Gelatinous elastomer compositions and articles

1. An article comprising: a gel cushion shape article of manufacture formed from

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more block copolymer(s) of poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) in combination with or without

(II) a minor amount of one or more polymer(s) or copolymer(s) selected from poly(ethylene/styrene/propylene), poly(ethylene/styrene/4-methyl-1-pentene), poly(ethylene/styrene/hexend-1), poly(ethylene/styrene/octene-1), and poly(ethylene/styrene/norbornene);

(III) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; said gel cushion shape article characterized by a gel rigidity of about 20 to about 800 gram Bloom; wherein said gel cushion shape is capable of being deformed by an applied pressure into a deformed cushion shape in contact with a regular or irregular surface and upon removal of said applied pressure recover back to said cushion shape.

2. An article comprising: a gel cushion shape article of manufacture formed from

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more block copolymer(s) of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), and

(II) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil.

3. An article comprising: a gel cushion shape article of manufacture formed from

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more of a block copolymer(s) of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene); wherein at least one of said block copolymer is a high viscosity copolymer having a viscosity value at 5 weight percent solution in toluene at 30° C. of about 90 mpa-S and higher in combination with or without

(II) a selected amount of one or more polymer or copolymer(s) selected from poly(styrene- butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene) n , poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene), poly(styrene-isoprene) n , poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene) n , poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene) n , poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene/styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene/styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, or polyethylene, wherein said selected copolymer Is a linear, radial, branched, star-shaped, or multiarm copolymer, and n is an integer greater than one, and

(III) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil; wherein said gel cushion shape is capable of being deformed by an applied pressure into a deformed cushion shape in contact with a regular or irregular surface and upon removal of said applied pressure recover back to said cushion shape.

4. A gel cushion shape article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein said one or more (II) copolymer(s) is selected from low styrene content copolymer(s) of: poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene/ethylene-propylene-styrene), and poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene).

5. A gel cushion shape article of manufacture of claim 1 , 2 , or 3 , wherein said (II) copolymer(s) is poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene/styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), and poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene/styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene).

6. A gel cushion shape article of manufacture of claim 1 , wherein said (II) copolymer(s) is one or more copolymer(s) selected from poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene/styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene) and poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene/styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), and poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene).

7. An article comprising: a gel cushion shaped article of manufacture formed from

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more block copolymer(s) of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene);

(II) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of a plasticizing oil; and in combination with or without a minor amount of one or more copolymer(s) selected from poly(ethylene alpha-olefin) copolymers, and ultra low density poly(ethylene-octene-1) copolymers; wherein said cushion having the properties of elastic memory capable of recovery and shape retention after many extreme deformation cycles.

8. A article of comprising: a gel cushion shape article of manufacture formed from

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more block copolymer(s) of poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) in combination with or without

(II) a minor amount of one or more copolymer(s) selected from poly(ethylene-butyl acrylate), poly(ethylene-ethyl acrylate), poly(ethylene-methyl acrylate), poly(ethylene-vinyl acetate), poly(ethylene-vinyl acrylate), and poly(ethylene-vinyl alcohol);

(III) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil; wherein said cushion shape article having the properties of elastic memory capable of recovery and shape retention after many extreme deformation cycles.

9. A gel cushion shaped article according to claim 3 or 6 , wherein said gel cushion shape is in the shape of a pillow.

10. A gel cushion shape article according to claim 3 or 6 , wherein said gel cushion shape is in the shape of a cushion for a hand a wrist, a finger, a forearm, a knee, a leg, a clavicle, a shoulder, a foot, an ankle, a neck, a back, or a clutch cushion.

11. A gel cushion shape article according to claim 2 or 4 , wherein said gel cushion shape is a pad for a wrist or a cushion for a hand, a wrist, a finger, a forearm, a knee, a leg, a clavicle, a shoulder, a foot, an ankle, a neck, a back.

