Material forming supramolecular structures, process and uses

1. A hot melt adhesive comprising a material, forming supramolecular structures below its transition temperature, characterised in that the material contains at least one C═O and/or C═S group and at least one N—H, O—H and/or S—H group and wherein the material has the structure

A(-X—B) n   (1)

wherein A is a polymeric segment with at least 3 monomeric repeating units of cyclic, aromatic and/or aliphatic group but A does not include polyether or polyurethane, n being a number of 1 to 4, —X—B is, if n is 2, the same or different, and if n is 3 or 4, the same, partly the same or different and has one of the structures (2) to (4)

—NH—C(Y)—Y—B  (2)

—NH—C(Y)—NR—B  (3)

—Y—C(Y)—NR—B  (4)

with Y being an Oxygen and/or Sulfur atom, B being an organic group with at least one Nitrogen atom which is bound to at least two carbon atoms when B is linear, and where the Nitrogen atom is bound to at least one carbon atom when B is branched, and R being a Hydrogen atom, and/or aliphatic group or another B group which is the same or different;

wherein the material can be repeatedly heated above its transition temperature to a fluid form and cooled below its transition temperature to a solid form.

2. The material according to claim 1 , characterised in that the supramolecular structure has a transition temperature between about −50° C. and +200° C.

3. The material according to claim 1 , characterised in that the supramolecular structure has 40° C. above the transition temperature a low storage modulus and 40° C. below the transition temperature a high storage modulus and whereas the difference of the two storage modulus at these temperatures is at least about 1000 Pa.

4. The material according to claim 3 , characterised in that the storage modulus at the higher temperature is about 100,000 Pa or lower and that the storage modulus at the lower temperature is about 1,000,000 Pa or higher.

5. The material according to claim 1 , characterised in that A has a number average molecular weight Mn of less than about 100,000.

6. The material according to claim 1 , characterised in that B has a number average molecular weight Mn of less than about 5000.

7. The material according to claim 1 , characterised in that the B further comprises Oxygen and/or Sulfur atom.

8. The material according to claim 1 , characterised in that the B contains at least one tertiary amine group.

9. The material according to claim 1 , characterised in that X is a urea, urethane, thiourea and/or a thiourethane group.

10. The material according to claim 1 , characterised in that the material contains at least one reactive group, stable at elevated temperature, but capable of reacting upon non-thermal activation.

11. The material according to claim 10 , characterised in that the reactive group is an unsaturated C—C bond, a hydroxyl, primary amine, secondary amine, acid, amide, isocyanate, epoxy, anhydride, imide, carbodiimide, organosilane, alkyl halide, acid halide, lactone, lactam, azlactone, oxazoline, aziridine, imine, oxazolidine, and/or cyclic carbonate group.

12. The material according to claim 10 , characterised in that the non-thermal activation of the reactive group occurs upon contact with radicals, oxygen, acid, base, water and/or radiation.

13. The material according to claim 1 , characterised in that the monomeric repeating units of A is selected from the group consisting of poly(isobutylene), poly(ethylene-co-butylene), polybutadiene and mixtures thereof.

14. A hot melt adhesive, comprising:

a material, forming supramolecular structures below its transition temperature, characterised in that the material contains at least one C═O and/or C═S group and at least one N—H, O—H and/or S—H group and wherein the material has the structure

A(-X—B) n   (1)

wherein A is a cyclic, aromatic and/or aliphatic group but A is not polyurethane, n being a number of 1 to 4, —X—B is, if n is 2, the same or different, and if n is 3 or 4, the same, partly the same or different and has one of the structures (2) to (4)

—NH—C(Y)—Y—B  (2)

—NH—C(Y)—NR—B  (3)

—Y—C(Y)—NR—B  (4)

with Y being an Oxygen and/or Sulfur atom, B being an organic group with at least one Nitrogen atom which is bound to at least two carbon atoms when B is linear, and where the Nitrogen atom is bound to at least one carbon atom when B is branched, and R being a Hydrogen atom, and/or aliphatic group or another B group which is the same or different;

wherein the adhesive is solid at room temperature but, upon heating, changes to a fluid state and on cooling the adhesive regains its solid form.

15. The hot melt adhesive of claim 14 wherein A is a polymeric segment with at least 3 monomeric repeating units that does not include polyether.

16. A material, forming supramolecular structures below its transition temperature selected from: