By Liz White, ERJ staff
Ludwigshafen, Germany-BASF AG is to release Oppanol IBS-an innovative product, made using “living cationic polymerisation,†to the world at the K 2004 show in Düsseldorf, Germany this October.
The news marks the German supplier's first step into the thermoplastic elastomer sector, with a product it calls, “promising and versatile.â€
Applications of this new type of TPE, based on styrene and isobutene, include adhesives and sealants as well as consumer goods and films, according to BASF.
Typical properties of conventional polyisobutene types are well known says BASF. For example, Oppanol, the group's medium- and high-molecular weight polyisobutene, prevents diffusion of water vapour and other gases through a barrier layer, when used in sealants in double glazing.
“Oppanol IBS offers even more,†including the additional advantages of a TPE, claims the supplier. This means no “cold flow, †and availability in pellet form, offering optimum metering in extruders and injection-moulding machines.
Another benefit is that Oppanol IBS can be blended with other polymers, according to the supplier.
These properties extend the possible uses of BASF's new TPE, in applications demanding high barrier properties and optimum thermoplastic process ability, and make it, “just as appropriate for medical applications as it is for the construction industry,†BASF claims.
