsaturation suitable for epoxidation and wherein the polymer contains from 0.1 to 7.0 milliequivalents of epoxy per gram of polymer. The process involves mixing the components together with a photoinitiator which is selected from the group consisting of diaryl, especially diaryliodonium, salts characterized by the general formula: ##STR1## where Y is ##STR2## where R is hydrogen, aryl, alkyl, or an alkylhalide; n is an integer of at least 1, Z is I, Cl, or Br, preferably I, and X is a complex metal halide anion or a complex halide anion of a strong protonic acid.
This invention relates to curable strippable adhesive and coating films, and also to improved high performance pressure sensitive adhesives. The adhesive comprises: (a) from 10 to 90 percent by weight of a crosslinkable epoxidized diene polymer, (b) from 0 to 70 percent by weight of a diene mono-ol polymer, with the condition that the mono-ol polymer not exceed three times the weight of the epoxidized polymer, (c) from 5 to 40 weight percent of a block copolymer of a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon and a diene having, on average, more than one vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon block per molecule, and wherein the block copolymer can be functionalized by grafting onto it from 0.1 to 5% by weight of a carboxylic acid or anhydride, preferably maleic anhydride, (d) from 0 to 65% percent by weight of a tackifying resin, and (e) from 0.01 to 3 percent by weight of a photoinitiator.
This invention is a process for making UV curable adhesives, sealants, coatings, ink, flexible printing plates, laminating adhesives, fibers, gaskets, and related compositions, films, and thin parts, wherein an epoxidized monohydroxylated polydiene polymer comprised of at least two different diene monomers wherein at least one is a diene monomer which yields unsaturation suitable for epoxidation is used as the binder for the composition. The preferred epoxidized monohydroxylated polymers are block copolymers of isoprene and butadiene wherein a hydroxyl group is attached at one end of the polymer molecule. These polymers may be hydrogenated or unhydrogenated. The process involves mixing the above polymer or the polymer with one or more other formulating ingredients together with and insoluble photoinitiator which is preferably selected from the group consisting of triaryl sulfonium salts. The mixture is then subjected to mixing conditions in a high speed mixer, preferably a high speed disk disperser, at a blade tip speed of from 200 to 2000 cm/sec at a temperature from 25 to 130.degree. C., preferably from 40 to 100.degree. C. This process is highly suited for making stable cationic photoinitiator concentrations that can be added to adhesive, coating, or sealant formulations to effect rapid UV cure.
A coated optical fiber and a curable coating composition for coating an optical fiber, includes a block copolymer comprising at least one hard block and at least one soft block, wherein said hard block has a T.sub.g greater than the T.sub.g of the soft block. The coating may further include at least one reactive monomer. A method for making a coated optical fiber, includes providing an optical fiber; coating the optical fiber with a polymerizable composition including a block copolymer comprising at least one hard block and at least one soft block, wherein said hard block has a T.sub.g greater than the T.sub.g of the soft block. The coating may further include at least one reactive monomer. The method further includes polymerizing the composition under conditions effective to form a coating over the optical fiber.
A tackifier resin is provided comprising monomer units from at least one aromatic monomer and at least one acrylate monomer; wherein the tackifier resin has a low residual monomer concentration. In other embodiments of the invention, the tackifier resin does not significantly decrease the moisture vapor transport rate of an adhesive composition comprising the tackifier resin, does not significantly increase fogging of an adhesive composition comprising the tackifier resin, and does not significantly exhibit skin sensitivity properties.A process to produce the tackifier resin is also provided. The process comprises contacting a tackifier resin product stream with at least one carrier at a temperature sufficient to remove a portion of at least one residual monomer from the tackifier resin product stream to produce the tackifier resin.
Curable mechanical fasteners of the invention comprise a fastening surface comprising a curable material, wherein the fastening surface is capable of being repeatedly attached and unattached to a complementary fastening surface, and when attached to the complementary fastening surface and cured, the curable mechanical fastener is capable of becoming permanently attached to the complementary fastening surface. The curable mechanical fastener may also further comprise the complementary fastening surface.
