NOVEL UV-Curable Rubbers

This presentation will discuss a new methacrylation method of polyisoprene (PIP) made by anionic polymerization, and a new family of polyisobutylene-based block copolymers made by carbocationic copolymerizations. PIP and poly(alloocimene-b-isobutylene-b-alloocimene) (AIBA or Allomatrix) were methacrylated and characterized by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) and Size-Exclusion Chromatography (SEC). UV-curing resulted in >98% gel content. Because of its distinct advantages, photocuring technology has found a growing number of applications in the field of healthcare, automobiles, electronics, and paints and coatings.