Styrene-based thermoplastic elastomers (also known as Styreneic Block Copolymers, SBCs for short) are currently the world’s largest thermoplastic elastomers with the largest output and rubber properties. At present, there are four types of SBCs series, namely: styrene-butadiene-styrene block copolymer (SBS); styrene-isoprene-styrene block copolymer (SIS); benzene Ethylene-ethylene-butene-styrene block copolymer (SEBS); styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene block copolymer (SEPS). SEBS and SEPS are hydrogenated copolymers of SBS and SIS, respectively.
SBS styrene-based thermoplastic elastomer is the most widely used variety in SBCs (accounting for more than 70%), the lowest cost, and widely used. It is a triblock copolymer with styrene and butadiene as monomers. Characteristics of plastics and rubber, known as “third-generation synthetic rubber”
(1) Thermoplastic processing equipment can be used for molding, such as extrusion, injection, blow molding, etc., and the molding speed is faster than the traditional vulcanized rubber process; (2) No vulcanization is required, and the vulcanization process in the general thermoset rubber processing can be omitted, so the equipment investment is low, the production energy is low, the process is simple, the processing cycle is short, the production efficiency is high, and the processing cost is low; (3) The leftover material can be recycled for multiple uses, saving resources and being beneficial to environmental protection.
At present, SBS is mainly used in four application areas of rubber products, resin modifiers, adhesives and asphalt modifiers. In terms of rubber products, SBS molded products are mainly used in the shoemaking (shoe sole) industry, and extruded products are mainly used in hoses and tapes. As a resin modifier, a small amount of SBS is separately related to polypropylene (PP), polyethylene (PE), Polystyrene (PS) blending can significantly improve the low temperature performance and impact strength of the product; SBS as a binder has the characteristics of high solid content, fast drying and low temperature resistance; SBS as a modifier of building asphalt and road asphalt can be Significantly improves the weatherability and load resistance of asphalt.