Styrene block copolymers (SBCs) offer cohesion, strength, and heat resistance for both adhesives and sealants. The styrene phase forms a physically crosslinked network in the adhesive at room temperature. Of the SBCs, styrene butadiene styrene has the highest shear strength and moderately good peel strength.
RESULTING PROPERTIES
SBC based adhesives have a good combination of low cost, adhesion, physical properties, and processing characteristics. There is a growing use of SBC adhesives and sealants in construction projects for adhering wall panels and plywood subflooring. The SBS copolymers are particularly well suited for this application because of their high uncured strength as well as low cost, adhesion, and good physical properties and processing characteristics. . Solvents are mostly naphtha with enough toluene added to dissolve the polymer. A typical adhesive formulation of this type is shown in table above. Viscosity can be increased by increasing the filler loading to provide for a sealant composition. This is an example of a SBS based adhesive/sealant for the assembly of building and construction components. With stabilizer systems similar to that shown, oxygen bomb aging exceeds current building requirements.
