Preparation and Characterization of a Renewable Pressure-Sensitive Adhesive System Derived from ε-Decalactone, l-Lactide, Epoxidized Soybean Oil, and Rosin Ester

Abstract

Pressure-sensitive adhesives (PSAs) are prepared with plant-based thermoplastic polyester elastomers (TPPEs), rosin ester tackifier, and epoxidized soybean oil plasticizer. Controlled bulk ring-opening transesterification polymerization of e-decalactone and l-lactide using diethylene glycol as an initiator gives ABA type block polyesters via a one-pot, two-step process with only tin(II) ethylhexanoate. Three semicrystalline poly(l-lactide)–poly(e-decalactone)–poly(l-lactide) (PLLA–PDL–PLLA) triblock copolymers are prepared containing 100 kg mol–1 PDL midblocks and 8–30 wt % PLLA end blocks with narrow dispersities. The mechanical behavior of the triblock architectures is investigated by tensile experiments. The triblocks are combined with the tackifier of 50 wt % and the plasticizer of 15–30 wt %. The thermal, viscoelastic, and morphological properties of the elastomers and the adhesive formulations are determined with differential scanning calorimetry, thermal gravimetric analysis, dynamic mechanical ana...