Patent ID: 9181432
Filing Date: 2015-11-10
Classification: C08F,C08G,C08L

Abstract:
1. A method of forming a toughened, soft polymeric gel material, comprising: preparing a branched polymeric additive; mixing the branched polymeric additive with a polymer gel network to form an uncured polymeric mixture; and curing the polymeric mixture to form a toughened, soft polymeric gel material having a storage modulus G′ less than 1 MPa wherein the branched polymeric molecule reduces mobility in the polymer gel material by increasing physical chain entanglements; wherein the inclusion of the branched polymeric additive in the polymer gel network reduces the mobility of the additive in the soft polymeric gel material increasing at least one of the modulus, the strength, the adhesive strength, the toughness and the fracture toughness of the toughened, soft polymeric gel material wherein a structure of the branched polymeric additive is at least one of T-shaped, H-shaped, pompom-shaped, barbwire-shaped, star-shaped, or comb-shaped, or a hybrid thereof wherein the polymer gel network is at least one of an elastomer, or polydimethylsiloxane, or polybutadiene, or a fluoroelastomer, or a perfluorelastomer, or poly(styrene-b-ethylene-co-butylene-b-styrene, or poly(styrene-b-isoprene-b-polystyrene), or poly(styrene-b-butadiene-b-polystyrene), or a natural rubber, or chloroprene, or a butyl rubber, or a nitrile rubber, or a fluorosilicone rubber, or poly(propylene oxide).