2009 R&D 100 Winner
A new catalytic block technology developed by The Dow Chemical Company, Freeport, Texas, has opened the door to a new type of block copolymers with predictable, controllable chains of various type of blocks. The INFUSE Olefin Block Copolymers (OBCs) feature chains with alternating blocks of “hard” (highly rigid) and “soft” (highly elastomeric) segments that are created and assembled via a patent pending shuttling process. Because the alternating block types provide highly differentiated material properties along the chain, the traditional relationship of flexibility and heat resistance in the polymer is disrupted to a beneficial effect. The materials, meanwhile, provide improved compression set and elastic recovery properties versus other polyolefin plastomers and elastomers. OBCs have both the flexibility of polyolefin plastomers and elastomers and the heat resistance of high density polyethylene.
Technology
Catalytic block technology
Developer
The Dow Chemical Company
