Aug 18 2004
Oppanol® IBS is an innovative product of BASF, whose manufacture is possible by an equally innovative process from BASF research known as “living cationic polymerization”. Applications of this new type of thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) based on styrene and isobutene range from adhesives and sealants to compounds for consumer goods and the manufacture of films. BASF is presenting Oppanol® IBS at K 04, the world’s largest plastics fair, in Düsseldorf, Germany, from 20 to 27 October. At booth B21 in Hall 5, the company will introduce this promising and versatile product to a broader public for the first time.
The typical properties of conventional Oppanol® types are well known among experts. For example, Oppanol®, BASF’s brand name for medium- and high-molecular polyisobutene (PIB), prevents water vapor and other gases like argon from diffusing through a barrier layer, such as sealants used in double glazing. Oppanol® IBS offers even more. It has the additional advantages of a thermoplastic elastomer. This means the product has no “cold flow” and is available in pellet form. It therefore allows optimum metering in plastics processing machines such as extruders and injection-molding machines. “By offering taylor made variations in molecular weight and styrene content, we can adapt the rheological – flow properties of the melt – and mechanical properties of Oppanol® IBS to the individual requirements of a wide range of different customers,” says Dr. Margit Hiller, who is in charge of product development of Oppanol® IBS at BASF. Another benefit is that depending on the end-product requirements Oppanol® IBS can be blended with other polymers.
For more information on thermoplastic elastomers, click here.