Thermoplastic elastomer compositions can be used for medical skin contact applications, comprising: a) 90.9 to 69.0 wt.-% star-shaped block copolymer A with 4 arms of the general structure [S.sub.1—(S/B).sub.k—(S/B).sub.I—(S/B).sub.m—S.sub.2].sub.n—X, where S.sub.1 and S.sub.2 are vinylaro-matic hard polymer and S/B are soft random vinylaromatic/diene copolymer blocks; X is a coupling center; and b) 9.1 to 31.0 wt.-% of a plasticizer B: b1) a mixture of mineral oil B1 and cyclohexane 1,2-dicarboxylic acid C.sub.8 to C.sub.10 dialkyl ester B2; or b2) a mixture of mineral oil B1 and vegetable oil B3.

Polymer compositions comprising styrene butadiene block-copolymers (SBC) can be used for shrink-wrap films, a stiff star-shaped SBC block copolymer A having two short branches of a single copolymer block (B/S).sub.Ai and two long branches of the structure S.sub.t-[(B/S).sub.A].sub.n-(B/S).sub.Ai or [(B/S).sub.A].sub.n-(B/S).sub.Ai are used in said polymer composition, and the production of shrink-wrap films and of multilayer films is described.

Polar modifier systems based on a blend of DTHFP, ETE, TMEDA, DMTHFMA and/or functionally similar compounds with BDMAEE and SMT are used to make block copolymers having high levels of pendant vinyl double bond repeat units, which is through highly selective 1,2-bond butadiene addition, low vinylcyclopentane formation, unimodal narrow molecular weight distribution, and a low level of randomized co-monomer repeat units. The block copolymers have very high levels of 1,2-vinyl content and high 3,4-vinyl bond addition of the conjugated diene monomer and low vinylcyclopentane content. The polar modifier systems provide a fast polymerization rate, with a unimodal narrow molecular weight distribution. The polar modifier systems allow operation at a higher temperature than in prior art systems, which reduces cooling requirements.

A thermoplastic resin composition containing an olefin-based polymer and a hydrogenated block copolymer, wherein: with respect to the olefin-based polymer, an amount of heat of crystal fusion (ΔH) is less than 80 J/g; the hydrogenated block copolymer is a hydrogenated product of a block copolymer composed of a first polymer block consisting of a structural unit derived from an aromatic vinyl compound and a second polymer block consisting of a structural unit derived from a conjugated diene compound; the content of the first polymer block in the hydrogenated block copolymer is 1 to 60% by mass; a proportion of a vinyl bond amount of the second polymer block is 50 to 95 mol %; and the content of the hydrogenated block copolymer in the thermoplastic resin composition is from 1 to 30 parts by mass relative to 100 parts by mass of the total amount of the olefin-based polymer and the hydrogenated block copolymer.

ABS molding composition comprising: (a) 50 to 80 wt.-% SAN copolymer (a) (S/AN ratio 78:22 to 65:35, M.sub.w 80,000 to 250,000); (b) 8 to 25 wt.-% graft copolymer (b) consisting of 15 to 60 wt.-% graft sheath (b2) and 40 to 85 wt.-% graft substrate—an agglomerated butadiene rubber latex—(b1), obtained by emulsion polymerization of SAN in presence of agglomerated butadiene rubber latex (b1) (D.sub.50 150 to 800 nm); and (c) 8 to 30 wt.-% SBC block copolymer (vinylarene 58 to 68 wt.-%) comprising diene/vinylarene tapered polymer blocks; exhibiting ultra-high flow melt with good mechanical properties, a process for their preparation and their use for the production of bulky and/or thin walled articles.

New hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers, in particular styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene copolymers (SEBS copolymers), with improved performance in thermoplastic elastomer compositions (TPE compositions), process for preparing said hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers, reprocessable TPE-S compositions made thereof, method for producing an article from said reprocessable TPE-S compositions and articles made of said reprocessable TPE-S compositions, in particular suitable for medical applications.

New hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers, in particular styrene-ethylene/butylene-styrene copolymers (SEBS copolymers), with improved performance in thermoplastic elastomer compositions (TPE compositions), process for preparing said hydrogenated styrenic block copolymers, reprocessable TPE-S compositions made thereof, method for producing an article from said reprocessable TPE-S compositions and articles made of said reprocessable TPE-S compositions, in particular suitable for medical applications.

The present invention relates to an asphalt modifier and an asphalt composition including the same, and more particularly, to an asphalt modifier capable of effectively improving low-temperature properties, high-temperature properties, storage stability, and the like of an asphalt composition due to excellent compatibility with the asphalt composition when a vinyl aromatic hydrocarbon-conjugated diene block copolymer containing a certain multifunctional group is used as the asphalt modifier, and an asphalt composition including the same.

A method for producing a polymer latex, including an emulsification step of emulsifying a polymer solution obtained by dissolution of synthetic polyisoprene and/or a styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer having a molecular weight distribution of 1.0 to 2.6 in an organic solvent, in water in the presence of a surfactant, to thereby obtain an emulsified liquid, wherein as the synthetic polyisoprene and/or styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer, used are/is synthetic polyisoprene and/or a styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer which, when dissolved in an organic solvent to thereby be formed into a polymer solution having a viscosity at a temperature of 60 C. of 20,000 cps, have/has a solid content concentration in the range of 10 to 60% by weight.

A hot-melt adhesive composition includes a styrene-budadiene-styrene triblock copolymer, a tackifier and a plastic oil. The hot-melt adhesive composition maintains a low-viscosity characteristic and thereby, can be melt-processed at relatively low temperatures and has improved processability. Further, the hot-melt adhesive composition is superior in terms of adhesive force and thermal resistance and also in terms of mechanical properties after curing, and thus can be used in various industrial fields.