Sulfonated block copolymers having ethylene and diene interior blocks, and various uses for such block copolymers

1. A sulfonated block copolymer which is solid in water comprising at least two polymer end blocks A, at least one polymer interior block B wherein:

a. each A block is a polymer block resistant to sulfonation and each B block is a polymer block susceptible to sulfonation, said A and B blocks containing no significant levels of olefinic unsaturation;

b. each A block independently having a number average molecular weight between 1,000 and 60,000 and each B block independently having a number average molecular weight between 10,000 and 300,000;

c. each A block comprising one or more segments selected from polymerized (i) ethylene, (ii) monomers of conjugated dienes having a vinyl content less than 20 mol percent prior to hydrogenation, and (iii) mixtures thereof, wherein any segments containing polymerized conjugated dienes are subsequently hydrogenated and have a crystalline or semi-crystalline structure subsequent hydrogenation and wherein any A block comprising polymerized ethylene or hydrogenated polymers of a conjugated, acyclic diene have a melting point greater than 50° C.;

d. each B block comprising segments of one or more vinyl aromatic monomers selected from polymerized (i) unsubstituted styrene monomers, (ii) ortho-substituted styrene monomers, (iii) meta-substituted styrene monomers, (iv) alpha-methylstyrene, (v) 1,1-diphenylethylene, (vi) 1,2-diphenylethylene and (vii) mixtures thereof;

e. said B blocks are sulfonated to the extent of 10 to 100 mol percent, based on the units of vinyl aromatic monomer in said B blocks; and

f. the mol percent of vinyl aromatic monomers which are unsubstituted styrene monomers, ortho-substituted styrene monomers, meta-substituted styrene monomers, alpha-methylstyrene, 1,1-diphenylethylene and 1,2-diphenylethylene in each B block being between 10 mol percent and 100 mol percent; and

g. said sulfonated block copolymer is non-dispersible and solid in water, and has a tensile strength greater than 100 psi in the presence of water according to ASTM D412 after immersion in water for 24 hours.

2. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein said A block is a segment of polymerized ethylene having a number average molecular weight between 1,000 and 60,000.

3. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein said A block prior to hydrogenation is a polymerized segment of a low vinyl content 1,3-butadiene, and wherein said vinyl content prior to hydrogenation is less than 20 mol percent.

4. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein said A block comprises up to 15 mol percent of polymerized monomers selected from (i) unsubstituted styrene monomers, (ii) ortho-substituted styrene monomers, (iii) meta-substituted styrene monomers, (iv) alpha-methylstyrene, (v) 1,1-diphenylethylene, (vi) 1,2-diphenylethylene and (vii) mixtures thereof.

5. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein the interior block B is a hydrogenated copolymer of one or more unsubstituted styrene monomers, and monomers of conjugated dienes having a vinyl content of 20 to 80 mol percent prior to hydrogenation.

6. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein said B block is a random copolymer, a tapered copolymer or a controlled distribution copolymer.

7. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , further comprising at least one polymer block D having a glass transition temperature of less than 20° C. and a number average molecular weight of between 1,000 and 50,000.

8. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 7 , wherein said D block prior to hydrogenation is polymer block of 1,3-butadiene, and wherein 20 to 80 mol percent of the condensed butadiene units in block D have 1,2-configuration prior to hydrogenation.

9. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , having the general configuration A-D-B-D-A, A-B-D-B-A, (A-D-B) n X, (A-B-D) n X, A-B-A, A-B-A-B-A, (A-B-A) n X, or (A-B) n X, or mixtures thereof, where n is an integer from 2 to about 30, and X is coupling agent residue.

10. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 9 , wherein said D block being selected from the group consisting of (i) a polymerized or copolymerized conjugated diene selected from isoprene and 1,3-butadiene having a vinyl content prior to hydrogenation of between 20 and 80 mol percent, (ii) a polymerized acrylate monomer, (iii) a silicon polymer, (iv) polymerized isobutylene and (v) mixtures thereof, wherein any segments containing polymerized 1,3-butadiene or isoprene are subsequently hydrogenated.

11. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , having a water permeability greater than 0.1 times 10 −6 grams per Pascal.meter.hour, according to ASTM E96-00 “desiccant” method, a wet tensile strength greater than 500 psi according to ASTM D412, and a swellability of less than 100% weight after immersion in water for 24 hours.

12. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , having a water permeability greater than 1.0 times 10 −6 grams per Pascal.meter.hour, according to ASTM E96-00 “desiccant” method and a wet tensile strength greater than 1000 psi according to ASTM D412 after immersion in water for 24 hours.

13. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , having a ratio of wet tensile strength to dry tensile strength greater than 0.3.

14. An article formed at least in part from a composition comprising the sulfonated block copolymer of claim 1 , said article being selected from the group consisting of fuel cells, fabrics, coated fabrics, membranes, filtration membranes, desalination membranes, air conditioning membranes, heat recovery membranes, coatings for membranes, personal hygiene articles, adhesives, hydrogels, antifouling coatings, water absorption articles, electrode assemblies, and marine coatings.

15. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein each A block comprises one or more segments selected from polymerized monomers of conjugated dienes having a vinyl content of less than 15 mol percent prior to hydrogenation.

16. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein any A block comprising polymerized ethylene or hydrogenated polymers of a conjugated, acyclic diene have a melting point greater than 80° C.

17. The sulfonated block copolymer according to claim 1 , wherein each end block A is other than solely hydrogenated polymer segments of conjugated dienes.