Hot melt elastic attachment adhesive for low temperature applications

1. An adhesive composition comprising: one or more block copolymers and one or more tackifying resins, wherein said one or more block copolymers comprise (i) one or more blocks of polymerized alkenyl arene monomer (A block), (ii) one or more blocks of polymerized conjugated diene monomer (B block), and at least one low molecular weight (compared to B block) block of polymerized conjugated diene (C block), where the A, B, and C blocks can vary independent of each other with regard to composition and molecular weight;

wherein the block copolymer has a structure selected from the group consisting of A-B-A-C, C-A-B-A-C, (C-A-B) n X, (A-B) n X(C) m , and (C-A-B) n X(C) m ;

where the one or more A blocks have a peak molecular weight from 10,000 g/mol to 25,000 g/mol; the one or more B blocks have a peak molecular weight from 40,000 g/mol to 120,000 g/mol; the molecular weight of the C block is from 1% to 40% of the molecular weight of the B block; and each of n and m is from 2 to 20, X is a coupling agent, and (n+m) cannot be greater than the valence of the coupling agent;

and wherein the adhesive composition has

a creep of 30% or less;

a shear adhesion failure temperature of 30° C. to 60° C.;

a melt flow rate of 10 g/10 min to 50 g/10 min, measured at 200° C., under 5 kg mass in accordance with ASTM D-1238;

and a tensile strength of from 1,000 psi to 5,000 psi determined according to ASTM D 412.

2. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the alkenyl arene monomer is styrene, alpha-methylstyrene, para-methylstyrene, vinyl toluene, vinyl naphthalene, para-butyl styrene or combinations thereof.

3. The adhesive composition of claim 2 , wherein the alkenyl arene monomer is styrene.

4. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the conjugated diene monomer is 1,3-butadiene, a substituted butadiene, isoprene, piperylene, 2,3-dimethyl-1,3-butadiene, 1-phenyl-1,3-butadiene, or combinations thereof.

5. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the conjugated diene monomer is isoprene.

6. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the coupling agent comprises any chemical species having multiple functionalities and reactive with the living anionic chain-end in an additive fashion.

7. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the C blocks have a peak molecular weight from about 2,000 g/mol to 30,000 g/mol.

8. The adhesive composition of claim 7 , wherein the molecular weight ratio of terminal C block(s) to internal B block(s) have a ratio of from 0.05:1 to 0.1:1.

9. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the structures have at least one terminal C block in the structure and one terminal A block in the structure.

10. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , further comprising: one or more end block resins and one or more oils, wherein the block copolymer is present in a range from about 15 wt. % to about 50 wt. %, the tackifier is present in a range from about 35 wt. % to about 60 wt. %, the one or more end block resins are present in a range of about 0 to about 35 wt. %, and the one or more oils are present in a range of about 10 wt. % to about 25 wt. %, based on the total weight of the adhesive composition.

11. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , further comprising from about 0.01 wt. % to about 2 wt. % of one or more primary antioxidants and from about 0.01 wt. % to about 2 wt. % of a secondary antioxidant based on the total weight of the adhesive composition.

12. The adhesive composition of claim 1 , wherein the adhesive is a hot-melt adhesive for an elastic attachment.

13. A process of using the adhesive composition of claim 11 , wherein the adhesive is sprayed on an elastic attachment and allowed to dry.

14. The process of claim 13 , wherein the adhesive is sprayed on the elastic attachment at a temperature between about 125° C. to about 138° C.

15. The process of claim 13 , wherein the adhesive is sprayed onto the elastic attachment of a diaper at a temperature of between about 130 to about 135° C.

16. A diaper having leg and waist holes for humans comprising elastic attachments around the leg and waist holes of the diaper, the elastic attachment being secured to the diaper by means of an adhesive composition, the adhesive composition comprising:

one or more block copolymers wherein said one or more block copolymers comprise

(i) one or more blocks of polymerized alkenyl arene monomer (A block),

(ii) one or more blocks of polymerized conjugated diene monomer (B block), and

(iii) at least one low molecular weight (compared to B block) block of polymerized conjugated diene (C block), where the A, B, and C blocks can vary independent of each other with regard to composition and molecular weight;

wherein the block copolymer has a structure selected from the group consisting of A-B-A-C, C-A-B-A-C, (C-A-B) n X, (A-B) n X(C) m , and (C-A-B) n X(C) m ; where each of n and m is from 2 to 20, X is a coupling agent, and (n+m) cannot be greater than the valence of the coupling agent;

where the one or more A blocks have a peak molecular weight from 10,000 g/mol to 30,000 g/mol; the one or more B blocks have a peak molecular weight from 40,000 g/mol to 120,000 g/mol; the molecular weight of the C block is from 1% to 40% of the molecular weight of the B block; and n and/or m is from 2 to 20, X is a coupling agent, and (n+m) cannot be greater than the valence of the coupling agent;

one or more end block resins,

one or more tackifiers,

and one or more oils,

wherein the block copolymer is present in a range from about 10 to about 30 wt. %, the tackifier is present in a range from about 25 wt. % to about 70 wt. %, the one or more end block resins are present in a range of about 10 wt. % to about 40 wt. %, and the one or more oils are present in a range of about 5 wt. % to about 30 wt. % based on the total weight of the adhesive composition;

and wherein the adhesive composition has a creep of 30% or less; a shear adhesion failure temperature of 30° C. to 60° C.; a melt flow rate of 10 g/10 min to 50 g/10 min, measured at 200° C., under 5 kg mass in accordance with ASTM D-1238; and a tensile strength of from 1,000 psi to 5,000 psi determined according to ASTM D 412.