Silicone compositions comprising a swollen silicone gel

1. A method for the preparation of a silicone composition, the method comprising:

combining

Component (A), at least one organopolysiloxane having an average of at least two free radical polymerizable groups per molecule, the organopolysiloxane having the structure:

R 1 3 SiO(R 1 2 SiO) a (R 1 R 2 SiO) b SiR 1 3 or R 3 2 R 4 SiO(R 3 2 SiO) c (R 3 R 4 SiO) d SiR 3 2 R 4 ,

wherein

at each occurrence R 1 and R 3 are independently chosen from halogen and a monovalent organic group,

at each occurrence R 2 and R 4 are independently a monovalent unsaturated organic group,

a, c, and d are independently about 0 to about 20,000, and b is about 1 to about 20,000,

Component (B), at least one organoborane free radical initiator, and

Component (C), at least one fluid miscible with Component (A), to form a reaction mixture, wherein Component (B) is the only catalyst present in the reaction mixture; and

gelling the reaction mixture to form a substantially homogeneous swollen silicone gel, the gelling comprising

polymerizing Component (A) in the presence of Component (B), Component (C), and oxygen, while maintaining a temperature of from about 5° C. to about 95° C., to form the substantially homogeneous swollen silicone gel, wherein about 50 wt % to about 90 wt % of the substantially homogeneously swollen silicone gel is Component (C).

2. The method according to claim 1 , wherein the polymerizing comprises maintaining the temperature at from about 10° C. to about 35° C. and wherein the swollen silicone gel has a plateau elastic shear modulus not greater than one half of an intrinsic plateau elastic shear modulus of an elastomer component of the swollen silicone gel in an undiluted state.

3. The method according to claim 2 , comprising shearing the swollen silicone gel and optionally diluting it with at least one miscible fluid that is compatible with the elastomer component and Component (C) to form a silicone paste comprising swollen silicone microparticles; wherein the optional miscible fluid is the same as Component (C), different from Component (C), and any combination thereof.

4. The method according to claim 3 , further including diluting the swollen silicone gel with at least one miscible fluid, the at least one miscible fluid being selected from silicones.

5. The method according to claim 1 , wherein Component (A) is selected from acrylate and methacrylate-functional polydimethylsiloxanes and resins.

6. The method according to claim 1 , wherein Component (B) is a trialkylborane-organonitrogen complex wherein the trialkylborane is selected from triethylborane, tri-n-butylborane, tri-n-octylborane, tri-sec-butylborane, tridodecylborane, and any combination thereof.

7. The method according to claim 1 , wherein polymerization occurs in the presence of Component (D), at least one organonitrogen-reactive compound selected from isophorone diisocyanate, acetic acid, carboxyl-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, and any combination thereof.

8. The method according to claim 1 , wherein polymerization occurs in the presence of Component (E), at least one free-radical polymerizable organic co-monomers selected from acrylates, methacrylates, and any combination thereof.

9. The method according to claim 1 , wherein polymerization occurs in the presence of, or the silicone gel formed is treated with Component (F), at least one active ingredient suitable for use in personal care and healthcare products.

10. The method according to claim 3 , further including diluting the swollen silicone gel with at least one miscible fluid, the at least one miscible fluid being selected from linear and cyclosiloxanes, and combinations thereof.

11. The method according to claim 10 , wherein the at least one miscible fluid is a cyclosiloxane, the cyclosiloxane being decamethylcyclopentasiloxane.

12. The method according to claim 3 , further including diluting the swollen silicone gel with at least one miscible fluid, the at least one miscible fluid being an organic solvent or a combination thereof.

13. The method according to claim 3 , further including diluting the swollen silicone gel with at least one miscible fluid, the at least one miscible fluid being an ester or a combination thereof.

14. The method according to claim 5 , wherein Component (A) is selected from methacryloxypropyldimethylsiloxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxane, methacryloxymethylsiloxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes, acryloxypropyldimethylsiloxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes, acryloxymethyldimethylsiloxy-terminated polydimethylsiloxanes, polydimethylsiloxane-polymethyl-methacryloxypropylsiloxane copolymers, polydimethylsiloxane-polymethyl-acryloxypropylsiloxane copolymers, and any combination thereof.