The invention relates to a method to reduce or prevent agglomeration of polyisobutylene particles in aqueous media by LCST compounds and highly pure isobutylenes obtained thereby. The invention further relates to polyisobutylene products comprising the same or derived therefrom.

A substrate subject to degradation at temperatures above 100 C. is coated with a nanostructured ceramic coating having a thickness in excess of 100 nm, formed on a surface of the substrate, wherein a process temperature for deposition of the nanostructured coating does not exceed 90 C. The coating may be photocatalytic, photovoltaic, or piezoelectric. The coating, when moistened and exposed to ultraviolet light or sunlight, advantageously generates free radicals, which may be biocidal, deodorizing, or assist in degradation of surface deposits on the substrate after use. The substrate may be biological or organic, and may have a metallic or conductive intermediate layer.

Microporous sheet product and methods of making and using the same. In one embodiment, the microporous sheet product is made by a process that includes melt-extruding a sheet material using an extrusion mixture that includes a thermoplastic polymer, a non-cross-linked elastomer having a molecular weight of at least 50,000 Da, and a compatibilizing agent. By way of example, the thermoplastic polymer may be a polyolefin, the non-cross-linked elastomer may be a polyisobutylene, and the compatibilizing agent may be mineral spirits. After extrusion, the sheet material may be cooled, and the sheet material may be stretched. The microporous sheet product may be used, for example, as a battery separator, as a food packaging material, as a diffusion barrier in the ultrafiltration of colloidal matter, and in disposable garments.

A process for producing an allylic alcohol functionalized butyl rubber involves contacting an epoxidized butyl rubber with benzoic acid, an analogue of benzoic acid or a C1-C7 alkanoic acid. The process and a polymer compound comprising the epoxidized butyl rubber and the benzoic acid, analogue of benzoic acid or a C1-C7 alkanoic acid provide a cost effective route to a polar functionalized butyl rubber, particularly to butyl rubber comprising allylic alcohol functional groups.

A method for preparing a copolymer that involves polymerizing at least one branched alkene monomer and at least one olefin monomer having a pendant benzocyclobutene (BCB) group to form a copolymer comprising a random distribution of a plurality of constitutional units corresponding to the at least one branched alkene monomer and the at least one olefin monomer. The polymerizing includes a carbocationic polymerization reaction involving sequential addition of a plurality of mixtures without terminating the carbocationic polymerization reaction, wherein the plurality of mixtures includes a mixture that includes the at least one branched alkene monomer and does not include the at least one olefin monomer having a pendant BCB group and a mixture that includes both the at least one branched alkene monomer and the at least one olefin monomer having a pendant BCB group. The copolymer composition can undergo crosslinking at elevated temperatures (preferably above 180 C.).

A method of separating a polyisoolefin elastomer from non-polymeric components in an organic solvent involves ultrafiltration of a solution of the polyisoolefin elastomer and non-polymeric components in an organic solvent through a semipermeable membrane to substantially retain the polyisoolefin elastomer in a retentate and provide the non-polymeric components in a permeate. Advantageously, stabilizers for the polyisoolefin elastomer are retained in the retentate along with the polyisoolefin elastomer, permeate flux through the membrane is higher as concentration of the polyisoolefin elastomer in the solution increases up to a concentration limit, the separated polyisoolefin elastomer in the retentate has a molecular weight that can be substantially unchanged even when ultrafiltration is conducted at elevated temperature and the amount of polyisoolefin elastomer in the permeate is unmeasurable providing an oligomer-rich permeate uncontaminated by polyisoolefin elastomer. A process for curing a polyisoolefin copolymer involves reducing content of an oligomer to 900 ppm or less in a mixture of the oligomer and the polyisoolefin copolymer to produce an oligomer-depleted mixture, and adding a resin cure system to the oligomer-depleted mixture to cure the polyisoolefin copolymer.

A heat conduction sheet, includes at least one kind of graphite particle (A) selected from the group consisting of scale-like particles, ellipsoidal particles and rod-like particles; a polymer (B) having an isobutylene structure; an ethylene-propylene copolymer (C); and an ethylene octene elastomer (D), in which, in a case of scale-like particles, a plane direction of the particle is oriented in a thickness direction of the heat conduction sheet, and in a case of ellipsoidal particles or rod-like particles, a long axis direction of the particle is oriented in the thickness direction of the heat conduction sheet.

A flexible material for thermal and acoustical insulation comprising an expanded polymer (blend) based on at least one elastomer, wherein expansion is achieved by decomposition of a mixture of at least two chemical blowing agents, comprising the exothermic chemical blowing agent 4,4-Oxybis(benzenesulfonyl hydrazide) (OBSH) and at least one endothermic blowing agent.

The invention relates to an efficient process for the preparation and isolation of rubber particles formed in aqueous media and highly pure rubbers obtained thereby. The invention further relates to copolymer products comprising the same or derived therefrom.

The invention relates to a method to reduce or prevent agglomeration of polyisobutylene particles in aqueous media by LCST compounds and highly pure isobutylenes obtained thereby. The invention further relates to polyisobutylene products comprising the same or derived therefrom.