The Polymer Society of Korea

Abstract

PS-block-poly(ethylene-co-1-butene)-block-PS (SEBS) is an attractive material, traditionally produced through the costly hydrogenation of PS-block-polybutadiene-block-PS.  An innovative one-pot method for synthesizing SEBS-like triblock copolymers has been developed in our laboratory. In this method, a dialkylzinc compound containing styrene moieties ((CH₂=CHC₆H₄CH₂CH₂CH₂)₂Zn) was synthesized, which is then used to grow poly(ethylene-co-1-hexene) chains via CCTP, resulting in di-end functional PO chains that are functionalized with styrene and Zn moieties. Subsequently, PS chains are attached to both ends of these PO chains through anionic styrene polymerization, initiated by Me₃SiCH2Li·(pmdeta) initiator. Details on the concept, implementation, and scale-up process for commercialization will be presented.