Introduction and application of Dow OBC
2024-04-17
OBC is a new polyolefin thermoplastic elastomer - olefin block copolymer (OBC) - developed by DowDuPont (DWDP) through "chain shuttling" polymerization technology, and quickly achieved industrial scale-up Production. At present, the production capacity of DowDuPont's (DWDP) OBC series products is about 50,000 tons/year. The product brand is Infuse and there are more than 10 grades. Compared with POE, 0BC has a higher crystallization rate, more regular crystal morphology, and better performance. OBC's resilience and compression deformation resistance are almost equal to those of thermoplastic dynamic vulcanized rubber, better than ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer and flexible polyvinyl chloride, and its viscosity is similar to that of styrene-isoprene-styrene triblock copolymer. OBC has excellent processing properties and has unique advantages in the fields of flexible molded products, extruded profiles, hoses and foam products. In terms of application, OBC has great application potential in automotive components, electrical equipment and other fields, especially in sealing strips, cover gaskets, etc. In addition, OBC's good elastic recovery and stress relaxation properties make the elastic films and fibers made from it occupy an important position in the health and pharmaceutical industries. At the same time, because of its good compatibility, it can be used to produce polyethylene and polypropylene modified materials. OBC products have a shorter promotion cycle and are not as widely used as POE. However, as companies continue to conduct in-depth research on OBC performance, their application fields have also been greatly expanded.
Application direction of OBC
OBC includes PE-based and PP-based, which are suitable for different occasions.
1. Packing box
PP-based OBC is mostly used, which is dispersed very evenly to obtain better transparency.
2. Shoe materials
PE-based OBC is mostly used to obtain heat resistance (>100˚C), outstanding softness, wear resistance, and excellent compression deformation resistance at high temperatures (comparable to TPU and TPV).
3.Multi-layer structure
The advantages of PE are toughness, processability, durable sealing and adhesion. PP has more advantages in heat resistance, rigidity, and environmental stress cracking chemical resistance testing (ESCR). PP and polyethylene PE lack compatibility. In order to obtain the best properties of both materials at the same time, a suitable material is needed to combine the two. A typical example is a large packaging box, which can be made into a composite structure. The inner layer ensures rigidity, the outer layer PE ensures toughness, and the middle layer OBC bonds PE and PP together. After adding different amounts of OBC, PP can also be combined with polyolefin elastomers and polar materials (such as ethylene vinyl alcohol EVOH, polyamide, etc.) to create a wide range of flexible formulas to meet the needs of blends and multi-layer structures. specific needs.
PE-based OBC is mostly used to obtain heat resistance (>100˚C), outstanding softness, wear resistance, and excellent compression deformation resistance at high temperatures (comparable to TPU and TPV).
3.Multi-layer structure
The advantages of PE are toughness, processability, durable sealing and adhesion. PP has more advantages in heat resistance, rigidity, and environmental stress cracking chemical resistance testing (ESCR). PP and polyethylene PE lack compatibility. In order to obtain the best properties of both materials at the same time, a suitable material is needed to combine the two. A typical example is a large packaging box, which can be made into a composite structure. The inner layer ensures rigidity, the outer layer PE ensures toughness, and the middle layer OBC bonds PE and PP together. After adding different amounts of OBC, PP can also be combined with polyolefin elastomers and polar materials (such as ethylene vinyl alcohol EVOH, polyamide, etc.) to create a wide range of flexible formulas to meet the needs of blends and multi-layer structures. specific needs.