Styrenic thermoplastic elastomers (TPEs) are of great importance in both academic research and industrial applications. However, high temperature applications, such as use in tires, cannot be achieved by styrenic materials due to the glass transition temperature of polystyrene (T<sub>g</sub>=100°C). In order to improve the upper service temperature of TPEs, this work represents the first synthesis and characterization of thermoplastic elastomers based on benzofulvene (BF), an anionically polymerizable monomer in hydrocarbon solvents at room temperature. Triblock copolymers polybenzofulvene-b-polyisoprene-b-polybenzofulvene (FIF) were synthesized using a difunctional lithium-based initiator in benzene. The molecular weight and polydispersity of the resulting polymers were determined by GPC and LS, thermal properties by DSC and TGA, chemical composition by NMR, and micro-phase separation by TEM and SAXS. Preliminary dynamic mechanical analysis (DMA) showed that the synthesized FIF triblock copolymer retained its storage modulus up to 150° C before dropping off. The polymer does not break at 500% strain (the strain limit of our DMA) with a tensile strength of 2.8 MPa. Detailed morphological characterization and tensile testing are currently underway and will be reported at the conference.<br/>

New high temperature thermoplastic elastomers based on polybenzofulvene

249th National Meeting (2015)

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