Medical tubing and compositions and methods for making therefor

1. A medical tube comprising a hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer having a formula A-B-A, (A-B-A) n X, (A-B) n X, or mixtures thereof,

where n is an integer from 2 to 30, and Xis residue of a coupling agent;

wherein prior to hydrogenation,

each A block is a monoalkenyl arene homopolymer block having a true peak molecular weight of 5 kg/mol to 15 kg/mol,

each B block has a true peak molecular weight of 30 kg/mol to 200 kg/mol and is a controlled distribution copolymer block of at least one conjugated diene and at least one monoalkenyl arene;

the coupling efficiency is 30%-95% for the styrenic block copolymers having X; and

a midblock monoalkenyl arene blockiness index is 3% to 15%, wherein the mono alkenyl arene blockiness index is the proportion of mono alkenyl arene units in the block B having two mono alkenyl arene neighbors on the polymer chain; and

subsequent to hydrogenation,

0-10% of the arene double bonds have been reduced, and at least 90% of the conjugated diene double bonds have been reduced;

wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has a midblock poly(monoalkenyl arene) content of 35 wt. % to 50 wt. % based on the total weight of the midblock; and

wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has:

a melt flow ratio of 1.0 to 10.0 measured according to ASTM D-1238 at 230° C. and 2.16 kg load;

a Shore A hardness of 60 to 80 measured according to ASTM D-2240;

a DMA peak tan delta temperature of 0° C. to 40° C. at 1 Hz measured according to ASTM D-4065, and

an order-disorder transition temperature of 200° C. to 300° C.

2. The medical tube of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has a midblock vinyl content from 30 mol percent to 90 mol percent.

3. The medical tube claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has a tensile strength of 10 MPa to 30 MPa.

4. The medical tube of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has a rate of change of elastic modulus (ΔG 0° C.-40° C. ) from −9 MPa/° C. to −25 MPa/° C. over a temperature range from 0° C. to 40° C. measured according to ASTM 1640-99.

5. The medical tube of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has an elongation of 500% to 1000%.

6. The medical tube of claim 1 , wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has a total poly(monoalkenyl arene) content of 50 wt. % to 70 wt. %.

7. The medical tube of claim 1 , having an apparent kink diameter of 30 mm to 40 mm, wherein the tube has an inner diameter and outer diameter of 5 mm and 7 mm, respectively.

8. The medical tube of claim 1 , having an apparent kink diameter of 20 mm to 30 mm, wherein the tube has an inner diameter and outer diameter of 3 mm and 4 mm, respectively.

9. The medical tube of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of an apparent kink diameter to a tube inner diameter is from 6 to 10.

10. The medical tube of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of an apparent kink diameter to a tube outer diameter is from 4 to 8.

11. The medical tube of claim 1 , wherein a ratio of an apparent kink diameter to a tube wall thickness is from 15 to 30.

12. The medical tube of claim 1 , having a haze of less than 3% as measured using ASTM D1003.

13. The medical tube of claim 1 , further comprising a polyolefin in an amount of up to 50 wt. %.

14. The medical tube of claim 13 , having a diffraction peak intensity [I(14)] at a scattering angle (2θ) of 14° to a diffraction peak intensity [I(15)] at a scattering angle (2θ) of 15°, I(14)/I(15), of 1.4 or more in wide-angle X-ray diffraction.

15. The medical tube of claim 1 , having a tack quotient of 0.45 to 0.65, as measured at 25° C. and a relative humidity of 50%.

16. The medical tube of claim 1 , having a debonding force from 15 N to 100 N to separate a solvent-immersed medical tube from a plastic connector, where the plastic connector comprises a polyolefin, a polyester, a polycarbonate, a polyvinyl chloride, a polyetherketone, an ABS, a polystyrene, a polyamide, a polyimide, a polyoxymethylene, a polyacrylate, a polyurethane, or a polysulfone.

17. The medical tube of claim 1 , selected from the group consisting of a multi-lumen tube and a multi-layer tube.

18. A medical tube consisting essentially of a polymer hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer having a formula A-B-A, (A-B-A) n X, (A-B) n X, or mixtures thereof,

where n is an integer from 2 to 30, and X is residue of a coupling agent;

wherein prior to hydrogenation,

each A block is a monoalkenyl arene homopolymer block having a true peak molecular weight of 5 kg/mol to 15 kg/mol,

each B block has a true peak molecular weight of 30 kg/mol to 200 kg/mol and is a controlled distribution copolymer block of at least one conjugated diene and at least one monoalkenyl arene;

the coupling efficiency is 30%-95% for the styrenic block copolymers having X; and

a midblock monoalkenyl arene blockiness index is 3% to 15%, wherein the mono alkenyl arene blockiness index is the proportion of mono alkenyl arene units in the block B having two mono alkenyl arene neighbors on the polymer chain; and

subsequent to hydrogenation,

0-10% of the arene double bonds have been reduced, and at least 90% of the conjugated diene double bonds have been reduced;

wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has a midblock poly(monoalkenyl arene) content of 35 wt. % to 50 wt. % based on the total weight of the midblock; and

wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has:

a melt flow ratio of 1.0 to 10.0 measured according to ASTM D-1238 at 230° C. and 2.16 kg load;

a Shore A hardness of 60 to 80 measured according to ASTM D-2240;

a DMA peak tan delta temperature of 0° C. to 40° C. at 1 Hz measured according to ASTM D-4065, and

an order-disorder transition temperature of 200° C. to 300° C.

19. A medical tube consisting essentially of a hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer having a formula A-B-A, (A-B-A) n X, (A-B) n X, or mixtures thereof,

where n is an integer from 2 to 30, and X is residue of a coupling agent;

wherein prior to hydrogenation,

each A block is a styrene homopolymer block having a true peak molecular weight of 5 kg/mol to 15 kg/mol,

each B block has a true peak molecular weight of 30 kg/mol to 50 kg/mol, and is a controlled distribution copolymer block of styrene, and at least one conjugated diene selected from 1,3-butadiene, isoprene, and mixtures thereof;

the coupling efficiency is 80%-95% for the styrenic block copolymers having X; and

a midblock monoalkenyl arene blockiness index is 3% to 15%, wherein the mono alkenyl arene blockiness index is the proportion of mono alkenyl arene units in the block B having two mono alkenyl arene neighbors on the polymer chain; and

subsequent to hydrogenation,

0-10% of the arene double bonds have been reduced, and at least 90% of the conjugated diene double bonds have been reduced;

wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has a midblock poly(monoalkenyl arene) content of 35 wt. % to 50 wt. % based on the total weight of the midblock; and

wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has:

a melt flow ratio of 1.0 to 10.0 measured according to ASTM D-1238 at 230° C. and 2.16 kg load;

a Shore A hardness of 60 to 80 measured according to ASTM D-2240;

a DMA peak tan delta temperature of 0° C. to 40° C. at 1 Hz measured according to ASTM D-4065, and

an order-disorder transition temperature of 200° C. to 300° C.

20. The medical tube of claim 19 , wherein the hydrogenated styrenic block copolymer has a midblock vinyl content from 60 mol percent to 95 mol percent.