Farnesene-based tackifying resins and adhesive compositions containing the same

1. An adhesive composition comprising an elastomer and a tackifying resin,

wherein the tackifying resin is a farnesene polymer derived from monomers comprising farnesene, the farnesene polymer comprising a cyclical structure formed by at least one farnesene monomer bonding to itself, wherein the farnesene monomers are β-farnesene monomers.

2. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the farnesene polymer has a softening point greater than or equal to 80 degrees Celsius.

3. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the farnesene polymer has a number average molecular weight of 400 to 10,000 g/mol.

4. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-isoprene block copolymers, polyacrylate resins, poly ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resins, polystyrene butadiene resins, random styrenebutadiene (SBR) copolymers, styrene-butadiene block copolymers, styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene (SIBS) copolymers, styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene (SEPS) copolymers, styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) block copolymers, amorphous poly-olefin (APO) resins, and mixtures thereof.

5. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the farnesene polymer is prepared by polymerization using AlCl 3 at a temperature of about 10 to 60° C.

6. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the farnesene polymer is prepared by polymerization using BF 3 at a temperature of about −10 to 50° C.

7. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the farnesene polymer is made according to a method comprising:

combining a farnesene monomer and a solvent and optionally adding one or more comonomers selected from the group consisting of dienes, branched mono-olefins, and vinyl aromatics, to provide a monomer feed, and

polymerizing the monomer feed by combining the monomer feed with a Friedel-Crafts catalyst in a vessel.

8. The adhesive composition of claim 7 , wherein polymerizing the monomer feed comprises continuously feeding both the monomer feed and the Friedel-Crafts catalyst to the vessel.

9. The adhesive composition of claim 7 , wherein the Friedel-Crafts catalyst is selected from the group consisting of BF 3 , AlCl 3 , SnCl 4 , and TiCl 3 .

10. The adhesive composition of claim 7 , wherein the Friedel-Crafts catalyst is at least one of AlCl 3 and BF 3 .

11. The adhesive composition of claim 7 , wherein the monomer feed includes 0 to 90 mol. % of the comonomer based on the total moles of monomer.

12. The adhesive composition of claim 7 , wherein the monomer feed includes 0 to 40 mol. % of the comonomer based on the total moles of monomer.

13. The adhesive composition of claim 7 , wherein the Friedel-Crafts catalyst is AlCl 3 .

14. An article comprising a substrate and an adhesive composition according to claim 1 applied to at least one surface of the substrate, wherein the substrate is selected from the group consisting of a tape and a label.

15. A coated article comprising the adhesive composition according to claim 1 applied to at least one of wood, a non-woven fabric, and a book-binding.

16. A case and carton assembly line comprising an adhesive station, wherein the adhesive station dispenses an adhesive composition according to claim 1 .

17. A farnesene polymer comprising monomeric units derived from a farnesene monomer and one or more comonomers selected from the group consisting of dienes, branched mono-olefins, and vinyl aromatics, wherein the farnesene monomers are β-farnesene monomers, the farnesene polymer comprises a cyclical structure formed by at least one farnesene monomer bonding to itself, the farnesene polymer having a softening point greater than or equal to 80 degrees Celsius, and a number average molecular weight of 400 to 10,000 g/mol, wherein the farnesene polymer acts as a tackifier when compounded with an elastomer.

18. The farnesene polymer of claim 17 , wherein the farnesene polymer comprises up to 90 mol % of the comonomer.

19. The farnesene polymer of claim 17 , wherein the farnesene polymer comprises up to 40 mol % of the comonomer.

20. The farnesene polymer according to claim 17 , wherein the comonomer includes one or more monomers selected from the group consisting of styrene, alpha-methyl styrene, 2-methyl styrene, 3-methyl styrene, 4-methyl styrene, 4-t-butyl styrene, 4-cyclohexyl styrene, 4-dodecyl styrene, 2,4-diisopropyl styrene, 2,4,6-trimethyl styrene, 2-ethyl-4-benzyl styrene, 4-(phenyl butyl)styrene, 1-vinyl naphthalene, 2-vinyl naphthalene, vinyl anthracene, 4-methoxy styrene, monochlorostyrene, dichlorostyrene, divinyl benzene, indene, methyl-indene, butadiene, isoprene, piperylene, myrcene, dipentene, isobutylene, 2-methyl-2-butene, 2-methyl-1-butene, 2-methyl-1-pentene, 2-methyl-2-pentene, 2,3-dimethyl-1-butene, 2,3-dimethyl-2-butene, 3,3-dimethyl-1-butene, and 3-methyl-2-pentene, and isomers thereof.

21. An adhesive composition comprising an elastomer and the farnesene polymer according to claim 17 .

22. The adhesive composition according to claim 21 , wherein the elastomer is selected from the group consisting of styrene-isoprene block copolymers, polyacrylate resins, poly ethylene vinyl acetate (EVA) resins, polystyrene butadiene resins, random styrenebutadiene (SBR) copolymers, styrene-butadiene block copolymers, styrene-isoprene-butadiene-styrene (SIBS) copolymers, styrene-ethylene-propylene-styrene (SEPS) copolymers, styrene-ethylene-butylene-styrene (SEBS) block copolymers, amorphous poly-olefin (APO) resins, and mixtures thereof.