Solid cyanoacrylate compositions

1. A curable composition comprising:

(i) a cyanoacrylate component, and

(ii) a thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) component,

wherein the TPU component (ii) has a mass average molar mass M w from about 5000 to about 250000,

and wherein said TPU component (ii) is soluble at a temperature of 65° C. in the cyanoacrylate component up to at least 40% by weight based on the total weight of the cyanoacrylate component,

and wherein said TPU component (ii) is based on a polyol that is based on at least one of a diol or a dicarboxylic acid characterised in that at least one of said diol or dicarboxylic acid has greater than 10 carbon atoms (>C 10 ) in the main chain,

and wherein the TPU component (ii) has a glass transition temperature of from about −60° C. to about 0° C., and a melting point of from about 30° C. to about 100° C. as measured by differential scanning calorimetry in accordance with ISO11357,

and wherein the TPU component (ii) is present in the curable composition in an amount from about 1 wt % to about 60 wt %, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the composition,

and wherein the curable cyanoacrylate component (i) is selected from the group consisting of ethyl cyanoacrylate, butyl cyanoacrylate, β-methoxy cyanoacrylate and combinations thereof,

and wherein the curable composition is solidified in a cylindrically shaped stick.

2. The curable composition according to claim 1 , wherein the TPU component (ii) is present in the curable composition in an amount from about 5 wt % to about 40 wt %, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the composition.

3. The curable composition according to claim 1 , wherein the TPU component (ii) has a glass transition temperature of from about −60° C. to about −5° C.

4. The curable composition according to claim 1 , wherein the TPU component (ii) has a glass transition temperature of from about −55° C. to about −20° C.

5. The curable composition according to claim 1 , wherein the TPU component (ii) comprises polyester segments.

6. The curable composition according to claim 1 , wherein the TPU component (ii) comprises polyester segments, based on at least one of a greater than C 10 diol or a greater than C 10 dicarboxylic acid.

7. The curable composition according to claim 1 wherein the TPU component (ii) is based on a polyester polyol formed from 1,6-hexane diol and a greater than C 10 dicarboxylic acid.

8. The curable composition according to claim 1 , wherein the TPU component (ii) is based on a (co)polyester of dodecanedioic acid and 1,6-hexanediol, said (co)polyester having a melting point of about 70° C., and with an OH number from about 27 to about 34 mg KOH/g (as measured according to standard procedure DIN 53240-2).

9. The curable composition according to claim 1 , further comprising a stabiliser of the cyanoacrylate component.

10. The curable composition according to claim 9 , wherein the stabiliser is selected from the group consisting of boron trifluoride (BF 3 ) and sulfur dioxide (SO 2 ).

11. The method of preparing a solidified mass of the curable composition according to claim 1 , comprising the steps of:

(i) mixing a TPU component with a component comprising a curable cyanoacrylate at a temperature above the melting point of said TPU component, forming a mixture,

(ii) casting the mixture of step (i) into a container to form the cast mixture into a cylindrically shaped stick, and

(iii) allowing the cast mixture of step (ii) to cool, or cooling said cast mixture, sufficiently to solidify the composition,

wherein said TPU component has a mass average molar mass M w from about 5000 to about 250000,

and wherein said TPU component is soluble at a temperature of 65° C. in the curable cyanoacrylate up to at least 40% by weight based on total weight of the curable cyanoacrylate, and

wherein said TPU component is based on a polyol that is based on at least one of a diol or a dicarboxylic acid characterised in that at least one of said diol or dicarboxylic acid has greater than 10 carbon atoms (>C 10 ) in the main chain, and

wherein said TPU component has a glass transition temperature, Tg, of from about −60° C. to about 0° C., and a melting point of from about 30° C. to about 100° C. as measured by differential scanning calorimetry in accordance with ISO11357, and

wherein said TPU component is mixed in step (i) with a component comprising a curable cyanoacrylate such that said TPU component is present in the solidified mass of the curable composition in an amount from about 1 wt % to about 60 wt %, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the composition, and

wherein the component comprising a curable cyanoacrylate comprises a curable cyanoacrylate selected from the group consisting of ethyl cyanoacrylate, butyl cyanoacrylate, and β-methoxy cyanoacrylate.

12. The method as claimed in claim 11 , wherein the TPU component is present in the curable composition in an amount from about 5 wt % to about 40 wt %, wherein the weight percentages are based on the total weight of the composition.

13. The method as claimed in claim 11 wherein the TPU component comprises polyester segments.

14. A mass shaped in a stick form prepared by the method of claim 11 .

15. A pack comprising:

(i) a shaped mass of a curable composition according to claim 1 ; and

(ii) a container for the composition, the container having a mechanism for expelling the shaped mass.