12. A gel cushion shape article according to claim 3 or 6 , wherein said gel cushion shape is a shape of a mattress.

13. A gel cushion shape article according to claim 3 or 6 , wherein said gel cushion shape is a shape of a pillow.

14. A gel cushion shape article according to claim 3 , wherein said gel cushion shape is a shape of a wrist cushion.

15. A gel cushion shape article according to claim 3 or 6 , wherein said gel cushion shape is useful as a wheelchair cushion.

16. An article comprising; a gel cushion shape article of manufacture formed from

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more block copolymer(s) of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) in combination with or without

(II) a selected amount of one or more polymer or copolymer selected from poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene) n , poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene), poly(styrene-isoprene) n , poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene) n , poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene) n , polystyrene, polybutylene, poly(ethylene-propylene), poly(ethylene-butylene), polypropylene, polyethylene, poly(ethylene/styrene/propylene), poly(ethylene/styrene/4-methyl-1-pentene), poly(ethylene/styrene/hexend-1), poly(ethylene/styrene/octene-1), poly(ethylene/styrene/norbornene), high vinyl content poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), low styrene content poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene/styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), and poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene/styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), or poly(ethylene-styrene) produced by metallocene catalysts; wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, radial, branched, star-shaped, or multiarm copolymer, and n is an integer greater than one, and

(III) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil; wherein said gel cushion shape is capable of being deformed by an applied pressure into a deformed cushion shape in contact with a regular or irregular surface and upon removal of said applied pressure recover back to said cushion shape.

17. An article comprising: a gel cushion shape article of manufacture formed from

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more of a hydrogenated poly(styrene isoprene/butadiene-styrene) block copolymer(s) of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) in combination with or without

(II) a selected amount of one or more polymer or copolymer selected from poly(styrene-butadiene-styrene), poly(styrene-butadiene) n , poly(styrene-isoprene-styrene), poly(styrene-isoprene) n , poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene), poly(styrene-ethylene-propylene) n , poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene) n , poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene/styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene), poly(ethylene-styrene), poly(ethylene-styrene-propylene), polystyrene, polybutylene, polyethylene, and polypropylene; wherein said selected copolymer is a linear, radial, branched, star-shaped, or multiarm copolymer, and n is an integer greater than one, and

(III) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil; wherein said gel cushion shape is capable of being deformed by an applied pressure into a deformed cushion shape in contact with a regular or irregular surface and upon removal of said applied pressure recover back to said cushion shape.

18. An article comprising: a gel cushion shape article of manufacture formed from

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more of a hydrogenated poly(styrene isoprene/butadiene-styrene) block copolymer(s) of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) and poly(styrene-ethylene-butylene/ethylene-propylene-styrene), and

(II) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil.

19. An article comprising: a gel cushion shape article of manufacture formed from

(I) 100 parts by weight of one or more of a hydrogenated poly(styrene isoprene/butadiene-styrene) block copolymer(s) of the general configuration poly(styrene-ethylene-ethylene-propylene-styrene) in combination with

(II) a selected amount of one or more copolymer(s) selected from poly(ethylene-styrene), poly(ethylene/styrene/propylene), poly(ethylene/styrene/4-methyl-1-pentene), poly(ethylene/styrene/hexend-1), poly(ethylene/styrene/octene-1), or poly(ethylene/styrene/norbornene), produced by metallocene catalysts, and

(III) from about 300 to about 1,600 parts by weight of an plasticizing oil; said gelatinous composition characterized by a gel rigidity of about 20 to about 800 gram Bloom; wherein said gel cushion shape is capable of being deformed by an applied pressure into a deformed cushion shape in contact with a regular or irregular surface and upon removal of said applied pressure recover back to said cushion shape.

20. A gel cushion shape article according to claims 1 , 5 , 6 , 7 , 8 , or 19 , wherein said gel cushion shape article is in the shape of a cushion for a hand, a wrist, a finger, a forearm, a knee, a leg, a clavicle, a shoulder, a foot, an ankle, a neck, a back, a clutch cushion or a sole cushion for a shoe; wherein said cushion having the properties of elastic memory capable of recovery and shape retention after many extreme deformation cycles.