Fabrication of Damping Material over Broad Temperature Range: Blending Amorphous Styrene-Butadiene-Styrene Triblock Copolymer with Semi-Crystalline Syndiotactic 1,2-Polybutadiene

Broad-temperature-range (−85.4 to 96.2 °C) damping material was fabricated by blending amorphous styrene-butadiene-styrene triblock copolymer (SBS) with semicrystalline syndiotactic 1,2-polybutadiene (s-PB). According to dynamic mechanical thermal analysis (DMTA) analysis, SBS/s-PB blends exhibited three consecutive damping peaks at −85.4, 2.7, and 96.2 °C. The peaks at −85.4 and 96.2 °C were associated with the glass transition of polybutadiene and polystyrene in SBS, and peak at 2.7 °C belonged to the glass transition of s-PB. The analysis of rheological behavior and thermal properties showed that the mobility and thermal stability of SBS/s-PB blends improved with the introduction of semi-crystalline s-PB. Moreover, regarding the results of DMTA, Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) measurements, SBS and s-PB were compatible in the macroscopic scale while they were immiscible in thermodynamic scale. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction (WAXD) results present the crystal structure of blends were unchanged. Besides, with the introduction of s-PB in blends, 100% tensile modulus increased from 3.2 to 5.8 MPa and tear strength increased from 49.2 to 84.2 kN/m. The Kerner–Uemura–Takayanagi model was employed to compare with experimental data. Thus, broad-temperature-range damping material was fabricated by blending SBS with s-PB and the material combined with good processability, thermal stability, and mechanical properties. J. VINYL ADDIT. TECHNOL., 26:336–347, 2020.